how to do market research for a new business ideas

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How to Conduct Market Research for a Startup

• 17 Mar 2022

With every innovative product idea comes the pressing question: “Will people want to buy it?”

As an entrepreneur with a big idea, what’s the best way to determine how potential customers will react to your product? Conducting market research can provide the data needed to decide whether your product fits your target market.

Before launching a new venture, you should understand market research. Here’s how to conduct market research for a startup and why it’s important.

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What Is Market Research?

Market research is the process of gathering information about customers and the market as a whole to determine a product or service’s viability. Market research includes interviews, surveys, focus groups, and industry data analyses.

The goal of market research is to better understand potential customers, how well your product or service fits their needs, and how it compares to competitors’ offerings.

There are two types of research you can conduct: primary and secondary.

• Primary research requires collecting data to learn about your specific customers or target market segment. It’s useful for creating buyer personas, segmenting your market, and improving your product to cater to customers’ needs .
• Secondary research is conducted using data you didn’t collect yourself. Industry reports, public databases, and other companies’ proprietary data can be used to gain insights into your target market segment and industry.

Why Is Market Research Important for Entrepreneurs?

Before launching your venture, it’s wise to conduct market research to ensure your product or service will be well received. Feedback from people who fall into your target demographics can be invaluable as you iterate on and improve your product.

Performing market research can also help you determine a pricing strategy by gauging customers’ willingness to pay for your product. Additionally, it can improve the user experience by revealing what features matter most to potential customers.

When assessing which startups to fund, investors place heavy importance on thorough market research that indicates promising potential. Providing tangible proof that your product fulfills a market need and demonstrating you’ve taken the time to iterate on and improve it signal that your startup could be a worthwhile investment.

Related: How to Talk to Potential Investors: 5 Tips

How to Do Market Research for a Startup

1. form hypotheses.

What questions do you aim to answer through market research? Using those questions, you can make predictions called hypotheses . Defining your hypotheses upfront can help guide your approach to selecting subjects, researching questions, and testing designs.

An example question you may ask is: “How much are people in my target demographic willing to pay for the current version of my product?” Your hypothesis could be: “If my product contains all its current features, customers will be willing to pay $500 for it.”

Another example question you may ask is: “What’s the user’s biggest pain point, and is my product meeting their needs?” Your hypothesis could be: “I believe the user’s biggest pain point is needing an easy, unintimidating way to learn basic car maintenance, and I predict that my product meets that need.”

You can and should test multiple hypotheses, but try to select no more than a few per test, so the research stays focused.

Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Hypothesis Testing in Business

2. Select the Type of Research Needed to Test Hypotheses

Once you’ve formed your hypotheses, determine which type of research to conduct.

If your hypotheses focus on determining your startup’s place in the broader market, start with secondary research. This can include using existing data to determine market size, how much of that market your startup could reasonably own, who your biggest competitors are, and how your brand and product compare to theirs.

If your hypotheses require primary research, decide which data collection method best fits your needs. These can include one-on-one interviews, surveys, focus groups, and polls. Primary research allows you to gather insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty, brand awareness and perception, and real-time product usability.

3. Identify Target Demographics and Recruit Subjects

To gather meaningful insights, you need to understand your target demographic. Do you aim to cater to working parents, young athletes, or pet owners? Determine the type of person who can benefit from your product.

If you conduct primary research, you need to recruit subjects. This can be done in several ways, including:

• Word of mouth: The simplest but least reliable way to recruit participants is by word of mouth. Ask people you know to refer others to be research subjects, then screen them to confirm they fit your target demographic.
• Promoting the study on social media: Many social media platforms enable you to show an ad to people who fall into specific demographic categories or have certain interests. This allows you to get the word out to a large number of people who qualify.
• Hiring a third-party market research company: Some companies provide full market research services and recruit participants and conduct research on your behalf.

However you recruit subjects, ensure they take a screener survey beforehand, which allows you to determine whether they fit the specific demographic you want to study or have a trait that eliminates them from the research pool. It also provides demographic data—such as age and race—that enables you to select a diverse subset of your target demographic.

In addition, you can offer compensation to boost participation, such as money, meal vouchers, gift cards, or early access to your product. Make it clear that compensation is in appreciation for subjects’ time and honest feedback.

4. Conduct the Research

Once you’ve determined the type of research and target demographic necessary to test your hypotheses, conduct your research. To reduce bias, enlist someone unfamiliar with your hypotheses to perform interviews or lead focus groups.

Ask questions based on your audience and hypotheses. For instance, if you’re aiming to test existing customers’ purchase motivations, you may ask: “What challenge were you trying to solve when you first bought the product?”

If examining brand perception, your audience should consist of potential customers who don’t yet know your brand. Present them with a list of competitor logos—with yours in the mix—and ask them to rank the brands by perceived reliability.

While the questions you ask are vehicles to prove or disprove hypotheses, ensure they don’t lead subjects in one direction. To craft unbiased research questions , use neutral language and vary the order of options in multiple-choice questions. This can keep subjects from selecting the same option each time if they sense the third option is always mapped to a certain outcome. It also helps account for primacy bias (the tendency to select the first option in a list) and recency bias (the tendency to select the final option in a list).

Once you’ve collected data, ensure it’s organized efficiently and securely so you can protect subjects’ identities .

Related: 3 Examples of Bad Survey Questions and How to Fix Them

5. Gather Insights and Determine Action Items

After you’ve organized your data, analyze it to extract actionable insights. While some of the data will be qualitative rather than quantitative, you can detect patterns in responses to make it quantifiable. For instance, noting that 15 of 20 subjects mentioned feeling overwhelmed when attempting to assemble your product.

Once you’ve analyzed the data and communicated emerging trends using data visualizations , outline action items.

If the majority of users in your target demographic reported feeling overwhelmed while assembling your product, action items might include:

• Creating different versions of assembly instructions to test with other groups, varying diagrams and instructional language
• Researching instruction manual best practices

Each round of market research can offer more information about how your product is perceived and experienced by potential users.

Market Research as an Ongoing Endeavor

While it’s useful to conduct market research before launching your product, you should revisit your hypotheses and form new ones over the course of building your venture.

By conducting market research with each version of your product, you can gradually improve it and ensure it continues to fit target customers’ needs.

Are you interested in bolstering your entrepreneurship skills? Explore our four-week online course Entrepreneurship Essentials and our other entrepreneurship and innovation courses to learn to speak the language of the startup world.

About the Author

Market Research: A How-To Guide and Template

Discover the different types of market research, how to conduct your own market research, and use a free template to help you along the way.

MARKET RESEARCH KIT

5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research

Updated: 02/21/24

Published: 02/21/24

Today's consumers have a lot of power. As a business, you must have a deep understanding of who your buyers are and what influences their purchase decisions.

Enter: Market Research.

Whether you're new to market research or not, I created this guide to help you conduct a thorough study of your market, target audience, competition, and more. Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

What is market research?

Primary vs. secondary research, types of market research, how to do market research, market research report template, market research examples.

Market research is the process of gathering information about your target market and customers to verify the success of a new product, help your team iterate on an existing product, or understand brand perception to ensure your team is effectively communicating your company's value effectively.

Market research can answer various questions about the state of an industry. But if you ask me, it's hardly a crystal ball that marketers can rely on for insights on their customers.

Market researchers investigate several areas of the market, and it can take weeks or even months to paint an accurate picture of the business landscape.

However, researching just one of those areas can make you more intuitive to who your buyers are and how to deliver value that no other business is offering them right now.

How? Consider these two things:

• Your competitors also have experienced individuals in the industry and a customer base. It‘s very possible that your immediate resources are, in many ways, equal to those of your competition’s immediate resources. Seeking a larger sample size for answers can provide a better edge.
• Your customers don't represent the attitudes of an entire market. They represent the attitudes of the part of the market that is already drawn to your brand.

The market research services market is growing rapidly, which signifies a strong interest in market research as we enter 2024. The market is expected to grow from roughly $75 billion in 2021 to $90.79 billion in 2025 .

Free Market Research Kit

• SWOT Analysis Template
• Survey Template
• Focus Group Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Why do market research?

Market research allows you to meet your buyer where they are.

As our world becomes louder and demands more of our attention, this proves invaluable.

By understanding your buyer's problems, pain points, and desired solutions, you can aptly craft your product or service to naturally appeal to them.

Market research also provides insight into the following:

• Where your target audience and current customers conduct their product or service research
• Which of your competitors your target audience looks to for information, options, or purchases
• What's trending in your industry and in the eyes of your buyer
• Who makes up your market and what their challenges are
• What influences purchases and conversions among your target audience
• Consumer attitudes about a particular topic, pain, product, or brand
• Whether there‘s demand for the business initiatives you’re investing in
• Unaddressed or underserved customer needs that can be flipped into selling opportunity
• Attitudes about pricing for a particular product or service

Ultimately, market research allows you to get information from a larger sample size of your target audience, eliminating bias and assumptions so that you can get to the heart of consumer attitudes.

As a result, you can make better business decisions.

To give you an idea of how extensive market research can get , consider that it can either be qualitative or quantitative in nature — depending on the studies you conduct and what you're trying to learn about your industry.

Qualitative research is concerned with public opinion, and explores how the market feels about the products currently available in that market.

Quantitative research is concerned with data, and looks for relevant trends in the information that's gathered from public records.

That said, there are two main types of market research that your business can conduct to collect actionable information on your products: primary research and secondary research.

Primary Research

Primary research is the pursuit of first-hand information about your market and the customers within your market.

It's useful when segmenting your market and establishing your buyer personas.

Primary market research tends to fall into one of two buckets:

• Exploratory Primary Research: This kind of primary market research normally takes place as a first step — before any specific research has been performed — and may involve open-ended interviews or surveys with small numbers of people.
• Specific Primary Research: This type of research often follows exploratory research. In specific research, you take a smaller or more precise segment of your audience and ask questions aimed at solving a suspected problem.

Secondary Research

Secondary research is all the data and public records you have at your disposal to draw conclusions from (e.g. trend reports, market statistics, industry content, and sales data you already have on your business).

Secondary research is particularly useful for analyzing your competitors . The main buckets your secondary market research will fall into include:

• Public Sources: These sources are your first and most-accessible layer of material when conducting secondary market research. They're often free to find and review — like government statistics (e.g., from the U.S. Census Bureau ).
• Commercial Sources: These sources often come in the form of pay-to-access market reports, consisting of industry insight compiled by a research agency like Pew , Gartner , or Forrester .
• Internal Sources: This is the market data your organization already has like average revenue per sale, customer retention rates, and other historical data that can help you draw conclusions on buyer needs.
• Focus Groups
• Product/ Service Use Research
• Observation-Based Research
• Buyer Persona Research
• Market Segmentation Research
• Pricing Research
• Competitive Analysis Research
• Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research
• Brand Awareness Research
• Campaign Research

1. Interviews

Interviews allow for face-to-face discussions so you can allow for a natural flow of conversation. Your interviewees can answer questions about themselves to help you design your buyer personas and shape your entire marketing strategy.

2. Focus Groups

Focus groups provide you with a handful of carefully-selected people that can test out your product and provide feedback. This type of market research can give you ideas for product differentiation.

3. Product/Service Use Research

Product or service use research offers insight into how and why your audience uses your product or service. This type of market research also gives you an idea of the product or service's usability for your target audience.

4. Observation-Based Research

Observation-based research allows you to sit back and watch the ways in which your target audience members go about using your product or service, what works well in terms of UX , and which aspects of it could be improved.

5. Buyer Persona Research

Buyer persona research gives you a realistic look at who makes up your target audience, what their challenges are, why they want your product or service, and what they need from your business or brand.

6. Market Segmentation Research

Market segmentation research allows you to categorize your target audience into different groups (or segments) based on specific and defining characteristics. This way, you can determine effective ways to meet their needs.

7. Pricing Research

Pricing research helps you define your pricing strategy . It gives you an idea of what similar products or services in your market sell for and what your target audience is willing to pay.

8. Competitive Analysis

Competitive analyses give you a deep understanding of the competition in your market and industry. You can learn about what's doing well in your industry and how you can separate yourself from the competition .

9. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research

Customer satisfaction and loyalty research gives you a look into how you can get current customers to return for more business and what will motivate them to do so (e.g., loyalty programs , rewards, remarkable customer service).

10. Brand Awareness Research

Brand awareness research tells you what your target audience knows about and recognizes from your brand. It tells you about the associations people make when they think about your business.

11. Campaign Research

Campaign research entails looking into your past campaigns and analyzing their success among your target audience and current customers. The goal is to use these learnings to inform future campaigns.

• Define your buyer persona.
• Identify a persona group to engage.
• Prepare research questions for your market research participants.
• List your primary competitors.
• Summarize your findings.

1. Define your buyer persona.

You have to understand who your customers are and how customers in your industry make buying decisions.

This is where your buyer personas come in handy. Buyer personas — sometimes referred to as marketing personas — are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers.

Use a free tool to create a buyer persona that your entire company can use to market, sell, and serve better.

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How to do market research: The complete guide for your brand

Written by by Jacqueline Zote

Published on  April 13, 2023

Reading time  10 minutes

Blindly putting out content or products and hoping for the best is a thing of the past. Not only is it a waste of time and energy, but you’re wasting valuable marketing dollars in the process. Now you have a wealth of tools and data at your disposal, allowing you to develop data-driven marketing strategies . That’s where market research comes in, allowing you to uncover valuable insights to inform your business decisions.

Conducting market research not only helps you better understand how to sell to customers but also stand out from your competition. In this guide, we break down everything you need to know about market research and how doing your homework can help you grow your business.

Table of contents:

What is market research?

Why is market research important, types of market research, where to conduct market research.

• Steps for conducting market research
• Tools to use for market research

Market research is the process of gathering information surrounding your business opportunities. It identifies key information to better understand your audience. This includes insights related to customer personas and even trends shaping your industry.

Taking time out of your schedule to conduct research is crucial for your brand health. Here are some of the key benefits of market research:

Understand your customers’ motivations and pain points

Most marketers are out of touch with what their customers want. Moreover, these marketers are missing key information on what products their audience wants to buy.

Simply put, you can’t run a business if you don’t know what motivates your customers.

And spoiler alert: Your customers’ wants and needs change. Your customers’ behaviors today might be night and day from what they were a few years ago.

Market research holds the key to understanding your customers better. It helps you uncover their key pain points and motivations and understand how they shape their interests and behavior.

Figure out how to position your brand

Positioning is becoming increasingly important as more and more brands enter the marketplace. Market research enables you to spot opportunities to define yourself against your competitors.

Maybe you’re able to emphasize a lower price point. Perhaps your product has a feature that’s one of a kind. Finding those opportunities goes hand in hand with researching your market.

Maintain a strong pulse on your industry at large

Today’s marketing world evolves at a rate that’s difficult to keep up with.

Fresh products. Up-and-coming brands. New marketing tools. Consumers get bombarded with sales messages from all angles. This can be confusing and overwhelming.

By monitoring market trends, you can figure out the best tactics for reaching your target audience.

Not everyone conducts market research for the same reason. While some may want to understand their audience better, others may want to see how their competitors are doing. As such, there are different types of market research you can conduct depending on your goal.

Interview-based market research allows for one-on-one interactions. This helps the conversation to flow naturally, making it easier to add context. Whether this takes place in person or virtually, it enables you to gather more in-depth qualitative data.

Buyer persona research

Buyer persona research lets you take a closer look at the people who make up your target audience. You can discover the needs, challenges and pain points of each buyer persona to understand what they need from your business. This will then allow you to craft products or campaigns to resonate better with each persona.

Pricing research

In this type of research, brands compare similar products or services with a particular focus on pricing. They look at how much those products or services typically sell for so they can get more competitive with their pricing strategy.

Competitive analysis research

Competitor analysis gives you a realistic understanding of where you stand in the market and how your competitors are doing. You can use this analysis to find out what’s working in your industry and which competitors to watch out for. It even gives you an idea of how well those competitors are meeting consumer needs.

Depending on the competitor analysis tool you use, you can get as granular as you need with your research. For instance, Sprout Social lets you analyze your competitors’ social strategies. You can see what types of content they’re posting and even benchmark your growth against theirs.

Brand awareness research

Conducting brand awareness research allows you to assess your brand’s standing in the market. It tells you how well-known your brand is among your target audience and what they associate with it. This can help you gauge people’s sentiments toward your brand and whether you need to rebrand or reposition.

If you don’t know where to start with your research, you’re in the right place.

There’s no shortage of market research methods out there. In this section, we’ve highlighted research channels for small and big businesses alike.

Considering that Google sees a staggering 8.5 billion searches each day, there’s perhaps no better place to start.

A quick Google search is a potential goldmine for all sorts of questions to kick off your market research. Who’s ranking for keywords related to your industry? Which products and pieces of content are the hottest right now? Who’s running ads related to your business?

For example, Google Product Listing Ads can help highlight all of the above for B2C brands.

The same applies to B2B brands looking to keep tabs on who’s running industry-related ads and ranking for keyword terms too.

There’s no denying that email represents both an aggressive and effective marketing channel for marketers today. Case in point, 44% of online shoppers consider email as the most influential channel in their buying decisions.

Looking through industry and competitor emails is a brilliant way to learn more about your market. For example, what types of offers and deals are your competitors running? How often are they sending emails?

