Market research is an essential part of business. It is not something done once and then forgotten. Market research should be done continuously and with ample resources. This is what separates a successful small business from one that fails within a very short time. Without proper market research, your small business can easily get left behind.
Market research is a systematic procedure of gathering, scrutinizing and interpreting data on potential markets. The data gathered should be of interest to your target market. In doing this, you will be able to determine the needs of your target market. This is basically the base of any successful new business.
Market research can either be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative market research is one where you simply survey your target consumers or other interested parties. You collect certain details about these individuals and use it to develop new products or services. Quantitative market research, on the other hand, is conducting surveys and asking questions about new products and services in order to understand how they fare in the market.
Another important factor in conducting market research is to conduct customer surveys. Customer surveys are conducted to obtain information that can be useful in formulating new ideas and strategies for business development. Customer surveys are not only used for market research; many companies also conduct them as forms of customer counseling. By the use of the results of customer surveys, these companies can gauge the performance of their businesses especially during rough periods.
Another popular method in conducting market research is through focus groups. Focus groups are groups of individuals who are given specific tasks to narrow down specific topics. The topics may range from the product or service that you are planning to offer, your business’ target market, or even the competition. Through focus groups, you will be able to gather more information about your target audience. Furthermore, this method also involves gathering feedback about what your business has to offer. Although many businesses opt to conduct surveys and focus groups, some choose to rely on questionnaires instead.
Questionnaires, however, should be a part of your market research. These questionnaires differ from focus groups in that they require a greater amount of data collection. These types of questionnaires usually ask your target respondents certain questions pertaining to their preferences. If your focus group results in tons of suggestions, you should consider incorporating at least a few of them into your product or service. After all, even if they do not make a significant impact on your business, the suggestions you get from focus groups can help you improve your offerings.