Email is also invaluable for gathering information directly from your customers. This survey message from Asana is a great example of how to pick your customers’ brains to figure out how you can improve your quality of service.

Industry journals, reports and blogs

Don’t neglect the importance of big-picture market research when it comes to tactics and marketing channels to explore. Look to marketing resources such as reports and blogs as well as industry journals

Keeping your ear to the ground on new trends and technologies is a smart move for any business. Sites such as Statista, Marketing Charts, AdWeek and Emarketer are treasure troves of up-to-date data and news for marketers.

And of course, there’s the  Sprout Insights blog . And invaluable resources like The Sprout Social Index™  can keep you updated on the latest social trends.

Social media

If you want to learn more about your target market, look no further than social media. Social offers a place to discover what your customers want to see in future products or which brands are killin’ it. In fact, social media is become more important for businesses than ever with the level of data available.

It represents a massive repository of real-time data and insights that are instantly accessible. Brand monitoring and social listening are effective ways to conduct social media research . You can even be more direct with your approach. Ask questions directly or even poll your audience to understand their needs and preferences.

The 5 steps for how to do market research

Now that we’ve covered the why and where, it’s time to get into the practical aspects of market research. Here are five essential steps on how to do market research effectively.

Step 1: Identify your research topic

First off, what are you researching about? What do you want to find out? Narrow down on a specific research topic so you can start with a clear idea of what to look for.

For example, you may want to learn more about how well your product features are satisfying the needs of existing users. This might potentially lead to feature updates and improvements. Or it might even result in new feature introductions.

Similarly, your research topic may be related to your product or service launch or customer experience. Or you may want to conduct research for an upcoming marketing campaign.

Step 2: Choose a buyer persona to engage

If you’re planning to focus your research on a specific type of audience, decide which buyer persona you want to engage. This persona group will serve as a representative sample of your target audience.

Engaging a specific group of audience lets you streamline your research efforts. As such, it can be a much more effective and organized approach than researching thousands (if not millions) of individuals.

You may be directing your research toward existing users of your product. To get even more granular, you may want to focus on users who have been familiar with the product for at least a year, for example.

Step 3: Start collecting data

The next step is one of the most critical as it involves collecting the data you need for your research. Before you begin, make sure you’ve chosen the right research methods that will uncover the type of data you need. This largely depends on your research topic and goals.

Remember that you don’t necessarily have to stick to one research method. You may use a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. So for example, you could use interviews to supplement the data from your surveys. Or you may stick to insights from your social listening efforts.

To keep things consistent, let’s look at this in the context of the example from earlier. Perhaps you can send out a survey to your existing users asking them a bunch of questions. This might include questions like which features they use the most and how often they use them. You can get them to choose an answer from one to five and collect quantitative data.

Plus, for qualitative insights, you could even include a few open-ended questions with the option to write their answers. For instance, you might ask them if there’s any improvement they wish to see in your product.

Step 4: Analyze results

Once you have all the data you need, it’s time to analyze it keeping your research topic in mind. This involves trying to interpret the data to look for a wider meaning, particularly in relation to your research goal.

So let’s say a large percentage of responses were four or five in the satisfaction rating. This means your existing users are mostly satisfied with your current product features. On the other hand, if the responses were mostly ones and twos, you may look for opportunities to improve. The responses to your open-ended questions can give you further context as to why people are disappointed.

Step 5: Make decisions for your business

Now it’s time to take your findings and turn them into actionable insights for your business. In this final step, you need to decide how you want to move forward with your new market insight.

What did you find in your research that would require action? How can you put those findings to good use?

The market research tools you should be using

To wrap things up, let’s talk about the various tools available to conduct speedy, in-depth market research. These tools are essential for conducting market research faster and more efficiently.

Social listening and analytics

Social analytics tools like Sprout can help you keep track of engagement across social media. This goes beyond your own engagement data but also includes that of your competitors. Considering how quickly social media moves, using a third-party analytics tool is ideal. It allows you to make sense of your social data at a glance and ensure that you’re never missing out on important trends.

Email marketing research tools

Keeping track of brand emails is a good idea for any brand looking to stand out in its audience’s inbox.

Tools such as MailCharts ,  Really Good Emails  and  Milled  can show you how different brands run their email campaigns.

Meanwhile, tools like  Owletter  allow you to monitor metrics such as frequency and send-timing. These metrics can help you understand email marketing strategies among competing brands.

Content marketing research

If you’re looking to conduct research on content marketing, tools such as  BuzzSumo  can be of great help. This tool shows you the top-performing industry content based on keywords. Here you can see relevant industry sites and influencers as well as which brands in your industry are scoring the most buzz. It shows you exactly which pieces of content are ranking well in terms of engagements and shares and on which social networks.

SEO and keyword tracking

Monitoring industry keywords is a great way to uncover competitors. It can also help you discover opportunities to advertise your products via organic search. Tools such as  Ahrefs  provide a comprehensive keyword report to help you see how your search efforts stack up against the competition.

Competitor comparison template

For the sake of organizing your market research, consider creating a competitive matrix. The idea is to highlight how you stack up side-by-side against others in your market. Use a  social media competitive analysis template  to track your competitors’ social presence. That way, you can easily compare tactics, messaging and performance. Once you understand your strengths and weaknesses next to your competitors, you’ll find opportunities as well.

Customer persona creator

Finally, customer personas represent a place where all of your market research comes together. You’d need to create a profile of your ideal customer that you can easily refer to. Tools like  Xtensio  can help in outlining your customer motivations and demographics as you zero in on your target market.

Build a solid market research strategy

Having a deeper understanding of the market gives you leverage in a sea of competitors. Use the steps and market research tools we shared above to build an effective market research strategy.

But keep in mind that the accuracy of your research findings depends on the quality of data collected. Turn to Sprout’s social media analytics tools to uncover heaps of high-quality data across social networks.

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How to do market research for your business idea

Last updated

3 April 2024

Reviewed by

Market research provides valuable data that ensures your business idea resonates with customers and generates demand. If the research confirms consumers are interested, you can build a business delivering the product or service. If not, you can use the findings to adjust your idea so it reflects what customers want.

Conducting market research and analyzing the results can mean the difference between success and failure. Let's look at how you can do market research for your business idea and turn it into a thriving enterprise.

Market analysis template

Save time, highlight crucial insights, and drive strategic decision-making

• What is market research?

Market research refers to analyzing your business's target market to evaluate the viability of your business idea. You will learn why, or even if, consumers want to purchase your service or product, their spending habits, and their purchasing decisions.

By understanding the market, you can:

Make better products

Improve user experience

Offer competitive prices

Find ways to attract the most customers

Market research is critical to starting and growing a successful business.

• Why is market research important?

Consumer behavior plays a crucial role in determining the success of a business. Your consumers will not only buy your products or services but will also either warn against or recommend your company to others.

Understanding what your customers want and how they think, feel, and make decisions is the first step in delivering their needs.

There are many reasons for conducting market research. Let’s look at the most important ones.

Gives you a better understanding of your customers 

Market research will help you, as an entrepreneur, better understand your target customers. You will gather insights into their:

Demographics

Pain points

Buying habits

Preferences

As such, you can tailor your products or services and create a customer experience that appeals to your potential customers. Market research can:

Drive customers to your store, product, or service

Help you turn clicks into conversions

Maintain a customer-centric approach

Build loyalty and trust

Helps businesses make informed decisions

Market research not only provides data about customers but also uncovers market trends and growth patterns. This minimizes your reliance on gut feelings, assumptions, and guesswork.

You can set realistic goals and make the right choices for your business. You'll know:

What to expect in the future

What will work in the market

How you can reinvent your business to stay relevant

Making data-driven decisions will boost your chances of getting it right the first time.

Identifies opportunities for growth

Market research helps startups identify opportunities to improve and gaps they can fill. You may pinpoint new customers who could benefit from your business idea. These could be in areas where your business does not have a presence or is falling behind its competitors.

Market research can also reveal partnership opportunities with businesses that already have an established customer base with your target audience. It can also identify the shortcomings in your business idea and help you avoid expensive mistakes.

You can also uncover opportunities for product bundles, add-ons, and other value-adds that increase your profits. Having the right knowledge can help drive profitability.

Minimizes risks

Every business deals with a range of risks including:

Operational

Business risks usually arise when there's uncertainty around profits, strategy, and other elements. These risks can significantly affect a business's bottom line, including its reputation among consumers, leading to:

Lower profits

Inefficient processes

Possible failure

Conducting market research will help identify the potential risks associated with your business idea early on. You can stay informed of laws and regulations, refine your workflows and processes, and develop risk-management strategies that reduce the chances of failure.

Establishes product or service viability

As an entrepreneur, the last thing you want is to invest resources and money in an idea no one wants or needs. You can use market research to test your business idea before investing.

Market research for your business ideas will help you to;

Understand what the core product and its features need to look like

Gauge market demand

Gather information about your competitors' actions

This will help you validate or refine your initial business idea based on the collected feedback and data.

Shapes marketing and branding strategies

An effective marketing strategy ensures your business stays in sync with your customer base. To create successful campaigns for your business, you must know and understand customers to reach and connect with them.

Market research can help determine how you communicate information about your products or services and your marketing channels. You can develop an informed marketing strategy that puts your business ahead of your competitors.

• Types of market research

Primary and secondary market research are the basic types of market research. However, as technology and marketing become more sophisticated, entrepreneurs can use new ways to discover valuable information that can create better insights, and better product and service experiences.

These market research methods include:

Brand awareness research

Competitor analysis

Market and customer segmentation

Pricing research

Customer satisfaction and loyalty research

Product research

Campaign research

Customer research

The type of market research you choose will influence your critical business decisions. Therefore, select the right research methods to help your business stay relevant, adapt, and compete. Entrepreneurs can use different types of market research to allow for more granular data collection.

• Primary vs. secondary research

Primary research

Primary research involves collecting new data from original sources. This involves going directly to your target market or employing a third party to conduct relevant studies on your specific customers or market segment.

Primary research methods include:

Focus groups

One-to-one interviews

Consumer observation

Data is collected directly from respondents, allowing you to gain specific insights tailored to your objectives. This may include a firsthand perspective on consumer preferences, behaviors, and trends.

Primary research helps you to:

Create buyer personas

Improve your business idea

Segment your market

Secondary research

Secondary research involves using pre-existing data from various sources to gain insights into your target market and industry. This includes reviewing reports, studies, and data collected by others in your industry.

Secondary sources include:

Industry reports

Internet search engines

Government publications

Statistical databases

Academic papers

Industry experts

From secondary research, you will gain broader industry perspectives, competitor strategies, historical data trends, and context for understanding market dynamics. Since most of this information is freely available, secondary research is more cost-effective for startups.

• How to conduct market research for your business idea

1. Define your target market

Entrepreneurs can only gather meaningful insights once they know who to include in their market research. Otherwise, you may waste resources collecting unnecessary data.

First, define and understand your target market. Work out which types of consumers will be included, their interests, and how the data will be collected.

Ask these questions to help you:

Who is your target market as a whole?

How old are they?

What characteristics, interests, desires, pain points, and needs do they share?

Where do they buy similar products?

What are their income ranges?

Where do they live?

What major challenges do they face?

The idea is to visualize your audience and understand their actual characteristics, buying habits, and possible challenges. This allows you to develop marketing research that targets people who are interested in what you offer or plan to provide.

2. Develop a market research plan

Like any other business process, market research requires an effective plan to be successful. You should know what you're trying to accomplish and the information you'll need.

Your market research plan should include the following:

The issues your business idea addresses

Clear objectives and goals

The research methods you'll use to achieve those objectives (the research design)

The estimated time frame to complete tasks

The required budget

Any ethical issues or other considerations that may arise

Planning your market research can save you time, effort, and money. You'll not only target the right audience but also invest in the right sectors and align your research with your business objectives.

3. Study your competitors

Knowing your competitors, what they offer, and how they position themselves in the market can help set you on the right path.

Research your competitors':

Brand reputation

Overall strategies

Marketing campaigns

Revenue or sales volume

Other activities

This can help you determine how to differentiate your business from theirs and learn from their strengths and weaknesses. You'll understand the business landscape and be better able to assess your chances of success.

4. Conduct a SWOT analysis

A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis is a powerful way to analyze your business idea. It will help you assess your internal capabilities and the external market conditions to identify potential advantages and challenges.

A SWOT analysis usually entails the following:

Strengths: This involves identifying the strengths of your business idea. Some common strengths you can evaluate include your idea’s competitive advantage, efficiency, and unique qualities.

Weaknesses: Weaknesses are usually areas where you can or should improve. Common areas of improvement include things your competitors do better than you and internal factors that make it challenging to achieve your goals.

Opportunities: These are ways you can grow your business idea and make it more profitable. These are opportunities open to you, trends you can take advantage of, and ways to turn your strengths into opportunities.

Threats: Threats include everything that poses a risk to your business idea. These can be things that prevent you from entering the market or achieving success and growth. Threats to your business may include emerging competitors, a changing regulatory environment, and the possibility of losing relevance.

Typically, strengths and weaknesses are internal factors you can control, while opportunities and threats are external factors that can be anticipated. Conducting a SWOT analysis allows you to identify areas to focus on, build, and work to overcome.

5. Run surveys and focus groups

Surveys and focus groups are effective ways to fully understand your target market and competition. Surveys are straightforward and can be cost-effective to conduct, and the data is relatively easy to analyze. You can use online platforms that deliver surveys through online forums, social media sites, and other convenient means. Your surveys should contain a variety of question types, including:

Open-ended responses

Rating scales

Multiple choice

Focus groups involve gathering a small group of individuals (usually 5–10) to answer questions and provide feedback. The groups are led by a moderator who asks questions, allows discussion, and keeps the conversation moving in a productive direction.

6. Study trends and industry reports

Market trends and industry reports keep you updated on what's happening in your industry or target market. This includes changes, shifts, and recurring trends within a particular market or industry. They give valuable insights into:

Consumer preferences

Economic factors

Emerging technologies

Other aspects that may shape the market's future

You'll learn more about key metrics such as revenue, sales, average selling prices, and growth opportunities. They provide a solid overview of market dynamics and the factors driving it. After reviewing these, you'll be able to identify:

Growing industries to invest in

Barriers or threats you may face

Your major competitors

7. Analyze data

After conducting your research, you'll have information and data to analyze. We recommend using a system that helps you organize your collected data to find actionable recommendations . This can include:

Sorting your data into groups

Identifying patterns

Creating distinct customer personas

You can also use the SWOT framework, spreadsheets, or data visualization software to arrange and analyze your information. When reviewing, look for information that will help you answer your objectives and critical questions.

8. Summarize findings

Once you have analyzed your data, you can summarize your findings in a simple, shareable format. This can be in the form of a summary report containing insights, recommendations, and resulting strategies from the data analysis. You can then share what you learned during the research and analysis with your team members.

Your findings should help you identify:

Opportunities for growth and improvement

Answers that fulfill your objectives

This will help guide product development, marketing strategies, and other crucial decisions that drive success. You can also use summarized reports for future marketing and branding efforts.

9. Validate your business idea

Validation involves evaluating your business idea against the information gathered through market research. This helps ensure your business idea has the potential for success in the marketplace.

You can validate your business idea by determining whether:

There's a need for your product or service

There are enough potential customers

You can do better than your competitors

Your customers validated your idea

You're solving a problem

You can attain the highest rewards and achieve long-term success

Think about the assumptions you have about your business and validate them with real-life situations and data. Assumptions can include:

Your business model

The value you believe your products offer

Your desired pricing

You can also test your products or services with real users to get their opinion and see how it works in the real market. You can then modify your business idea based on what you learn.

• 10 common market research questions for a new business idea

The market research questions you choose will play a vital role in creating an accurate buyer persona and capturing valuable insights. Select questions that will help your business collect precise information about your target market, audiences, and competitors. 

Here are some common market research questions for startups:

Who is our ideal customer? What is the size of our target market?

Who are our biggest competitors? How are they doing business in this market?

What are the problems we'll solve for our target groups?

What regulatory or compliance challenges might we face in this specific market?

What are the current (and predicted) trends impacting the market?

Who would purchase this product if it were available today?

What challenges do you currently face in [relevant industry/problem area]?

What features are most important when considering a [product/service]?

What types of brands are boycotted and why?

Which aspects of our advertising or marketing message are most compelling?

When should you conduct market research?

In ever-changing, highly competitive markets, businesses should always know what's happening in their industry. Therefore, entrepreneurs should be strategic about when to conduct market research.

Typically, you should conduct market research:

Before and after launching a new business

Before and after developing or launching new products or services

Before and after entering new markets

What type of market research is best for startups?

Most startups use secondary research because it's quick and more affordable. However, you can also use modern tools to design robust market research studies. Startups can also benefit from conducting primary research if resources allow.

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Do you want to discover previous research faster?

Do you share your research findings with others?

Do you analyze research data?

Start for free today, add your research, and get to key insights faster

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How to Do Market Research: The Complete Guide

Learn how to do market research with this step-by-step guide, complete with templates, tools and real-world examples.

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Get trusted first-party funding data, revenue data and firmographics

What are your customers’ needs? How does your product compare to the competition? What are the emerging trends and opportunities in your industry? If these questions keep you up at night, it’s time to conduct market research.

Market research plays a pivotal role in your ability to stay competitive and relevant, helping you anticipate shifts in consumer behavior and industry dynamics. It involves gathering these insights using a wide range of techniques, from surveys and interviews to data analysis and observational studies.

In this guide, we’ll explore why market research is crucial, the various types of market research, the methods used in data collection, and how to effectively conduct market research to drive informed decision-making and success.

What is market research?

Market research is the systematic process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about a specific market or industry. The purpose of market research is to offer valuable insight into the preferences and behaviors of your target audience, and anticipate shifts in market trends and the competitive landscape. This information helps you make data-driven decisions, develop effective strategies for your business, and maximize your chances of long-term growth.

Why is market research important? 

By understanding the significance of market research, you can make sure you’re asking the right questions and using the process to your advantage. Some of the benefits of market research include:

• Informed decision-making: Market research provides you with the data and insights you need to make smart decisions for your business. It helps you identify opportunities, assess risks and tailor your strategies to meet the demands of the market. Without market research, decisions are often based on assumptions or guesswork, leading to costly mistakes.
• Customer-centric approach: A cornerstone of market research involves developing a deep understanding of customer needs and preferences. This gives you valuable insights into your target audience, helping you develop products, services and marketing campaigns that resonate with your customers.
• Competitive advantage: By conducting market research, you’ll gain a competitive edge. You’ll be able to identify gaps in the market, analyze competitor strengths and weaknesses, and position your business strategically. This enables you to create unique value propositions, differentiate yourself from competitors, and seize opportunities that others may overlook.
• Risk mitigation: Market research helps you anticipate market shifts and potential challenges. By identifying threats early, you can proactively adjust their strategies to mitigate risks and respond effectively to changing circumstances. This proactive approach is particularly valuable in volatile industries.
• Resource optimization: Conducting market research allows organizations to allocate their time, money and resources more efficiently. It ensures that investments are made in areas with the highest potential return on investment, reducing wasted resources and improving overall business performance.
• Adaptation to market trends: Markets evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements, cultural shifts and changing consumer attitudes. Market research ensures that you stay ahead of these trends and adapt your offerings accordingly so you can avoid becoming obsolete. 

As you can see, market research empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, cater to customer needs, outperform competitors, mitigate risks, optimize resources and stay agile in a dynamic marketplace. These benefits make it a huge industry; the global market research services market is expected to grow from $76.37 billion in 2021 to $108.57 billion in 2026 . Now, let’s dig into the different types of market research that can help you achieve these benefits.

Types of market research 

• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• Exploratory research
• Descriptive research
• Causal research
• Cross-sectional research
• Longitudinal research

Despite its advantages, 23% of organizations don’t have a clear market research strategy. Part of developing a strategy involves choosing the right type of market research for your business goals. The most commonly used approaches include:

1. Qualitative research

Qualitative research focuses on understanding the underlying motivations, attitudes and perceptions of individuals or groups. It is typically conducted through techniques like in-depth interviews, focus groups and content analysis — methods we’ll discuss further in the sections below. Qualitative research provides rich, nuanced insights that can inform product development, marketing strategies and brand positioning.

2. Quantitative research

Quantitative research, in contrast to qualitative research, involves the collection and analysis of numerical data, often through surveys, experiments and structured questionnaires. This approach allows for statistical analysis and the measurement of trends, making it suitable for large-scale market studies and hypothesis testing. While it’s worthwhile using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research, most businesses prioritize the latter because it is scientific, measurable and easily replicated across different experiments.

3. Exploratory research

Whether you’re conducting qualitative or quantitative research or a mix of both, exploratory research is often the first step. Its primary goal is to help you understand a market or problem so you can gain insights and identify potential issues or opportunities. This type of market research is less structured and is typically conducted through open-ended interviews, focus groups or secondary data analysis. Exploratory research is valuable when entering new markets or exploring new product ideas.

4. Descriptive research

As its name implies, descriptive research seeks to describe a market, population or phenomenon in detail. It involves collecting and summarizing data to answer questions about audience demographics and behaviors, market size, and current trends. Surveys, observational studies and content analysis are common methods used in descriptive research. 

5. Causal research

Causal research aims to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables. It investigates whether changes in one variable result in changes in another. Experimental designs, A/B testing and regression analysis are common causal research methods. This sheds light on how specific marketing strategies or product changes impact consumer behavior.

6. Cross-sectional research

Cross-sectional market research involves collecting data from a sample of the population at a single point in time. It is used to analyze differences, relationships or trends among various groups within a population. Cross-sectional studies are helpful for market segmentation, identifying target audiences and assessing market trends at a specific moment.

7. Longitudinal research

Longitudinal research, in contrast to cross-sectional research, collects data from the same subjects over an extended period. This allows for the analysis of trends, changes and developments over time. Longitudinal studies are useful for tracking long-term developments in consumer preferences, brand loyalty and market dynamics.

Each type of market research has its strengths and weaknesses, and the method you choose depends on your specific research goals and the depth of understanding you’re aiming to achieve. In the following sections, we’ll delve into primary and secondary research approaches and specific research methods.

Primary vs. secondary market research

Market research of all types can be broadly categorized into two main approaches: primary research and secondary research. By understanding the differences between these approaches, you can better determine the most appropriate research method for your specific goals.

Primary market research 

Primary research involves the collection of original data straight from the source. Typically, this involves communicating directly with your target audience — through surveys, interviews, focus groups and more — to gather information. Here are some key attributes of primary market research:

• Customized data: Primary research provides data that is tailored to your research needs. You design a custom research study and gather information specific to your goals.
• Up-to-date insights: Because primary research involves communicating with customers, the data you collect reflects the most current market conditions and consumer behaviors.
• Time-consuming and resource-intensive: Despite its advantages, primary research can be labor-intensive and costly, especially when dealing with large sample sizes or complex study designs. Whether you hire a market research consultant, agency or use an in-house team, primary research studies consume a large amount of resources and time.

Secondary market research 

Secondary research, on the other hand, involves analyzing data that has already been compiled by third-party sources, such as online research tools, databases, news sites, industry reports and academic studies.

Here are the main characteristics of secondary market research:

• Cost-effective: Secondary research is generally more cost-effective than primary research since it doesn’t require building a research plan from scratch. You and your team can look at databases, websites and publications on an ongoing basis, without needing to design a custom experiment or hire a consultant. 
• Leverages multiple sources: Data tools and software extract data from multiple places across the web, and then consolidate that information within a single platform. This means you’ll get a greater amount of data and a wider scope from secondary research.
• Quick to access: You can access a wide range of information rapidly — often in seconds — if you’re using online research tools and databases. Because of this, you can act on insights sooner, rather than taking the time to develop an experiment. 

So, when should you use primary vs. secondary research? In practice, many market research projects incorporate both primary and secondary research to take advantage of the strengths of each approach.

One rule of thumb is to focus on secondary research to obtain background information, market trends or industry benchmarks. It is especially valuable for conducting preliminary research, competitor analysis, or when time and budget constraints are tight. Then, if you still have knowledge gaps or need to answer specific questions unique to your business model, use primary research to create a custom experiment. 

Market research methods

• Surveys and questionnaires
• Focus groups
• Observational research
• Online research tools
• Experiments
• Content analysis
• Ethnographic research

How do primary and secondary research approaches translate into specific research methods? Let’s take a look at the different ways you can gather data: 

1. Surveys and questionnaires

Surveys and questionnaires are popular methods for collecting structured data from a large number of respondents. They involve a set of predetermined questions that participants answer. Surveys can be conducted through various channels, including online tools, telephone interviews and in-person or online questionnaires. They are useful for gathering quantitative data and assessing customer demographics, opinions, preferences and needs. On average, customer surveys have a 33% response rate , so keep that in mind as you consider your sample size.

2. Interviews

Interviews are in-depth conversations with individuals or groups to gather qualitative insights. They can be structured (with predefined questions) or unstructured (with open-ended discussions). Interviews are valuable for exploring complex topics, uncovering motivations and obtaining detailed feedback. 

3. Focus groups

The most common primary research methods are in-depth webcam interviews and focus groups. Focus groups are a small gathering of participants who discuss a specific topic or product under the guidance of a moderator. These discussions are valuable for primary market research because they reveal insights into consumer attitudes, perceptions and emotions. Focus groups are especially useful for idea generation, concept testing and understanding group dynamics within your target audience.

4. Observational research

Observational research involves observing and recording participant behavior in a natural setting. This method is particularly valuable when studying consumer behavior in physical spaces, such as retail stores or public places. In some types of observational research, participants are aware you’re watching them; in other cases, you discreetly watch consumers without their knowledge, as they use your product. Either way, observational research provides firsthand insights into how people interact with products or environments.

5. Online research tools

You and your team can do your own secondary market research using online tools. These tools include data prospecting platforms and databases, as well as online surveys, social media listening, web analytics and sentiment analysis platforms. They help you gather data from online sources, monitor industry trends, track competitors, understand consumer preferences and keep tabs on online behavior. We’ll talk more about choosing the right market research tools in the sections that follow.

6. Experiments

Market research experiments are controlled tests of variables to determine causal relationships. While experiments are often associated with scientific research, they are also used in market research to assess the impact of specific marketing strategies, product features, or pricing and packaging changes.

7. Content analysis

Content analysis involves the systematic examination of textual, visual or audio content to identify patterns, themes and trends. It’s commonly applied to customer reviews, social media posts and other forms of online content to analyze consumer opinions and sentiments.

8. Ethnographic research

Ethnographic research immerses researchers into the daily lives of consumers to understand their behavior and culture. This method is particularly valuable when studying niche markets or exploring the cultural context of consumer choices.

How to do market research

• Set clear objectives
• Identify your target audience
• Choose your research methods
• Use the right market research tools
• Collect data
• Analyze data 
• Interpret your findings
• Identify opportunities and challenges
• Make informed business decisions
• Monitor and adapt

Now that you have gained insights into the various market research methods at your disposal, let’s delve into the practical aspects of how to conduct market research effectively. Here’s a quick step-by-step overview, from defining objectives to monitoring market shifts.

1. Set clear objectives

When you set clear and specific goals, you’re essentially creating a compass to guide your research questions and methodology. Start by precisely defining what you want to achieve. Are you launching a new product and want to understand its viability in the market? Are you evaluating customer satisfaction with a product redesign? 

Start by creating SMART goals — objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Not only will this clarify your research focus from the outset, but it will also help you track progress and benchmark your success throughout the process. 

You should also consult with key stakeholders and team members to ensure alignment on your research objectives before diving into data collecting. This will help you gain diverse perspectives and insights that will shape your research approach.

2. Identify your target audience

Next, you’ll need to pinpoint your target audience to determine who should be included in your research. Begin by creating detailed buyer personas or stakeholder profiles. Consider demographic factors like age, gender, income and location, but also delve into psychographics, such as interests, values and pain points.

The more specific your target audience, the more accurate and actionable your research will be. Additionally, segment your audience if your research objectives involve studying different groups, such as current customers and potential leads.

If you already have existing customers, you can also hold conversations with them to better understand your target market. From there, you can refine your buyer personas and tailor your research methods accordingly.

3. Choose your research methods

Selecting the right research methods is crucial for gathering high-quality data. Start by considering the nature of your research objectives. If you’re exploring consumer preferences, surveys and interviews can provide valuable insights. For in-depth understanding, focus groups or observational research might be suitable. Consider using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a well-rounded perspective. 

You’ll also need to consider your budget. Think about what you can realistically achieve using the time and resources available to you. If you have a fairly generous budget, you may want to try a mix of primary and secondary research approaches. If you’re doing market research for a startup , on the other hand, chances are your budget is somewhat limited. If that’s the case, try addressing your goals with secondary research tools before investing time and effort in a primary research study. 

4. Use the right market research tools

Whether you’re conducting primary or secondary research, you’ll need to choose the right tools. These can help you do anything from sending surveys to customers to monitoring trends and analyzing data. Here are some examples of popular market research tools:

• Market research software: Crunchbase is a platform that provides best-in-class company data, making it valuable for market research on growing companies and industries. You can use Crunchbase to access trusted, first-party funding data, revenue data, news and firmographics, enabling you to monitor industry trends and understand customer needs.

• Survey and questionnaire tools: SurveyMonkey is a widely used online survey platform that allows you to create, distribute and analyze surveys. Google Forms is a free tool that lets you create surveys and collect responses through Google Drive.
• Data analysis software: Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are useful for conducting statistical analyses. SPSS is a powerful statistical analysis software used for data processing, analysis and reporting.
• Social listening tools: Brandwatch is a social listening and analytics platform that helps you monitor social media conversations, track sentiment and analyze trends. Mention is a media monitoring tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, competitors and keywords across various online sources.
• Data visualization platforms: Tableau is a data visualization tool that helps you create interactive and shareable dashboards and reports. Power BI by Microsoft is a business analytics tool for creating interactive visualizations and reports.

5. Collect data

There’s an infinite amount of data you could be collecting using these tools, so you’ll need to be intentional about going after the data that aligns with your research goals. Implement your chosen research methods, whether it’s distributing surveys, conducting interviews or pulling from secondary research platforms. Pay close attention to data quality and accuracy, and stick to a standardized process to streamline data capture and reduce errors. 

6. Analyze data

Once data is collected, you’ll need to analyze it systematically. Use statistical software or analysis tools to identify patterns, trends and correlations. For qualitative data, employ thematic analysis to extract common themes and insights. Visualize your findings with charts, graphs and tables to make complex data more understandable.

If you’re not proficient in data analysis, consider outsourcing or collaborating with a data analyst who can assist in processing and interpreting your data accurately.

7. Interpret your findings

Interpreting your market research findings involves understanding what the data means in the context of your objectives. Are there significant trends that uncover the answers to your initial research questions? Consider the implications of your findings on your business strategy. It’s essential to move beyond raw data and extract actionable insights that inform decision-making.

Hold a cross-functional meeting or workshop with relevant team members to collectively interpret the findings. Different perspectives can lead to more comprehensive insights and innovative solutions.

8. Identify opportunities and challenges

Use your research findings to identify potential growth opportunities and challenges within your market. What segments of your audience are underserved or overlooked? Are there emerging trends you can capitalize on? Conversely, what obstacles or competitors could hinder your progress?

Lay out this information in a clear and organized way by conducting a SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Jot down notes for each of these areas to provide a structured overview of gaps and hurdles in the market.

9. Make informed business decisions

Market research is only valuable if it leads to informed decisions for your company. Based on your insights, devise actionable strategies and initiatives that align with your research objectives. Whether it’s refining your product, targeting new customer segments or adjusting pricing, ensure your decisions are rooted in the data.

At this point, it’s also crucial to keep your team aligned and accountable. Create an action plan that outlines specific steps, responsibilities and timelines for implementing the recommendations derived from your research. 

10. Monitor and adapt

Market research isn’t a one-time activity; it’s an ongoing process. Continuously monitor market conditions, customer behaviors and industry trends. Set up mechanisms to collect real-time data and feedback. As you gather new information, be prepared to adapt your strategies and tactics accordingly. Regularly revisiting your research ensures your business remains agile and reflects changing market dynamics and consumer preferences.

Online market research sources

As you go through the steps above, you’ll want to turn to trusted, reputable sources to gather your data. Here’s a list to get you started:

• Crunchbase: As mentioned above, Crunchbase is an online platform with an extensive dataset, allowing you to access in-depth insights on market trends, consumer behavior and competitive analysis. You can also customize your search options to tailor your research to specific industries, geographic regions or customer personas.

• Academic databases: Academic databases, such as ProQuest and JSTOR , are treasure troves of scholarly research papers, studies and academic journals. They offer in-depth analyses of various subjects, including market trends, consumer preferences and industry-specific insights. Researchers can access a wealth of peer-reviewed publications to gain a deeper understanding of their research topics.
• Government and NGO databases: Government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other institutions frequently maintain databases containing valuable economic, demographic and industry-related data. These sources offer credible statistics and reports on a wide range of topics, making them essential for market researchers. Examples include the U.S. Census Bureau , the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Pew Research Center .
• Industry reports: Industry reports and market studies are comprehensive documents prepared by research firms, industry associations and consulting companies. They provide in-depth insights into specific markets, including market size, trends, competitive analysis and consumer behavior. You can find this information by looking at relevant industry association databases; examples include the American Marketing Association and the National Retail Federation .
• Social media and online communities: Social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter (X) , forums such as Reddit and Quora , and review platforms such as G2 can provide real-time insights into consumer sentiment, opinions and trends. 

Market research examples

At this point, you have market research tools and data sources — but how do you act on the data you gather? Let’s go over some real-world examples that illustrate the practical application of market research across various industries. These examples showcase how market research can lead to smart decision-making and successful business decisions.

Example 1: Apple’s iPhone launch

Apple ’s iconic iPhone launch in 2007 serves as a prime example of market research driving product innovation in tech. Before the iPhone’s release, Apple conducted extensive market research to understand consumer preferences, pain points and unmet needs in the mobile phone industry. This research led to the development of a touchscreen smartphone with a user-friendly interface, addressing consumer demands for a more intuitive and versatile device. The result was a revolutionary product that disrupted the market and redefined the smartphone industry.

Example 2: McDonald’s global expansion

McDonald’s successful global expansion strategy demonstrates the importance of market research when expanding into new territories. Before entering a new market, McDonald’s conducts thorough research to understand local tastes, preferences and cultural nuances. This research informs menu customization, marketing strategies and store design. For instance, in India, McDonald’s offers a menu tailored to local preferences, including vegetarian options. This market-specific approach has enabled McDonald’s to adapt and thrive in diverse global markets.

Example 3: Organic and sustainable farming

The shift toward organic and sustainable farming practices in the food industry is driven by market research that indicates increased consumer demand for healthier and environmentally friendly food options. As a result, food producers and retailers invest in sustainable sourcing and organic product lines — such as with these sustainable seafood startups — to align with this shift in consumer values. 

The bottom line? Market research has multiple use cases and is a critical practice for any industry. Whether it’s launching groundbreaking products, entering new markets or responding to changing consumer preferences, you can use market research to shape successful strategies and outcomes.

Market research templates

You finally have a strong understanding of how to do market research and apply it in the real world. Before we wrap up, here are some market research templates that you can use as a starting point for your projects:

• Smartsheet competitive analysis templates : These spreadsheets can serve as a framework for gathering information about the competitive landscape and obtaining valuable lessons to apply to your business strategy.
• SurveyMonkey product survey template : Customize the questions on this survey based on what you want to learn from your target customers.
• HubSpot templates : HubSpot offers a wide range of free templates you can use for market research, business planning and more.
• SCORE templates : SCORE is a nonprofit organization that provides templates for business plans, market analysis and financial projections.
• SBA.gov : The U.S. Small Business Administration offers templates for every aspect of your business, including market research, and is particularly valuable for new startups. 

Strengthen your business with market research

When conducted effectively, market research is like a guiding star. Equipped with the right tools and techniques, you can uncover valuable insights, stay competitive, foster innovation and navigate the complexities of your industry.

Throughout this guide, we’ve discussed the definition of market research, different research methods, and how to conduct it effectively. We’ve also explored various types of market research and shared practical insights and templates for getting started. 

Now, it’s time to start the research process. Trust in data, listen to the market and make informed decisions that guide your company toward lasting success.

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How to Conduct Market Research for Startups

With 50% of new businesses failing within the first five years of operation, startups need to develop a deep understanding of their customer base quickly in order to thrive. Successful new business ventures strategically begin by gathering accurate and thorough information about their industry to identify the best path ahead. Conducting market research for startups is a key step toward meeting customer needs and strengthening marketing messaging.

Market research brings together important details about a business's customers, competition, and industry. The results serve as a tool in a startup’s business planning process as it evolves. Analyzing the findings can help determine the viability of a business concept and identify areas for adjustment to improve performance, profitability, and attract investors.

“Without market research, a startup is just making guesses. Listening to your prospective customers will help you align your product/service and marketing messaging to address their needs.” Dr. Elaine Young, Champlain College Online

As noted by Dr. Elaine Young , professor and program director of marketing communication at Champlain College Online, “Startups need market research so that they can gain insight into the behaviors and values of their target customers. Just because you think your startup idea is amazing, doesn't mean that consumers will. Without market research, a startup is just making guesses. Listening to your prospective customers will help you align your product/service and marketing messaging to address their needs.”

Table of Contents

What is market research?

Why is it valuable for startups, types of market research, methods of market research, how to do market research for startups, sample questions to ask customers.

Market research is defined as the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting a broad set of information about a specific market or industry. The research might focus on:

• A potential product or service for that market
• Existing and/or potential customers for the product or service
• The needs, purchase habits, characteristics, and location of your target market
• Competitors in your industry
• Trends within your market or industry as a whole

As a business strategy, market research enables companies to make actionable decisions according to data-based findings. These measurable statistics can be gathered through a variety of methods, which we will explore below.

Startups benefit from market research in multiple ways. With so much time, energy, and funds invested in a startup, taking steps to strengthen the concept and connection to your target audience is critical to survival and the bottom line. 

The market research process delivers value to startups by:

• Allowing you to test the ideas and concepts behind your product or service
• Enticing investors with data showing the projected profitability of your venture 
• Providing statistical evidence to potentially support your business concept or encourage you to adapt it to better meet the needs of your target market
• Helping to clarify exactly who your customers are
• Serving as evidence to investors of an entrepreneur’s commitment to improving a business based on current market conditions
• Increasing the odds of   success of your startup

“Market research can help founders focus their energy, enthusiasm, and resources toward a specific segment and the real target audience.”

Adrienne Wallace, Grand Valley State University

The American Marketing Association confirms that market research can directly increase your bottom line. And trusted market research findings can also speed up the process of getting investors on board with your startup venture.

“Startups can't begin with just a hope and a prayer,” notes Adrienne Wallace , associate professor at Grand Valley State University. “Market research can help founders focus their energy, enthusiasm, and resources toward a specific segment and the real target audience instead of making the age-old error of ‘everyone is the target’ because it simply can't be that for efforts to be fruitful.”

There are two types of market research used most in the business world today: primary and secondary. They can be used individually but are often combined to create a broader understanding of your target market.

Primary research

Primary research involves collecting data directly from your target market. This is often achieved through the use of surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The findings can provide a comprehensive understanding of your customer base’s needs and preferences.

Secondary research

Secondary research requires examining existing data collected by third parties. Examples of potential data sources include news media, industry reports, proprietary data from other companies, academic journals, or public databases. Although targeted data is not always available for your particular industry, secondary research enables you to gain insight and understanding about an industry overall.

Choosing a specific method of market research — either quantitative or qualitative — will determine the type of data collected in your research.

Quantitative research

Quantitative market research gathers large numerical datasets that can be used in statistical analysis. These results offer more accurate snapshots of industry trends and market challenges. Common methods of collecting quantitative research data are through surveys, questionnaires, and polls.

Qualitative research

Qualitative market research strives to identify the reasons behind customers’ buying habits, as well as their needs, wants, and overall customer satisfaction . These results can help clarify the “why” behind your target market’s behaviors and feelings. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, and online bulletin boards are typical methods for conducting qualitative market research.

Generally, quantitative market research is more commonly utilized than qualitative market research because it is more scientific, unbiased, and more easily plicated in future studies. In 2019, 61% of the money spent on market research in the United States went toward quantitative research, with only 12% spent on qualitative research.

Conducting market research is not a quick process, so it requires thoughtful planning. You may handle this research on your own or hire a third-party market research company to manage the process on your behalf. The steps below will guide you through developing a market research strategy that benefits your startup.

Step 1. Define your research purpose

The first step in market research for startups is to determine what questions you hope to answer through this research. From those questions, you can develop projected results that will help reveal the overall purpose of your research. Understanding the purpose from the beginning will be an asset in identifying the best approach to selecting subjects, composing questions, and testing product designs.

Examples of market research purpose include:

• Confirming consumers’ biggest pain point and whether your product meets their needs
• Tracking and predicting relevant industry trends
• Determining consumer spending capacity for a product/service
• Gauging the market infiltration of your competitors

Step 2. Study your target market and competitors closely

It’s important to take time to study existing information about your target market, your competitors, and your target demographic. Growing your knowledge base about all of these factors in advance will strengthen the relevancy of your research.

When working on demographics, a buyer persona template can be a useful tool to help segment the consumer audience into smaller groups for better targeting. Understanding each group’s behaviors and motivation can lead to research findings that resonate deeply with your customer base.

Step 3. Choose the right type and method for your needs

The best type of market research for your business will depend on the purpose you aim to achieve. If your goal is a broad-scope industry view, secondary research examining existing data may provide you with all the information you need. But if your strategy is to clarify specific details about your customer base, you will need to collect new data through primary research. 

The ideal method for data collection also depends on the end goal. Quantitative research methods such as surveys create data useful in making market predictions. Qualitative research methods like focus groups and in-depth interviews offer more personal and subjective responses from participants. Such responses are valuable when seeking direct consumer insight on your product or service and on brand awareness.

Step 4. Recruit appropriate research subjects

If you are pursuing primary research, the subjects involved in your study should be capable of providing insights that are directly relevant and valuable to your market research goals. Recruitment methods can vary from social media posts to hiring third-party market research firms and incentivizing participation.

Seek out existing customers, former customers, and potential customers to create a full spectrum view of your market and product. Other potential sources for research participants include:

• Recent customers
• Customers who did not complete their purchase
• Word of mouth among both personal and professional networks 

Step 5. Conduct your research

Execute your market research plan based on the method you identified in Step 3. Appoint someone not deeply connected with the project planning as the point person for interviews or focus groups in an effort to reduce potential bias. When creating surveys, strive to incorporate neutral (non-leading) language as a way to craft unbiased research questions.

Christina Inge , an instructor and curriculum designer at Northeastern University, suggests an effective research technique called customer discovery. “It requires asking customers what their needs are,” she says, “rather than showing them your product or service and asking for their reactions. This can help you get to the heart of what your customers need, leading to better product market fit, faster.”

Step 6. Analyze your results

Once you’ve collected and organized all of your data, analyze it for relevant trends and patterns. Any qualitative data, such as feedback from focus groups or interviews, can be interpreted quantitatively by noting response ratios amongst the participants. Examine your findings for insights that offer actionable next steps.

One famous example of a startup that pivoted toward success as a result of closely analyzing the market research on their target market is Tune In Hook Up. As an online video dating site that wasn’t seeing much traffic, their research revealed that users struggled to share videos easily with one another. Based on their findings, they decided to shift away from romance and focus on the videos, renaming themselves YouTube.

Step 7. Create an actionable report from your findings

Gather your findings into a report that outlines the recommended actions necessary to address the market research results. Whether the data provides positive or negative insights, you should always come away with actionable steps and suggestions for the next stage of your startup.

Find additional tips and a free report template in HubSpot’s’ How To Do Market Research: A Guide and Template .

Drafting market research questions for startups is not an exact science because cookie-cutter surveys and interview questions will not work. Every product, service, and industry has unique features that require tailored language in each research question. 

Below is a sampling of the type of questions you may want to consider: 

• What do you like most about our new product or service?
• What do you wish our product or service did that it does not currently do?
• What do you lose sleep over at night?
• What price would you consider so low that you’d question this product’s overall quality?
• Which of these companies have you purchased this product from in the past six months? (list of competitors)

Market research is a booming industry around the globe, but nowhere more so than in the United States. The U.S. is the leading country for market research services , with the industry bringing in $18.75 billion in 2020, more than six times the industry-related revenue of any other country in the world. It’s no surprise, considering how quality market research can directly impact a company’s bottom line and growth. Free kits for growth marketing can help you get moving on the road to success through market research for startups.

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How to Do Market Research

Noah Parsons

18 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

One of the biggest and most expensive mistakes I’ve made in my business career could have been avoided by doing a little homework.

In the late 2000s, my team and I came up with what we thought was a great idea for a product . Tons of businesses would need it, and it was almost guaranteed to be a huge hit!

But, we neglected to do our market research. 

We ended up with a product searching for a market instead of figuring out who our ideal customer was and building a product specifically for them.

You can avoid making this same mistake. 

Let’s learn from my experience and go over the basics of how to conduct market research. 

• What is market research?

Market research is the process of gathering information about your potential customers. 

It helps you define your target market, craft customer personas , and understand the viability of your business, by answering questions like: 

• Who are your customers?
• What are their buying and shopping habits?
• How many of them are there? 

By exploring your ideal customers’ problems, desires, and current solutions, you can build your product, service, and overall business strategy to better serve them.

• Why is market research important?

When starting a business , conducting market research to get to know your customers is one of the most important things you can do. 

If you don’t understand your customer, you don’t know:

• How you can solve their problems . 
• What kind of marketing messages and advertising work. 
• If your product or service is actually something your customers will spend money on.

Beyond that, market research can help you:

• Reduce risk: Inform critical decisions with real-world data.
• Understand your competitors: Know how competitors and alternatives to your business represent themselves in pricing, quality, and placement.
• Identify market trends: Stay ahead by spotting emerging trends and shifts in the market.
• Enhance customer experience: Improve customer satisfaction by addressing their pain points.

Gathering data on your customers should become a regular practice for your business. 

The more in tune you are with your customers, the better you can serve them and the more likely you are to grow your business. You should never just let assumptions about your customers drive business decisions.

Developing primary and secondary data through market research is how you get an accurate reflection of your customers’ needs.

Further Reading: 6 things to consider before entering a market

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Things to consider before conducting market research

Market research can be incredibly time-consuming (and even a waste of time) when done without the right preparation.

Here are a few questions to answer to help ensure you make the most of your efforts.

What are your objectives?

A research objective is a stated purpose that explains why you’re doing market research. It should include a specific result you intend to achieve, using available resources within a certain time frame. 

Without an objective, you’ll pour over a sea of data without knowing what you’re looking for. And if you speak to customers without a goal, you’ll struggle to ask useful questions and dig deeper.

Don’t overthink it.

Your objective should be easy to understand and connected to your business needs. 

For example, if you’re just starting, your objective may be to verify before investing in production if your chosen customer base is interested and willing to purchase your product or service.

What research methods will you use?

You don’t need to have every question prepped or a list of people to interview at the start—but you should know what research methods you intend to use.

The research options you choose will impact the data you collect, and the time it will take to complete it. By doing this ahead of time, you’ll be better prepared to create a timeline of when to take specific actions and what milestones to hit to stay on track.

What tools and resources do you need?

You likely won’t know every resource you’ll need until you start doing research. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be proactive. 

If you know the methods you’ll be using, research what tools you’ll need to:

• Conduct interviews
• Create surveys
• Observe customer behavior

If you use third-party data, identify reputable sources to provide the information you want.

• How to conduct market research

Every business will do market research differently. The sources, the methods of data collection, and how you’ll use that data are entirely up to you. 

However, the core steps you should take remain the same. Here’s my recommendation for how to structure your research efforts:

1. Start by identifying your target market

Imagine that someone walks into your business, reaches out online, or picks up the phone and calls you. 

It’s your perfect customer: someone who has the problem that you solve and is willing to spend money on your solution. 

Now imagine the details about this person. Who are they? Can you describe them?

Ideal customers and common traits

This “ideal customer” is your target market . Your business might have several target markets, but it will usually serve you best to keep your list of target customers to two or three.

Each of your target markets should share common traits . These might be demographic traits such as: 

• Income levels
• Locations 

They might be psychographic traits—groups of people that like the same things or have similar interests. Or, your target market might be a certain type of employee at another company, such as a Chief Technology Officer or head of marketing.

Most often, target markets are blends of demographic and psychographic groups. For example, you might develop a new type of shoe targeted at female triathletes. Or you might be opening a hair salon targeting urban, hipster men.

Further Reading: Why niche audiences are important and how to find yours

Market segmentation

Creating multiple target markets for your company is doing what’s called “ market segmentation .” 

This sounds complex, but all you’re doing is dividing your target markets into different groups you hope to sell to. Each market segment might have different characteristics and buy your product or service for different reasons.

You might create different marketing campaigns or customize your product or service for each segment.

Further Reading:

Target marketing explained

Your target market is your ideal customer who needs your solution. They share common traits like age, gender, income, interests, or job roles. To start, focus your efforts on one target customer.

Consider focusing on a younger audience

Younger consumers are often overlooked in favor of older customers who currently make purchasing decisions. However, if you can crack the interests of a younger audience, it may lead to long-term loyalty.

2. Find out if your market is big enough

Are there enough potential customers to sustain you and your competitors? If the answer is no, then you need to consider changing your product or service offering.

Use the attributes you defined in the target market step and determine how many people meet your demographic, psychographic, or location criteria. I’ve got some links to resources to help you figure this out at the end of this article.

For example: If your target market only has a few thousand potential customers, you must either sell to them frequently or at a fairly high price to create a sustainable, profitable business.

Further Reading: How to use TAM, SAM, SOM to determine market size

If you are targeting an existing market with established competitors, you do what’s called industry research . 

For example, perhaps you are building a new company in the market for sports drinks or the market for cell phones. In cases like this, understanding how much people buy of existing offerings will give you the best sense of your potential market size. 

In this case, you want to look for industry reports and read trade publications for your industry. These publications often summarize the market size.

Further Reading: Differences between industry and market research explained

3. Talk to your potential customers

Once you have identified your target market, or at least made a good guess at who your target market is, you need to take the most important step in this entire market research process. 

You need to get up from your desk, leave behind your computer, and go outside. That’s right, you need to go and talk to people in your potential target markets. 

Yes, you can do online surveys and other research, but that’s no substitute for actually talking to potential customers. 

You’ll gain more insight into your customers through first-hand accounts than any survey will ever tell you.

Do this one thing, and you’ll be miles ahead of your competition. Why? Because most people skip this step. It’s intimidating to talk to strangers. What if they don’t want to buy what you plan on making?

So, don’t be like most entrepreneurs (including me!) and skip this critical step. 

It can mean the difference between success and failure. Getting this step done early will help you refine your business model and make a clear impact on your future success.

Further Reading: How to Create a Market Penetration Strategy  

4. Identify and analyze your competitors

Part of understanding your customers is knowing what solutions they already use. 

These are your competitors, and they may directly compete with you or provide a reasonable substitution customers settle for. 

You’ll understand how to position your business to take advantage of potential opportunities and mitigate risks by analyzing who they are, what they do, and how customers respond.  

Document your known competitors

To keep things simple, start by listing your known competitors . Account for businesses that offer a similar product/service, and those that indirectly compete with their solution or industry expertise. 

Example:   You operate an outdoor goods retail store. Your mission is to provide hands-on direction for customers to find camping, hiking, and survival gear that they will love. You offer a wide selection of well-known brands, local options, and in-house creations.

Your direct competitors are the large brands themselves, less niche retail stores, and online sellers. You must also account for other businesses that provide expert-level information on outdoor activities. 

They likely don’t sell the products, but may provide guided tours, reviews, or other insights that overlap with your business. 

Analyze your competitors

Once you have your list, it’s time to get to know the competition. Check out their websites, social media, customer reviews, and news stories from the last year. 

Sign up for their email lists, visit their stores (if they have them), and track down any industry reports that give you an idea of their size, performance, and strategic direction.

You don’t have to do everything I just listed. But you must go deep enough to clearly understand your competitors and why potential customers may choose them over you. 

It may even be useful to use the SWOT analysis framework to provide additional structure for your research. 

Further Reading: 10 ways to determine what your competitors are doing

5. Document your findings

The final (and easiest) step is to document your findings. How formal your documentation is will depend on how you plan on using it.

If you only need to share your findings with business partners and others in your business, then you can probably communicate fairly informally. 

However, if you’re looking for investors for your business, you may need to write a more formal market analysis and do a market forecast.

Presenting your market research

The single piece of documentation that every business should create is a buyer persona . 

A persona is a description of a person that hits on all of the key aspects of your target market. And, just like you might have several target markets for your business, you might have several different buyer personas.

Creating a buyer persona converts your target marketing information from dry research into a living, breathing person. 

For LivePlan , we’ve created a persona named Garrett, who drives much of our product development. Garrett embodies the attributes of our ideal customer.

When we think about creating a new marketing campaign or developing a new feature for our products, we ask, “Would Garrett like this?” You can read about the process we used to create Garrett in this article.

How to create a detailed user or buyer persona

Visualizing your customers when reviewing a sea of data can be tricky. So, create a customer persona and turn that data into the living, breathing person you imagine your customer to be.

LivePlan customer persona example

Check out this real-world customer persona used by the business planning and management software LivePlan.

When should you conduct market research?

Market research is vital when starting a business. It will improve your product or service and help you avoid starting a business without customers.

However, market research shouldn’t be exclusive to new businesses. Conditions are bound to change, and you must stay up-to-date on your industry , competitors, and emerging trends. 

Here are a few other business events where market research can make a difference:

• Launching a new product/service or updating current features.
• Expanding into a new market.
• Consistent dips in financial performance. 
• Widespread market changes.
• New competitors enter the market.

Primary vs secondary market research explained

No matter how you decide to gather information, the methods can be boiled down to primary and secondary research. As a business owner, it’s worth understanding the basics of each type of research and how they work together.

What is primary research?

Primary research is the first-hand information collected (by you or someone you’ve hired) from customers within your market. Primary research cuts out the middleman and ensures that the results you are gathering are straight from the source. 

That’s why you should conduct primary research when validating your business idea. 

Furthermore, it can be broken down into two result categories — exploratory and specific.

Exploratory primary research

Exploratory primary research involves non-quantifiable customer feedback. This means you’re not trying to measure results but to record interest or an emotional response. You’ll accomplish this by asking open-ended questions in formats like focus groups or 1:1 interviews.

Asking for open-ended feedback ensures that the results are unfiltered and honest. You aren’t unintentionally leading or hindering their responses. 

Specific primary research

Specific research allows you to dig deeper into issues or opportunities you identified through your exploratory research. 

You may target a smaller segment of customers from the larger group you’ve spoken to, conduct additional interviews, or shift to more quantifiable research such as beta-testing or surveys.

What is secondary research?

Secondary research covers every other piece of data you have available. This includes resources such as:

• Public sources: Typically free and highly accessible information gathered through government-sponsored research projects. 
• Commercial sources: Research studies conducted by private organizations regarding the state of specific markets, industries, or innovations. 
• Internal sources: Data you have collected through everyday business operations. Everything from financial statements to Analytics reports can qualify.

Which is better: primary or secondary research?

Neither primary nor secondary research is better than the other. They simply have different use cases. So, aim for a healthy mix.

When starting, focus on conducting primary research to ensure you get the necessary information to validate your business. 

Compare those findings to secondary resources such as industry benchmarks , market reports, and internal data you’ve collected. 

You’ll likely leverage secondary research more consistently as you grow—but it’s wise to run primary research initiatives occasionally, especially when approaching a strategic decision. Only with both types of research will you fully understand the story of your place in the market. 

Further Reading: Types of market research explained and how to use them

Types of market research to try

1. face-to-face, remote, or phone interviews.

I mentioned this before, but the best thing you can do is get out and talk to your potential or current customers, virtually or in person. 

Be sure you have a refined set of closed and open-ended questions ready, and consider the interviewee’s tone, body language, and interest alongside their answers.

2. Focus groups

Similar to interviews, focus groups can provide direct feedback from your customer mix. Rather than receiving answers or reactions in a bubble, you get to see how customers may act when influenced by others in the market. You can simply ask questions, run product tests, or have them watch a demo.

3. Observational research

Observational research is about watching how potential customers engage with your product or service. You’re attempting to understand what roadblocks or frustrations they may be hitting, what functionality seems to resonate, what they want from your business, etc.

To conduct observational research, you can set up an official testing environment that you control. Or you can just go out and observe your potential customers and see how they shop, make purchases, and what factors encourage or deter them from purchasing.

4. Pricing research

You may include questions about pricing when conducting interviews or focus groups, but you can also specifically develop research around pricing. 

This can be anything from testing different pricing options on your website ( A/B testing ), offering discounts to exclusive segments, or running ad campaigns with different pricing positions. The goal is to understand what your customers are willing to pay and what they consider a fair price .

5. Brand awareness research

This type of research is about understanding if your target market knows about your brand and how much they happen to know. What do they associate with your brand? What competitors come to mind first?

It’s a great way to understand your current market penetration and who your competitors are. You can integrate this type of questioning within your other tests or conduct surveys to get this data.

6. Customer interest

As part of your initial validation process, you should try to understand current customer interest. At its most basic, you’re asking: Are customers willing to buy your product or service? 

You can simply ask questions and look for yes or no answers, but it may be wise to run a limited-time sale or pre-sale to actually line up initial revenue for your business. 

You can offer the chance to purchase during your interviews or focus groups, as well as run pre-orders through a simple landing page or by measuring engagement with a paid ad campaign.

7. Customer satisfaction

This research will help you understand current customer loyalty and what it will take to get customers to come back. Again, you can do this research within focus groups or interviews. 

Still, you can also test loyalty programs, limited-time promotions, customer service initiatives, and other ways to improve customer loyalty. 

Market research tools and resources

Finding market research data depends on the market you are targeting and the industry you are in. 

Here are a few of my go-to sources for market research:

• U.S. Census : If you’re opening a business in the U.S., the U.S. Census site is a goldmine of information. Check out the Census Business Builder to get population data and data on how much people spend in a given area on your type of business.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics : Another U.S.-centric resource, but a fantastic site for information on specific industries: hiring and expense trends as well as industry sizes. If your target market is other businesses, this is a good place to look for data.
• Consumer Expenditure Survey : If you want to know what people spend their money on, this is your source.
• SBDCNet Business Snapshots : You’ll find a great collection of industry profiles that describe how industries are growing and changing, who their customers are, and what typical startup costs are. You should also check out their list of market research resources, sorted by industry .
• ChatGPT : All data generated from AI models like ChatGPT must be verified. But it can still be an excellent market research assistant. With the right prompting, you can generate customer segments, understand their nuances, and prioritize them based on your needs.

Further Reading: 21 best market research resources for small businesses

Market research informs your startup decisions

Effective market research can help you avoid costly mistakes early on in the life of your business. 

However, it should remain a core practice that you regularly implement when approaching crucial business decisions, growth opportunities, or just to reaffirm your understanding of the market. 

Revisit this framework whenever you’re approaching a key strategic decision . Confirm that you still understand your customers, competitors, and where the market is headed.

Then use this information to inform your planning and adjust your strategy if necessary.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Before conducting market research
• When to conduct market research
• Primary vs secondary research
• Types of market research
• Tools and resources
• Market research informs your decisions

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How to do market research in 4 steps: a lean approach to marketing research

From pinpointing your target audience and assessing your competitive advantage, to ongoing product development and customer satisfaction efforts, market research is a practice your business can only benefit from.

Learn how to conduct quick and effective market research using a lean approach in this article full of strategies and practical examples. 

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A comprehensive (and successful) business strategy is not complete without some form of market research—you can’t make informed and profitable business decisions without truly understanding your customer base and the current market trends that drive your business.

In this article, you’ll learn how to conduct quick, effective market research  using an approach called 'lean market research'. It’s easier than you might think, and it can be done at any stage in a product’s lifecycle.

How to conduct lean market research in 4 steps

What is market research, why is market research so valuable, advantages of lean market research, 4 common market research methods, 5 common market research questions, market research faqs.

We’ll jump right into our 4-step approach to lean market research. To show you how it’s done in the real world, each step includes a practical example from Smallpdf , a Swiss company that used lean market research to reduce their tool’s error rate by 75% and boost their Net Promoter Score® (NPS) by 1%.

Research your market the lean way...

From on-page surveys to user interviews, Hotjar has the tools to help you scope out your market and get to know your customers—without breaking the bank.

The following four steps and practical examples will give you a solid market research plan for understanding who your users are and what they want from a company like yours.

1. Create simple user personas

A user persona is a semi-fictional character based on psychographic and demographic data from people who use websites and products similar to your own. Start by defining broad user categories, then elaborate on them later to further segment your customer base and determine your ideal customer profile .

How to get the data: use on-page or emailed surveys and interviews to understand your users and what drives them to your business.

How to do it right: whatever survey or interview questions you ask, they should answer the following questions about the customer:

Who are they?

What is their main goal?

What is their main barrier to achieving this goal?

Pitfalls to avoid:

Don’t ask too many questions! Keep it to five or less, otherwise you’ll inundate them and they’ll stop answering thoughtfully.

Don’t worry too much about typical demographic questions like age or background. Instead, focus on the role these people play (as it relates to your product) and their goals.

How Smallpdf did it: Smallpdf ran an on-page survey for a couple of weeks and received 1,000 replies. They learned that many of their users were administrative assistants, students, and teachers.

Next, they used the survey results to create simple user personas like this one for admins:

Who are they? Administrative Assistants.

What is their main goal? Creating Word documents from a scanned, hard-copy document or a PDF where the source file was lost.

What is their main barrier to achieving it? Converting a scanned PDF doc to a Word file.

💡Pro tip: Smallpdf used Hotjar Surveys to run their user persona survey. Our survey tool helped them avoid the pitfalls of guesswork and find out who their users really are, in their own words. 

You can design a survey and start running it in minutes with our easy-to-use drag and drop builder. Customize your survey to fit your needs, from a sleek one-question pop-up survey to a fully branded questionnaire sent via email. 

We've also created 40+ free survey templates that you can start collecting data with, including a user persona survey like the one Smallpdf used.

2. Conduct observational research

Observational research involves taking notes while watching someone use your product (or a similar product).

Overt vs. covert observation

Overt observation involves asking customers if they’ll let you watch them use your product. This method is often used for user testing and it provides a great opportunity for collecting live product or customer feedback .

Covert observation means studying users ‘in the wild’ without them knowing. This method works well if you sell a type of product that people use regularly, and it offers the purest observational data because people often behave differently when they know they’re being watched. 

Tips to do it right:

Record an entry in your field notes, along with a timestamp, each time an action or event occurs.

Make note of the users' workflow, capturing the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘for whom’ of each action.

Don’t record identifiable video or audio data without consent. If recording people using your product is helpful for achieving your research goal, make sure all participants are informed and agree to the terms.

Don’t forget to explain why you’d like to observe them (for overt observation). People are more likely to cooperate if you tell them you want to improve the product.

💡Pro tip: while conducting field research out in the wild can wield rewarding results, you can also conduct observational research remotely. Hotjar Recordings is a tool that lets you capture anonymized user sessions of real people interacting with your website. 

Observe how customers navigate your pages and products to gain an inside look into their user behavior . This method is great for conducting exploratory research with the purpose of identifying more specific issues to investigate further, like pain points along the customer journey and opportunities for optimizing conversion .

With Hotjar Recordings you can observe real people using your site without capturing their sensitive information

How Smallpdf did it: here’s how Smallpdf observed two different user personas both covertly and overtly.

Observing students (covert): Kristina Wagner, Principle Product Manager at Smallpdf, went to cafes and libraries at two local universities and waited until she saw students doing PDF-related activities. Then she watched and took notes from a distance. One thing that struck her was the difference between how students self-reported their activities vs. how they behaved (i.e, the self-reporting bias). Students, she found, spent hours talking, listening to music, or simply staring at a blank screen rather than working. When she did find students who were working, she recorded the task they were performing and the software they were using (if she recognized it).

Observing administrative assistants (overt): Kristina sent emails to admins explaining that she’d like to observe them at work, and she asked those who agreed to try to batch their PDF work for her observation day. While watching admins work, she learned that they frequently needed to scan documents into PDF-format and then convert those PDFs into Word docs. By observing the challenges admins faced, Smallpdf knew which products to target for improvement.

“Data is really good for discovery and validation, but there is a bit in the middle where you have to go and find the human.”

3. Conduct individual interviews

Interviews are one-on-one conversations with members of your target market. They allow you to dig deep and explore their concerns, which can lead to all sorts of revelations.

Listen more, talk less. Be curious.

Act like a journalist, not a salesperson. Rather than trying to talk your company up, ask people about their lives, their needs, their frustrations, and how a product like yours could help.

Ask "why?" so you can dig deeper. Get into the specifics and learn about their past behavior.

Record the conversation. Focus on the conversation and avoid relying solely on notes by recording the interview. There are plenty of services that will transcribe recorded conversations for a good price (including Hotjar!).

Avoid asking leading questions , which reveal bias on your part and pushes respondents to answer in a certain direction (e.g. “Have you taken advantage of the amazing new features we just released?).

Don't ask loaded questions , which sneak in an assumption which, if untrue, would make it impossible to answer honestly. For example, we can’t ask you, “What did you find most useful about this article?” without asking whether you found the article useful in the first place.

Be cautious when asking opinions about the future (or predictions of future behavior). Studies suggest that people aren’t very good at predicting their future behavior. This is due to several cognitive biases, from the misguided exceptionalism bias (we’re good at guessing what others will do, but we somehow think we’re different), to the optimism bias (which makes us see things with rose-colored glasses), to the ‘illusion of control’ (which makes us forget the role of randomness in future events).

How Smallpdf did it: Kristina explored her teacher user persona by speaking with university professors at a local graduate school. She learned that the school was mostly paperless and rarely used PDFs, so for the sake of time, she moved on to the admins.

A bit of a letdown? Sure. But this story highlights an important lesson: sometimes you follow a lead and come up short, so you have to make adjustments on the fly. Lean market research is about getting solid, actionable insights quickly so you can tweak things and see what works.

💡Pro tip: to save even more time, conduct remote interviews using an online user research service like Hotjar Engage , which automates the entire interview process, from recruitment and scheduling to hosting and recording.

You can interview your own customers or connect with people from our diverse pool of 200,000+ participants from 130+ countries and 25 industries. And no need to fret about taking meticulous notes—Engage will automatically transcribe the interview for you.

4. Analyze the data (without drowning in it)

The following techniques will help you wrap your head around the market data you collect without losing yourself in it. Remember, the point of lean market research is to find quick, actionable insights.

A flow model is a diagram that tracks the flow of information within a system. By creating a simple visual representation of how users interact with your product and each other, you can better assess their needs.

You’ll notice that admins are at the center of Smallpdf’s flow model, which represents the flow of PDF-related documents throughout a school. This flow model shows the challenges that admins face as they work to satisfy their own internal and external customers.

Affinity diagram

An affinity diagram is a way of sorting large amounts of data into groups to better understand the big picture. For example, if you ask your users about their profession, you’ll notice some general themes start to form, even though the individual responses differ. Depending on your needs, you could group them by profession, or more generally by industry.

We wrote a guide about how to analyze open-ended questions to help you sort through and categorize large volumes of response data. You can also do this by hand by clipping up survey responses or interview notes and grouping them (which is what Kristina does).

“For an interview, you will have somewhere between 30 and 60 notes, and those notes are usually direct phrases. And when you literally cut them up into separate pieces of paper and group them, they should make sense by themselves.”

Pro tip: if you’re conducting an online survey with Hotjar, keep your team in the loop by sharing survey responses automatically via our Slack and Microsoft Team integrations. Reading answers as they come in lets you digest the data in pieces and can help prepare you for identifying common themes when it comes time for analysis.

Hotjar lets you easily share survey responses with your team

Customer journey map

A customer journey map is a diagram that shows the way a typical prospect becomes a paying customer. It outlines their first interaction with your brand and every step in the sales cycle, from awareness to repurchase (and hopefully advocacy).

The above  customer journey map , created by our team at Hotjar, shows many ways a customer might engage with our tool. Your map will be based on your own data and business model.

📚 Read more: if you’re new to customer journey maps, we wrote this step-by-step guide to creating your first customer journey map in 2 and 1/2 days with free templates you can download and start using immediately.

Next steps: from research to results

So, how do you turn market research insights into tangible business results? Let’s look at the actions Smallpdf took after conducting their lean market research: first they implemented changes, then measured the impact.

Implement changes

Based on what Smallpdf learned about the challenges that one key user segment (admins) face when trying to convert PDFs into Word files, they improved their ‘PDF to Word’ conversion tool.

We won’t go into the details here because it involves a lot of technical jargon, but they made the entire process simpler and more straightforward for users. Plus, they made it so that their system recognized when you drop a PDF file into their ‘Word to PDF’ converter instead of the ‘PDF to Word’ converter, so users wouldn’t have to redo the task when they made that mistake. 

In other words: simple market segmentation for admins showed a business need that had to be accounted for, and customers are happier overall after Smallpdf implemented an informed change to their product.

Measure results

According to the Lean UX model, product and UX changes aren’t retained unless they achieve results.

Smallpdf’s changes produced:

A 75% reduction in error rate for the ‘PDF to Word’ converter

A 1% increase in NPS

Greater confidence in the team’s marketing efforts

"With all the changes said and done, we've cut our original error rate in four, which is huge. We increased our NPS by +1%, which isn't huge, but it means that of the users who received a file, they were still slightly happier than before, even if they didn't notice that anything special happened at all.”

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Market research (or marketing research) is any set of techniques used to gather information and better understand a company’s target market. This might include primary research on brand awareness and customer satisfaction or secondary market research on market size and competitive analysis. Businesses use this information to design better products, improve user experience, and craft a marketing strategy that attracts quality leads and improves conversion rates.

David Darmanin, one of Hotjar’s founders, launched two startups before Hotjar took off—but both companies crashed and burned. Each time, he and his team spent months trying to design an amazing new product and user experience, but they failed because they didn’t have a clear understanding of what the market demanded.

With Hotjar, they did things differently . Long story short, they conducted market research in the early stages to figure out what consumers really wanted, and the team made (and continues to make) constant improvements based on market and user research.

Without market research, it’s impossible to understand your users. Sure, you might have a general idea of who they are and what they need, but you have to dig deep if you want to win their loyalty.

Here’s why research matters:

Obsessing over your users is the only way to win. If you don’t care deeply about them, you’ll lose potential customers to someone who does.

Analytics gives you the ‘what’, while research gives you the ‘why’. Big data, user analytics , and dashboards can tell you what people do at scale, but only research can tell you what they’re thinking and why they do what they do. For example, analytics can tell you that customers leave when they reach your pricing page, but only research can explain why.

Research beats assumptions, trends, and so-called best practices. Have you ever watched your colleagues rally behind a terrible decision? Bad ideas are often the result of guesswork, emotional reasoning, death by best practices , and defaulting to the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion (HiPPO). By listening to your users and focusing on their customer experience , you’re less likely to get pulled in the wrong direction.

Research keeps you from planning in a vacuum. Your team might be amazing, but you and your colleagues simply can’t experience your product the way your customers do. Customers might use your product in a way that surprises you, and product features that seem obvious to you might confuse them. Over-planning and refusing to test your assumptions is a waste of time, money, and effort because you’ll likely need to make changes once your untested business plan gets put into practice.

Lean User Experience (UX) design is a model for continuous improvement that relies on quick, efficient research to understand customer needs and test new product features.

Lean market research can help you become more...

Efficient: it gets you closer to your customers, faster.

Cost-effective: no need to hire an expensive marketing firm to get things started.

Competitive: quick, powerful insights can place your products on the cutting edge.

As a small business or sole proprietor, conducting lean market research is an attractive option when investing in a full-blown research project might seem out of scope or budget.

There are lots of different ways you could conduct market research and collect customer data, but you don’t have to limit yourself to just one research method. Four common types of market research techniques include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and customer observation.

Which method you use may vary based on your business type: ecommerce business owners have different goals from SaaS businesses, so it’s typically prudent to mix and match these methods based on your particular goals and what you need to know.

1. Surveys: the most commonly used

Surveys are a form of qualitative research that ask respondents a short series of open- or closed-ended questions, which can be delivered as an on-screen questionnaire or via email. When we asked 2,000 Customer Experience (CX) professionals about their company’s approach to research , surveys proved to be the most commonly used market research technique.

What makes online surveys so popular?  

They’re easy and inexpensive to conduct, and you can do a lot of data collection quickly. Plus, the data is pretty straightforward to analyze, even when you have to analyze open-ended questions whose answers might initially appear difficult to categorize.

We've built a number of survey templates ready and waiting for you. Grab a template and share with your customers in just a few clicks.

💡 Pro tip: you can also get started with Hotjar AI for Surveys to create a survey in mere seconds . Just enter your market research goal and watch as the AI generates a survey and populates it with relevant questions. 

Once you’re ready for data analysis, the AI will prepare an automated research report that succinctly summarizes key findings, quotes, and suggested next steps.

An example research report generated by Hotjar AI for Surveys

2. Interviews: the most insightful

Interviews are one-on-one conversations with members of your target market. Nothing beats a face-to-face interview for diving deep (and reading non-verbal cues), but if an in-person meeting isn’t possible, video conferencing is a solid second choice.

Regardless of how you conduct it, any type of in-depth interview will produce big benefits in understanding your target customers.

What makes interviews so insightful?

By speaking directly with an ideal customer, you’ll gain greater empathy for their experience , and you can follow insightful threads that can produce plenty of 'Aha!' moments.

3. Focus groups: the most unreliable

Focus groups bring together a carefully selected group of people who fit a company’s target market. A trained moderator leads a conversation surrounding the product, user experience, or marketing message to gain deeper insights.

What makes focus groups so unreliable?

If you’re new to market research, we wouldn’t recommend starting with focus groups. Doing it right is expensive , and if you cut corners, your research could fall victim to all kinds of errors. Dominance bias (when a forceful participant influences the group) and moderator style bias (when different moderator personalities bring about different results in the same study) are two of the many ways your focus group data could get skewed.

4. Observation: the most powerful

During a customer observation session, someone from the company takes notes while they watch an ideal user engage with their product (or a similar product from a competitor).

What makes observation so clever and powerful?

‘Fly-on-the-wall’ observation is a great alternative to focus groups. It’s not only less expensive, but you’ll see people interact with your product in a natural setting without influencing each other. The only downside is that you can’t get inside their heads, so observation still isn't a recommended replacement for customer surveys and interviews.

The following questions will help you get to know your users on a deeper level when you interview them. They’re general questions, of course, so don’t be afraid to make them your own.

1. Who are you and what do you do?

How you ask this question, and what you want to know, will vary depending on your business model (e.g. business-to-business marketing is usually more focused on someone’s profession than business-to-consumer marketing).

It’s a great question to start with, and it’ll help you understand what’s relevant about your user demographics (age, race, gender, profession, education, etc.), but it’s not the be-all-end-all of market research. The more specific questions come later.

2. What does your day look like?

This question helps you understand your users’ day-to-day life and the challenges they face. It will help you gain empathy for them, and you may stumble across something relevant to their buying habits.

3. Do you ever purchase [product/service type]?

This is a ‘yes or no’ question. A ‘yes’ will lead you to the next question.

4. What problem were you trying to solve or what goal were you trying to achieve?

This question strikes to the core of what someone’s trying to accomplish and why they might be willing to pay for your solution.

5. Take me back to the day when you first decided you needed to solve this kind of problem or achieve this goal.

This is the golden question, and it comes from Adele Revella, Founder and CEO of Buyer Persona Institute . It helps you get in the heads of your users and figure out what they were thinking the day they decided to spend money to solve a problem.

If you take your time with this question, digging deeper where it makes sense, you should be able to answer all the relevant information you need to understand their perspective.

“The only scripted question I want you to ask them is this one: take me back to the day when you first decided that you needed to solve this kind of problem or achieve this kind of a goal. Not to buy my product, that’s not the day. We want to go back to the day that when you thought it was urgent and compelling to go spend money to solve a particular problem or achieve a goal. Just tell me what happened.”

— Adele Revella , Founder/CEO at Buyer Persona Institute

Bonus question: is there anything else you’d like to tell me?

This question isn’t just a nice way to wrap it up—it might just give participants the opportunity they need to tell you something you really need to know.

That’s why Sarah Doody, author of UX Notebook , adds it to the end of her written surveys.

“I always have a last question, which is just open-ended: “Is there anything else you would like to tell me?” And sometimes, that’s where you get four paragraphs of amazing content that you would never have gotten if it was just a Net Promoter Score [survey] or something like that.”

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?

Qualitative research asks questions that can’t be reduced to a number, such as, “What is your job title?” or “What did you like most about your customer service experience?” 

Quantitative research asks questions that can be answered with a numeric value, such as, “What is your annual salary?” or “How was your customer service experience on a scale of 1-5?”

 → Read more about the differences between qualitative and quantitative user research .

How do I do my own market research?

You can do your own quick and effective market research by 

Surveying your customers

Building user personas

Studying your users through interviews and observation

Wrapping your head around your data with tools like flow models, affinity diagrams, and customer journey maps

What is the difference between market research and user research?

Market research takes a broad look at potential customers—what problems they’re trying to solve, their buying experience, and overall demand. User research, on the other hand, is more narrowly focused on the use (and usability ) of specific products.

What are the main criticisms of market research?

Many marketing professionals are critical of market research because it can be expensive and time-consuming. It’s often easier to convince your CEO or CMO to let you do lean market research rather than something more extensive because you can do it yourself. It also gives you quick answers so you can stay ahead of the competition.

Do I need a market research firm to get reliable data?

Absolutely not! In fact, we recommend that you start small and do it yourself in the beginning. By following a lean market research strategy, you can uncover some solid insights about your clients. Then you can make changes, test them out, and see whether the results are positive. This is an excellent strategy for making quick changes and remaining competitive.

Net Promoter, Net Promoter System, Net Promoter Score, NPS, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Fred Reichheld, and Satmetrix Systems, Inc.

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How to do Market Research for Your Business Idea

Perhaps you have an idea for the next top-selling gadget, an app to help make people’s busy lives better or a method to sell professional services in an innovative way.

Once you’ve come up with a business concept and decide you want to bring it to market, it’s time for planning and preparation. Performing market research before launching a new business idea is an important step to help ensure your new endeavor will be successful.

What is market research?

Market research is the process of learning why consumers will want to purchase your service or product. The details you gather will show you what your target market’s needs and preferences are. You can learn what consumers’ spending habits are like and the types of purchasing decisions these people make. Having this information and analyzing it thoroughly can help you figure out the best way to make your offerings known and price them in a way to attract the most customers.

The following steps can help you get started.

How to do market research

1. read about the market..

There are market reports for most industries. Even if your idea seems unique, such as a new type of toy, you can find information about different aspects of the toy market, including pricing and what toys are selling well. Reading these reports and those in trade journals can show you current and predicted trends, which gives you a better idea of how your product or service might perform.

2. Perform customer research.

You’ll want to know a lot about the type of people who may be your future customers. This includes information about who they are, such as their age, education level, location and occupation. You’ll need to review their current buying habits and whether they’re willing to pay more for quality or they’re adhering to a budget and using coupons while focusing on cost.

Much of this demographic information is available on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website . You can use this data to determine which groups are more likely to purchase from you than others — and if there are other groups you want to target and sell to.

You’ll also need to analyze information to determine why your target group would buy your product instead of something from another company. Start by finding out who the customers are for similar products or services, based on market reports.

3. Interview potential customers.

Once you find these potential customers, you’ll want to ask about their needs and what they want in a product or service. You can do this with an online poll or survey on social media . Sending out a survey link to online groups where these potential customers spend time is a good option.

For example, if your target customers are mothers of young children, put the link on a social media platform where these women share tips, or ask a few specific women to share the link with others who meet that description.

Reaching out to potential customers is essential for understanding if or how your product will be relevant in market. Some key answers you can gain from this include:

• What products or services already exist?
• How much are customers willing to pay?
• How can products or services be better?

4. Understand the competition.

Learn about other companies in the same or a similar industry. By comparing companies that have similar products, you can better understand the business landscape and learn how they’ve succeeded. This can also help you determine your chances of success. Company size doesn’t necessarily matter here. You can research established firms of a similar size or start-ups, be they private or publicly traded. Speaking with potential customers can also clarify what they currently like about the competition and areas where they feel their needs aren’t being met. Reading online reviews, talking with customers in person or online, and conducting surveys are all useful ways to obtain this information.

5. Testing the business idea

The last step is testing your business idea. You could offer a business service to a few customers to get their opinion and see how it works in real life. If you’re making a product, create a prototype and let others use it to get their feedback on whether it’s useful, if it fits a need and how much they would pay for it. You can modify your business idea based on what you learn.

Launching a small business can be challenging, even with a great idea. Find more tips on how to successfully start your business , and consider how you plan to protect your company from potential damages. With small business insurance , you can have the peace of mind that you’re covered if the unexpected happens.

• business idea
• market research
• starting a business

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How to Do Market Research for a New Product or Business

Rev › Blog › Marketing › How to Do Market Research for a New Product or Business

No Olympic diver jumps into the water without preparing beforehand. For best results, they need to approach it with a plan of action. And the only way that can happen is if they familiarize themselves with the water. They need to know how they’re going to interact with it first.

This simple sports analogy explains why companies need market research before any major product launch or business plan. The water below is the market. The practice sessions are research.

You might have the perfect move to test out in your next diving attempt, but if you don’t put enough practice, you’ll end up hitting the water flat on your face. Likewise, your great product or business idea could have merit on its own. But if you don’t know how it’ll interact with your target market, it could die unnoticed at best or cause a backlash at worst.

Why do market research?

Conducting market research can save you from that fate by identifying your strengths and weaknesses. It can give you room to tweak and optimize before jumping straight into the unknown. 

You can use it to answer specific questions or gather data about a single topic. Here’s an example of the types of market research:

• Competitor analysis: Researching how competitive your product or service is compared to others in the market or market analysis in general as it relates to your competitors.
• Consumer insights: Studying consumer behavior in your target market, such as purchasing habits, barriers in the buyer’s journey, etc.
• Product testing and development: Finding out how certain product features perform in the market and what value users gain from them.
• Customer satisfaction: Researching satisfaction levels among your customers regarding your company or others in the market and identifying needs.  

Based on the area you want to investigate, there are different methods that may be more appropriate. Some of these methods are:

• Focus groups
• Phone interviews
• Email surveys
• 1-on-1 sessions
• Collecting data from secondary sources

You can use a combination of methods or focus on a select few. For instance, if you’re looking into your product’s usability, it makes sense to interview your users to get in-depth feedback. It also helps to look at existing market research on the topic to inform you further.

Primary vs Secondary research

Generally, there are two stages of market research: primary and secondary. Categorizing your objectives into either one can help speed up the process by identifying the best tools and methods you’ll need for each type of research.

Primary research

• Firsthand research that can employ methods like focus groups, surveys, and interviews.
• The goal is to uncover direct information and feedback from sources that might not be readily available elsewhere to apply to your product or service.

Secondary research

• Secondhand research that includes collecting and studying previously conducted research via scholarly articles, whitepapers, publicly available statistics, as well as internal marketing, sales, or research data.
• The goal is to get an overall view of market trends and consumer behavior that could be useful for your product or service.

Depending on what type of research you’re performing, there may be different tools you can use to make the process as efficient as possible.

What is your goal for conducting market research?

You know market research can help you test the waters. But if you go into it with only a vague notion of what you want to achieve, it won’t be very effective. Why? Because with very few exceptions, most products, marketing plans, and business strategies target a select audience rather than anyone and their aunt.

As basic as it sounds, the first step you need to take before doing market research is to define a set of objectives. This could mean anything from learning more about a key demographic’s buying habits to finding out what consumers like most about your product.

While market research is broadly about gathering information, knowing precisely which information you need to improve your business plan or product will help you conduct the research more efficiently.

Some examples of market research objectives

• Finding out what your competitors are doing successfully that you’re not to find specific areas of improvement
• Collecting market data related to your industry, product, or target demographics to make sure you’re in line with current and future trends 
• Gathering information on consumer behavior to hone in on features, price points, or marketing strategies that work best

What is the best way to find your target market?

Finding your ideal target market is crucial for the next step of the market research –– reaching out to current and potential customers.

Identifying your target market requires a thorough understanding of your product or service offerings and their uses. If your research is about an existing line of products, you probably already have customer data that can lead you to uncover trends and patterns.

Here are some questions to ask that can narrow down your target market:

• Which age demographic makes the most frequent and/or highest-value purchases? 
• Does your repeat/most loyal customer base consist of single or multi-family households? Is there a certain income level that’s the most prevalent?
• Which job titles seem to appear most often among your customers? Is there a connection to your product/service and the job/industry?

If you don’t have previous customer data, you can reverse-engineer based on your product or service to determine who might benefit most from your offering.

Demographics vs Personas

Once you’ve nailed down the basic demographic data, you can move onto creating a detailed customer persona. Without this step, you might be stuck with a very large demographic that will only give you a very generalized understanding of their perception or relationship with your product. 

The target market for your research should be neither too broad nor too narrow. To find out which of your current or potential customers you could get useful feedback from, start with the key demographic data, then specify further using surveys to get more detailed information about their wants/needs and interests.

Key demographics

• Biographical data such as age, gender, income, location, job title, and family size

Customer persona

• Detailed information about specific interests, hobbies, needs, and challenges that your product or service can solve

For example, a target demographic might be young women between the ages of 18-35 who live in bigger cities with an income between $40,000 – $60,000. A customer persona expands further, e.g. those in the above demographic who need reliable public transportation; they prefer ride-sharing services despite higher costs if it means getting somewhere faster.  Having a detailed buyer persona is not only effective for conducting market research but for reaching key benchmarks and driving revenue. A  2016 Cintell study  on the topic revealed that companies who reach or exceed their revenue goals are twice as likely to work with customer personas, while 70% of those who missed these marks did not conduct  qualitative persona interviews .

What’s the most effective method for data analysis?

Whether you collect data from  focus groups , email surveys, phone or in-person interviews, or secondary sources available online, data collection and analysis can often be a very time-consuming process.

First, you’ll need to go through numerous sources and peruse through copious amounts of interviews and documents, then extract the most relevant bits to present a solid report. There’s an invariable amount of paperwork that can result in a very tedious process. 

To save yourself this headache, the best way to streamline this process is by using the right  market research tools  like scheduling software, voice recording apps, and transcription services.

How to save time and achieve higher data accuracy 

There’s one tool we think is indispensable for market research––transcription services. While many tools can ease administrative processes, transcriptions are invaluable when it comes to data analysis. 

Think about it. Once you’ve gathered all the information you need through focus groups, user interviews, and phone surveys, distilling that data is critical to generate your market research report. Even a large volume of data is useless if you can’t analyze the information properly.  

Unfortunately, a lot of things can get lost in translation if you’re not prepared. Jotting down scribbled notes while trying to focus on what the interviewee is telling you, or trying to decipher what’s being said over an unstable phone connection can result in misinformation or misinterpretation. What’s more, poring through audios and notes can be an extremely time-consuming process.

This is why transcription is a necessary tool to ensure the  highest accuracy and speed . It also saves a lot of headaches during the interview process because you can rest easy knowing you’ll have an accurate transcription to work from later. This lets you to focus on the interview at hand rather than trying to make clean notes.

How to do qualitative analysis with transcriptions

Unlike statistical data that you can easily quantify, interview transcripts are trickier to interpret. The data points may not be immediately apparent because you’re working with a large volume of subjective opinions and feedback. 

The process of going through this data is called qualitative analysis .

Here’s a step-by-step guide (you can read more about it here ):

• Read the transcripts: It’s important to look out for bias and eliminate those pieces during this stage.
• Annotate the transcripts: This is a useful way to organize the data. Make annotations on the transcripts for keywords or ideas so it’s easy to refer back later.
• Conceptualize the data: By this point, you’ll have identified some running themes in the data. Categorize the information according to these themes to compile into a final report.
• Segment the data: Make connections between your categories to form a cohesive report.
• Analyze the segments: Now review these segments thoroughly in order to summarize the results.
• Write the results: Using all the data segments, write a final interpretation of the results in an objective tone, backed by both qualitative and quantitative research data.

Transcription is essential to market research analysis

Rev’s  transcription services  allow you to do your work without worrying about lost or inaccurate information. Whether you’re conducting a focus group or a phone survey, contact us today to get started on your market research.

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How to do market research for a startup (with examples)

Did you step out of the shower this morning with a business idea to beat them all? Did you read back through late-night notes, and they finally made sense?

If you’ve come up with an amazing idea for a product or service, congratulations! This could be the start of a great adventure, and every adventure needs to start somewhere.

To set a business set up for success, don’t create that website or launch that prototype just yet .

Take the time for proper market research . We know it might not seem as exciting as elevator pitches and guerilla marketing campaigns. Still, it’s just as important for your business strategy and will be a firm contributor to your startup’s success.

To discover if your big shower idea is viable, you need to conduct market research .

Before understanding which market research method is best for you, let’s get on the same page. 

What we’ll cover in this article:

What is market research.

• What good market research looks like, and what it can deliver
• Why market research for startups is so valuable 
• How to conduct market research for startups in a way that’ll give you actionable data
• Some examples of how market research changed the course for startups that went on to become successful businesses

Market research is about analysing the market you are in or are about to enter. It involves closely examining market trends, industry trends, market dynamics, your target audience, and other potential customers. Market research includes competitor analysis to see how similar businesses are selling and identify any indirect competitors you can learn from.

Market research findings will influence and guide your go-to-market strategies, and help you secure funding — they aren’t just for good-looking reports! Investors will want to see more than general market size figures. If you can show them proprietary data you’ve gathered from your target consumers (also known as zero-party data ), it will give them the deeper layer of insight they’re looking for.

Market research has been around for decades , and companies have tweaked and updated it over time, but the term has always been used rather loosely. It shouldn’t be conducted to simply confirm that your idea is good. 

When you conduct market research looking to affirm a hypothesis, you become susceptible to market research bias. You can end up walking away with specific data sets that affirm your theory, rather than actionable data that can dictate the direction your theory needs to take—which may be the opposite direction!

Why is market research important for entrepreneurs and startups?

It’s easy to be blinded by the potential of a big startup idea. Your product or service might seem great on paper—or even as a prototype—but without proper market research services , it could flop when you go to market.

Startup founders need to get as much detailed information on their potential market as soon as possible. Here are some reasons why:

Market research will help you test your ideas

There are several things you can and should find out about your product through research. The first question to answer: is there sufficient demand for your product?

It’s not true that if you make something and promote it hard enough, people will eventually start buying it. 

It could be that the product you have in mind is not for the target group you would expect or that the timing is off. For example, selling wired headphones now that most cell phones don’t even have a headphone jack would not be the perfect timing to secure demand. This works both ways; your product could be behind the times or ahead of them—as you’ll see later in our examples!

That doesn’t mean you can’t produce anything that hasn’t been done before – you simply have to do it differently and better. When Slack entered the market, there were communication tools for businesses already on the market. They just did it better. 

Aside from understanding what your core product and its features need to look like, you’ll also gather important information on pricing, payment plans, marketing strategies, product messaging, and more. There are tons of companies to help you with your research—here are the top market research companies in the US to get you started.

Conducting market research is important for attracting investors

If you want to impress potential investors, you’ll need more than a spicy prototype to whet their appetite. The main thing that investors care about is how likely they are to make money out of this product in the long run. 

For that, they’ll need to see research that backs up your claims and proves there’s a viable market for you to enter and meet demand. 

 This research makes the decision-making process to invest that much easier. 

Investors will need to conduct a due diligence check before they part with their cash. You’ll have a large chunk of the data they need embedded in your market research—making this investment process run that much smoother for every stakeholder. 

Discover how market research can help your brand: from reaching the right customers to testing creative assets

It makes startups less likely to fail 

Let’s look at why startups fail.

The top answers for this underline the importance of market research once again. At number 1 on the list of reasons why startups fail: ‘ no market need. ’ In 42% of cases , there’s simply not sufficient demand for a shower thought—no matter how innovative it is.

Number 3 on that same list is being beaten by the competition. Ignoring your competitors accounts for 20% of startup failure !

Of course, market research can’t predict the future entirely. However, when done properly, it’ll give your small business the tools needed to get a head start in the sink-or-swim world of startups.

Choose the right tools for market research

Attest is here to give you all the market insights you need, with tailored demographic filters and ready-to-go survey templates, you can measure everything from brand awareness to product demand in hours, not days or weeks.

How to do market research for a startup: 6 steps

There are plenty of tools, resources, and best practices to conduct solid market research, but it can be difficult to pick the right direction to head in. Worry not! Here are six steps to get the most out of your market research.

1. Find the right market research methods for your needs

Before diving into your market, target audience, and competitors, it’s good to freshen up on the types of market research methods there are: primary research and secondary research.

Primary market research

The internet only knows so much. You’ll have to get some data straight from the source: your target audience. That’s where primary data enters the picture. This is research you do yourself, gathering information directly from the people you want to use your product or service.

A great way to do this is by using online surveys or working with focus groups to get a comprehensive understanding of what your future buyers and loyal customers need.

Secondary research

If you use existing research and data, you’re doing secondary market research and finding secondary data. This can be great for exploring market dynamics and spotting trends. You can find more tools to help you conduct this research method in our blog: 12 great market research tools .

Secondary data has its place, but because it’s external research that hasn’t been conducted with your business in mind, you’ll need to be aware of citation bias.

What’s citation bias? Citation bias occurs when your data uses the results of other research. The results of which may have been looking to prove something slightly different to what you’re looking to prove. Plus, if the research is not conducted by you, then the data may already have fallen victim to one or more other types of survey bias you haven’t been able to account for.

2. Find out what you need to focus on

You might have a general sense of what you want to learn from your market research: whether or not you should launch your startup idea. However, you’ll need to specify some research goals to get actionable data.

After your first exploratory primary research or secondary research, you’ll be able to identify where you have knowledge gaps. What isn’t clear about the market? What assumptions about your potential customers need to be verified?

You can split up your market research goals into different categories—helping you better assign the right team to the right tasks.

For example, let your best marketers and sales reps help you in researching buyer behaviours. Let your finance team guide payment habits and payment methods for your market research. 

This market research template can help you better guide your market research.

3. Identify your ideal market

In any market research, you’ll have to look at three important factors:

• the target market as a whole
• your competitors
• your potential customers

We’ll start with the market as a whole because it’ll help you get more specific data along the way.

First, figuring out which market and industry niche you fall into is crucial. It may seem obvious, but if you put some thought into it, you might find you’d perform better in a different market.

Aim for a market where you fit in, where there’s a large enough product demand , and where you can make a difference.

Here’s how to find out what’s going on in a market:

Find your market, fast

Don’t leave the success of your startup to chance – our market research software is here to help you navigate the market and make the right decisions for your brand.

Talk to industry experts

Talk to experts who’ve been working in that target market for years and ask them about what they think the future will look like. These might just be speculations, but it’s better to hear them and address them than pretend they don’t exist.

You can also pay attention to what’s happening in online communities revolving around your product idea. For example, places like Facebook Groups, Reddit, Twitter, Twitch, ProductHunt, G2, Capterra, and other platforms can be a great eye opener about your potential future customers and market. 

Read the latest trend reports

Another great way to get a clear view of trends in your market is to keep track of relevant blogs and news. There are plenty of target market reports and public market data available to find out the latest trends and where the market is going, like G2, Deloitte, Gartner, McKinsey, and more—make the most of these datasets.

Use target market research tools

With Google Alerts and Trends, you always have comprehensive, up-to-date data on trends and can spot changes in popularity for certain brands and products by focusing on specific keywords. 

Find out what our favourite tools are for analysing your target market in our blog: eight smart market analysis tools .

4. Shake hands with your target audience

Get ready to talk to real people.

To understand your target market, you need to look at more than numbers. It’s great to see some people spending a lot on certain products, but you’ll need to learn why they do that. Get the powerful insights you need to create a strong positioning and ensure your marketing efforts hit the spot.

This is where primary research is most important. You can choose in-depth interviews, online surveys, focus groups, or a mix of those things, depending on what answers you’re looking for. 

Lost for words? We’ll give you some inspiration in this list of 20 essential questions you should ask your (future) customers .

Consumer profiling for startups

We recommend you go beyond the standard consumer profiling demographics and build buyer personas with layers. By adding behavioural and attitudinal data to the mix, you will create much more effective marketing campaigns and digital marketing strategies that land with the people most likely to use your product.

We’ve got a guide full of tips to get started with consumer profiling as a startup and a success story of one startup that discovered their most important potential customers weren’t who they thought they were .

5. Analyse your key competitors—direct and indirect

Next up: your competition. You don’t need to infiltrate their business to get to know them inside-out, but it sure helps to look at their strategy, messaging, tactics, and, most  importantly, what your target audience thinks of them.

Your target market probably knows who your competitors are better than anyone else. Find out what products they consider as alternatives to yours, and you may find out you have significantly more competition than you initially thought.

Take things a step further and look beyond your obvious direct competitors; focus on other companies that could be catching up with you in a few years or are in your niche but currently offering something else. Chances are you’re not the only one working on a new business idea each morning in the shower!

Rest assured, this doesn’t have to be guesswork—here are our 14 favourite competitor tracking tools to help you get started.

6. Be prepared to make big, but well-informed decisions

Once your market research is done, and all questions answered, it’s time to create a plan of action. Hopefully, you found out that your product or service is a lucrative idea and that there’s a real market for it—even if you need to tweak your idea a bit.

Market research will be the guide for any future business decision you take. How you approach product development, branding, and marketing, will all depend on the results of this research. 

3 Examples of market research for startups

The success of any startup heavily depends on whether they’re willing to listen to their target market or not.

Let’s look at real-life examples that paved the way for tons of startups and set an example in market research best practices to transform a business in its earliest stages of growth.

Example 1: the board game maker that won big with market research

Before coming across Attest, Big Potato Games was cobbling together insights from social media and Google Analytics—not ideal when you want a comprehensive picture of your market.

The team needed to establish exactly who their customers were, and learn the behaviours and attitudes of their potential customers to more effectively target the right people in the right places with the right messaging.

Using market research to explore consumers’ attitudes towards board games and what motivates them to play helped them define key customer personas. The research uncovered seven key customer types, all the way from casual, occasional players to hardcore gamers.

An example of what they uncovered through market research was that mums view board games as a way of getting the family together, while young adults saw it more as a way to socialise with friends.

They also found out the size and importance of each customer segment. While the hardcore gamers are a super important and dedicated segment, it’s still quite a small buyer group. It turned out that the mums group was a much bigger purchase decision-maker and demographic to go for.

Market research allowed them to better understand the segments where they sought to build awareness, who was using their product, and who was actually buying it.

Example 2: admit when you can’t beat the competition

Ever heard of Odeo? It probably doesn’t ring a bell. It was created by Evan Williams and Biz Stone in 2005 as a platform for podcasts. They placed their bets on podcasts. However, as we now know, their timing was off.

Instead of sitting around and waiting for podcasts to hit, they re-examined the market. They looked at user adoption rates, technology, and customer acquisition costs. At the time, Apple was their main competitor, and they knew they wouldn’t win. So, based on their market research, they pivoted.

They looked at other popular platforms where content was shared, such as Facebook. Their market research looked at what people didn’t like about those platforms. What tools were they missing? What annoyed people?

Not long after, Twitter was born. The Facebook News Feed was too cluttered for many people, so they cleaned things up. As we know today, it was a huge success.

Example 3: The dating site that turned into a video platform

Over the years, a lot of dating sites and apps have come and gone. Tune In Hook Up is one of those that has gone rather quickly. Its creators saw that the website, which was a video dating site, didn’t get enough traffic to make the right matches.

They had this technology that made posting videos online easier than ever, but not enough people were jumping on it.

They did market research and found it was hard to find specific videos online, and websites that did offer them didn’t work very well. Sharing videos with others was a pain for users.

Based on their research, they broke up with the online dating market and focused on the video part of their business that already existed. They changed the name, the platform, and their lives. You might have heard of it. They called it: YouTube.

Market research made simple

The right market insights can make or break your business, which is why market research is one of the most important things you can invest in. Don’t leave your market research up to chance – choose the best tools that set your startup on the path to success and match it with talent that knows what to go for. Now get back in the shower; you’ve got ideas to create!

Make market research easy with Attest

With our cutting-edge tech and on-demand research expertise, your startup can rest easy. Measure brand awareness and gain vital insights from our built-in audience of 110+ million people.

Market Research FAQs

To do market research for a startup, you should follow these six steps: 1. Pick the right market research methods 2. Identify what you need to know 3. Find your ideal market 4. Get to know your target audience 5. Analyse your key competitors – direct and indirect 6. Be prepared to make big, but well-informed decisions Once you complete them, you’ll have all the information you need to create a business strategy that will lead to your startup’s success.

The best form of market research you can do for a new business is primary market research. This is gathering information directly from the people you want to use your product or service by using online surveys or working with focus groups.

The main focus of the market research for small startup businesses is to validate their business idea. It doesn’t matter how good your idea or prototype looks; if there isn’t a market for it, no marketing budget will suffice.  By researching what the market thinks about your idea and what needs they have, you’ll know if your product will have demand or not. 

Customer Research Lead 

Nick joined Attest in 2021, with more than 10 years' experience in market research and consumer insights on both agency and brand sides. As part of the Customer Research Team team, Nick takes a hands-on role supporting customers uncover insights and opportunities for growth.

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Start » startup, 3 easy steps to research your startup business idea.

After you choose a business idea to pursue, your next step is researching it. Here’s how to do it right.

Starting a new business is an exciting venture with limitless opportunities. However, if you’ve decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship, you’ll need to do your homework before you hit the ground running.

After choosing a business idea, the first step to starting a new business is researching that idea. You'll want to know if there is a demand for your potential product or service, as well as the type of competition you'll be up against. Doing this work can help you anticipate and counter any potential issues, giving your business the best possible chance of success.

Here are three simple steps to jumpstart your business idea research.

[Read: 5 Expert Business-Planning Strategies to Help You Reach Your Goals ]

Develop a market research plan

Conducting market research can help you determine who your target audience is and how to reach them effectively, as well as how your product or service uniquely solves a problem that audience is facing.

There are two main types of market research: primary and secondary. Primary research refers to any information that comes directly from your audience, such as focus groups, surveys and interviews. This can help you understand your potential customers’ habits, preferences and needs, so you can cater your offerings accordingly.

Secondary market research comes from the public or outside sources. These may include public sources like government statistics, commercial sources like market reports and internal sources like your company’s own marketing data. You can use this information to identify trends and patterns, allowing you to target your marketing.

When conducting market research, consider where your target audience spends time, then invest your efforts on those platforms. For example, if your ideal customer isn’t typically a big social media user, reaching out to people on Instagram might not be the best use of your time.

Conducting market research can help you determine who your target audience is and how to reach them effectively.

Study your competitors

Once you’ve gained an understanding of your audience, you’ll also need to gain an understanding of your competition. Competitive research involves identifying your competitors and identifying their strengths and weaknesses. This not only helps you see how your own business idea compares (and where you may need to make adjustments), it also provides valuable insights regarding industry trends.

Your first step is to identify your business’s main competitors, which can be done by simply searching your product or service category online. Competitors can be divided into direct and indirect: Direct competitors are targeting your same audience with a similar product or service, while indirect competitors may have slight variations in their product/service or target audience. Researching both can help you discover areas of growth for your own business, while also mitigating any potential threats to your business’s success.

Once you’ve found your main competitors, analyze their online presence by reviewing their websites, blogs and social media pages. You may even consider signing up for their email lists and following their social media profiles to get an idea of how they communicate. Finally, track your findings and use the information to fine-tune your business idea and its offerings.

[Read: Need Some Feedback? How to Conduct Customer Interviews and Focus Groups ]

Conduct a SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis helps you objectively evaluate both internal and external factors that could impact your business. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Take time to brainstorm what your business does well, where your business can improve, which opportunities your business can take advantage of and which external threats could have a negative impact.

Once you’ve completed your analysis, implement what you’ve learned by creating an actionable plan that will help you capitalize on your company’s strengths and minimize the impact of any weaknesses.

Finally, keep in mind that your initial business idea research is just the first step. Your product or service, your audience and the market may change over time. Conducting regular research and analyses of your business will give it the best opportunity for long-term success.

Stay tuned for our next Startup2021 article on doing a competitive analysis.

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6 Steps to Determine if You Have a Good Business Idea

Posted september 28, 2022 by kody wirth.

You have an idea for a business. But is it a good idea? 

Even if you think it’s revolutionary, life-altering, and guaranteed to succeed—the people you hope will buy your product may not see it that way. So, how do you go from an idea that you feel good about to an idea that you know will work? By conducting thorough market research.

Let’s break down what market research is and how to build an effective research framework. One that will help you vet your business idea and prepare you to make confident and strategic business decisions.

What is market research?

Market research is the process of gathering and analyzing information about your potential customers, existing competitors , and the overall market. This information can be used to validate your business idea, inform changes to products or services, and even influence your marketing and communication strategies. 

When starting a business, thorough market research can help you answer critical questions, such as:

• Are there existing businesses pursuing your idea? 
• What level of competition will you be facing? 
• How many potential customers are out there? 
• How much can you reasonably anticipate in sales?
• Are there enough potential customers to make your idea a sustainable business? 

Types of market research explained

Market research can be broken down into two methods for gathering information—primary and secondary research. Each is valuable in its own way but is most beneficial when used together to verify information.

Primary research

Research and analysis of information and insights collected directly by a person or business. This can be exploratory, a less structured approach with more open-ended questions, or specific, a more rigid series of questions meant to provide specific data points. 1st party data of this kind can be found through surveys, focus groups, sales data, brand impressions, and any other information that you gather by doing business.

Secondary research

This type of research leverages previously gathered information from an outside entity completely unrelated to your business. This can include census data, industry reports, research from other businesses, and any other source of accredited information. Most of this data is publicly available, but some may require subscriptions or singular purchases to gain access.

How to do market research for your business idea

Jumping into market research can be intimidating. Whether you’re collecting your own data or leveraging 3rd party reports, it’s an overwhelming sea of information that can easily drown your efforts without a firm framework to work from. To make your research efforts effective, try this step-by-step process.

1. Set research goals

It’s tempting to conduct open-ended market research. To sift through reports, talk to people, or run surveys without an end goal in mind. While this may be enriching, it also leads to a lengthy research process that may lead to no valuable information at all.

To keep yourself on task, you need to establish research goals upfront.

• What specifically are you trying to find out?
• What information gaps do you need to be filled?
• How much data do you need to feel confident in your decisions?
• What decisions will you be making with the information gathered?
• What’s your deadline? 

One of your goals when conducting market research is to determine whether or not it makes sense to pursue your business idea. For your idea to be successful, there needs to be a big enough market, a bearable level of competition, and consumer demand that can lead to long-term sustainability. 

Recommended Reading: 5 Steps to set SMART business goals

2. Get to know the industry

In this step, you’ll focus on defining the industry you intend to enter. You need to know the history, current state, and where it’s headed. To help refine your efforts, be sure that you focus on the following:

Key Players

Who are the key suppliers, distributors, retailers, regulators, and customers? You should have a clear understanding of how these various entities interact and if there are gaps or deficiencies that you can exploit. 

Competitors

Exploring key industry players will lead you to more detailed competitive research. Remember, while you should understand the market leaders, they may not be your direct competition. Take a deeper look into the entire competitive landscape and identify who you believe you’ll be up against. 

How do their businesses compare to your idea? What is their current market share? What makes them competitive? Dig in and try to understand as much as you can about their operations.

How is the industry changing? Are there any disruptions? Could there be? What are the historical trends in sales, marketing, etc?

Understanding how the industry, and companies within it, have responded to consumer sentiment and what they’re currently dealing with is vital. It provides a picture of economic dips and increases, the likelihood for change, and if there are any emerging trends that need to be incorporated into your idea.

A part of industry trends that you should take an especially careful look at is the adoption of technology. How often do technological changes occur? What macro-technology trends are or could affect it? How much of an investment is it for you and your competitors?

Understanding what technology is necessary to compete, what is changing the industry, and how often can give you an idea of the necessary expertise and associated costs.

3. Explore the demographic landscape

People are at the core of every business. So, what is your target market? Who are your ideal customers? You need to identify the people most likely to support your business. 

What’s their age, income level, gender, and race? What psychographic factors contribute to their purchasing decisions? Do they feel strongly about environmental support, pricing, quality, etc?

You must ascertain the relevant behaviors, preferences, and perspectives of your target audience. By the end, you should have a very clear picture, and possibly created a persona that creates a real-world personification of this group of people. 

Need help identifying your target customers? Start with a breakdown of the market size. 

• Estimate the Total Available Market (TAM)—the total market for your product.
• Determine the size of your Serviceable Available Market (SAM)—the portion of the market that you can reach.
• Identify your Service Obtainable Market (SOM)—the likely size of your actual customer base. 

Understanding your TAM, SAM, and SOM is a proven method for assessing the viability of your market and the first step in pinpointing your customers. 

4. Interview potential customers

It’s not enough to simply identify potential customers, you should talk to them. Their feedback provides powerful insight into what they want and how to position your idea to address their needs. The industry data you collected is a starting point. However, you need to take the target market you’ve identified and start reaching out to them directly. 

Potential customers voicing their opinions provide insight into why and what they will spend money on. This is your opportunity to confirm if you have a viable business idea and even improve it. 

Not a fan of one-on-one interviews? You can run focus groups, send out surveys, create a landing page, or even create social media accounts focused on your ideal customer to see what sort of traction you get. Ideally, you do a mix of these actions to get direct feedback and numerical data that helps you understand if you’re on the right track. 

Recommended Reading: How to conduct a market analysis

5. Conduct a SWOT analysis

After collecting all of this information, it’s time to solidify if your idea will truly work. The easiest way to do this is with a SWOT analysis .

This four-by-four grid condenses everything down into potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to your business idea. Not only will it visualize the reality of your business situation, but it also helps you better position yourself to succeed in the market. 

It can also tell you if your small business idea simply has too much against it. Do the potential weaknesses and threats far outweigh any strengths or opportunities? You may need to rethink aspects of the idea or be prepared to take on far more challenges if you choose to launch as is.  

6. Test your idea

Even if the research you’ve conducted heavily favors your business idea, it’s still worth taking the time to test it. This can take the form of pre-orders, a limited batch of products, a beta test for your service, or even an MVP that you leverage in additional one-on-one interviews or focus groups. The goal is to create something tangible that customers can invest in or interact with.

The feedback you receive will further confirm whether or not you have a solid idea. It’s also one last chance to identify anything that should be adjusted or better positioned to resonate with your customers. It may also show that in practice your idea defies the research and simply doesn’t work or far surpasses expectations.

How to find out if your business idea is taken

It’s difficult to come up with an original business idea. More than likely, as you research the viability of your idea, you’ll uncover that it’s very similar to another business. If you’re worried that your startup idea is taken and want that answer upfront, there are two simple methods you can use:

Simple Google Search

The first step you should take, before investing a large amount of time researching, is to conduct a quick Google search. More than likely, you’ll immediately be presented with several business or service options. If not, try other searches using variations to determine if someone is offering a similar product and service, but describing it differently.  

If your idea has already been tried, it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be pursued. However, you need to know “how,” “when,” and “by whom” your idea was brought to market. Using Google is a fast, easy way to get answers. 

Patent and Trademarks

If a web search doesn’t bring up any similar ideas, the next step is to review the United States Patent and Trademark Office , or similar national database, listings. Just know that it isn’t as simple as searching for specific names and descriptions. Additionally, this still isn’t an exhaustive list, and businesses that haven’t filed an application may still be protected.

So, if you’re worried about a potentially valuable idea infringing on a current patent or trademark, it may be worth connecting with an attorney to do the search for you. Likewise, people may infringe on your idea if you don’t protect it. If your idea is completely original and valuable, you should seek protection from the start.          

Recommended Reading: Real reasons why people start businesses                        

What to do if your business idea already exists

Is every idea you have taken? That can actually be a good thing. Use the existence of a similar idea to frame your industry and competitive research to better position your own idea. To help you with this process, be sure to focus on the following:

1. Determine if the idea exists but failed

So, someone previously tried your idea. However, as part of your research, you uncover that they went out of business. 

What did they do wrong? Did they target the wrong customers? Were there supply chain issues or extensive costs? Maybe their ad spend or messaging were misaligned? 

Now, what should you do differently?

Is a healthy amount of upfront cash necessary to succeed? Should you attempt to target an entirely different customer base? Would a simple pricing or feature change resonate with the customers they failed to attract?

Use the specific areas you identify as part of their failure to fuel your research and testing. If you can, it may even be worth reaching out to former employees or business owners to get first-hand details.

2. Hone in on a niche

Even if a business exists and is targeting your ideal customers, it doesn’t mean you can’t carve out a piece of that pie. Rather than going for the entire customer base, you can focus on personalization and the needs of a subset of that customer group. A niche .

Starting with a smaller niche will allow you to save money with more cost-effective marketing and more focused sales strategies. Once you’ve captured the initial market share, you can, if the opportunity is available, expand your target market. 

3. Differentiate your revenue model

How your business intends to make money is critical to its sustainability. However, the business model of current or previous businesses isn’t the only way. In fact, it may be an opportunity for you to do things differently. 

Maybe the business should operate on credit, or perhaps cash upfront is better? Or could the service be offered free to users, if advertisers came on board? Understand what has been done and if there is an opportunity to provide alternatives that benefit customers or your operational efficiency.

4. Create a better customer experience

There is no substitute for great customer service. If you’re considering a business idea that is taken, providing an exceptional customer experience can set you apart.

Maybe you provide greater personalization, different options to communicate, a no-hassle return policy, or any number of benefits that the competition simply doesn’t care about. So, rather than attempting to compete on price or scale, focus on building relationships. Where you provide more value and in return, your customers become more valuable.

Sometimes there’s a reason that previous businesses failed—it’s simply not a good idea. Or, maybe an idea is so good that the market is simply too competitive to enter. In either of these cases, rather than moving forward with your idea, it may be best to pivot. 

This doesn’t mean your research was a waste of time, in fact, you likely came across possible alternative ventures. And you don’t need to start all over with researching a new idea. You’ve already done some of the leg work and can jump into some of the later steps focused on testing.  

Recommended Reading: How to pivot your business during a crisis

Your business idea is just the first step

You have an idea for a business. Now, by conducting market research, you know that it’s a good idea. So, what’s next?

Now, it’s time to put that research into action. Learn how to apply your learnings to a one-page plan and establish your business goals. Then forecast your initial sales volume and explore potential pricing options to determine how you’ll establish a sustainable business.  

With a plan and forecast in place, all fueled by your initial research, you’ll be ready to pursue business growth. To test, review, and adapt your business to better manage external issues and take advantage of emerging opportunities. 

And if you want a tool that helps you do all of that, from testing an idea to tracking and analyzing performance, then you should try LivePlan. It’s business planning and financial management software built to help small businesses grow through a simple but powerful four-step process. 

Learn how you can drive business success and start growth planning with LivePlan from the very beginning of your business.

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The Ultimate Guide to Market Research: Types, Benefits, and Real-World Examples

Team Fratzke

Today's consumers hold a lot of power when making purchase decisions. With a quick inquiry in a search engine or search bar within a social media platform, they can access genuine reviews from their peers without relying on sales reps.

Considering this shift in consumer behavior, adjusting your marketing strategy so it caters to the modern-day buying process is essential . To achieve this, you must thoroughly understand your target audience, the market you operate in, and the factors influencing their decision-making.

This is where market research can be leveraged so you stay current with your audience and industry. 

Article Overview

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to conduct market research, including:

• Why market research is essential for understanding your target audience, the market you operate in, and factors influencing decision-making
• What are the different types of market research, such as primary and secondary market research
• How to collect information about your customers and target market to determine the success of a new or existing product, improve your brand, and communicate your company's value
• Real-world examples of companies leveraging market research

What is market research?

Market research is a necessary process that involves collecting and documenting information about your target market and customers. This helps you determine the success of a new product, improve an existing one, or understand how your brand is perceived. You can then turn this research into profits by  developing marketing strategies and campaigns to effectively communicate your company's value .

While market research can provide insights into various aspects of an industry, it is not a crystal ball that can predict everything about your customers. Market researchers typically explore multiple areas of the market, which can take several weeks or even months to get a complete picture of the business landscape.

Even by researching just one of those areas, you can gain better insights into who your buyers are and what unique value proposition you can offer them that no other business currently provides.

Of course, you can simply use your industry experience and existing customer insights to make sound judgment calls. However, it's important to note that market research provides additional benefits beyond these strategies. There are two things to consider:

• Your competitors also have experienced individuals in the industry and a customer base. Your immediate resources may equal those of your competition's immediate resources. Seeking a larger sample size for answers can provide a better edge.
• Your brand's customers do not represent the entire market's attitudes, only those who are attracted to your brand.

The market research services industry is experiencing rapid growth , indicating a strong interest in market research as we enter 2024. The market is expected to grow from approximately $75 billion in 2021 to $90.79 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 5%. 

Your competitors have highly skilled individuals within the industry, meaning your available personnel resources are likely similar to those of your competitors. So what are you going to do to get ahead?

You’re going to do thorough market research, which is why seeking answers from a larger sample size is essential. Remember that your customers represent only a portion of the market already attracted to your brand, and their attitudes may not necessarily reflect those of the entire market. You could be leaving money on the table by leaving out untapped customers .

Why do market research?

Market research helps you meet your buyers where they are. Understanding your buyer's problems, pain points, and desired outcomes is invaluable as our world becomes increasingly noisy and demanding. This knowledge will help you tailor your product or service to appeal to them naturally. 

What’s even better is when you're ready to grow your business, market research can also guide you in developing an effective market expansion strategy.

Market research provides valuable insights into factors that impact your profits and can help you to :

• Identify where your target audience and current customers are conducting their product or service research
• Determine which competitors your target audience looks to for information, options, or purchases
• Keep up with the latest trends in your industry and understand what your buyers are interested in
• Understand who makes up your market and what challenges they are facing
• Determine what influences purchases and conversions among your target audience
• Analyze consumer attitudes about a particular topic, pain, product, or brand
• Assess the demand for the business initiatives you're investing in
• Identify unaddressed or underserved customer needs that can be turned into selling opportunities
• Understand consumer attitudes about pricing for your product or service.

Market research provides valuable information from a larger sample size of your target audience, enabling you to obtain accurate consumer attitudes. By eliminating any bias or assumptions you have about your target audience, you can make better business decisions based on the bigger picture. 

As you delve deeper into your market research, you will come across two types of research: primary and secondary market research . Simply put, think of two umbrellas beneath market research - one for primary and one for secondary research. In the next section, we will discuss the difference between these two types of research. That way, if you work with a market who wants to use them, you’ll be ready with an understanding of how they can each benefit your business.

Primary vs. Secondary Research

Both primary and secondary research are conducted to collect actionable information on your product. That information can then be divided into two types: qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research focuses on public opinion and aims to determine how the market feels about the products currently available. On the other hand, quantitative research seeks to identify relevant trends in the data gathered from public records. 

Let's take a closer look at these two types.

Primary Research

Primary research involves gathering first-hand information about your market and its customers. It can be leveraged to segment your market and create focused buyer personas . Generally, primary market research can be categorized into exploratory and specific studies.

Exploratory Primary Research

This type of primary market research is not focused on measuring customer trends; instead, it is focused on identifying potential problems worth addressing as a team. It is usually conducted as an initial step before any specific research is done and may involve conducting open-ended interviews or surveys with a small group of people.

Specific Primary Research

After conducting exploratory research, businesses may conduct specific primary research to explore issues or opportunities they have identified as necessary. Specific research involves targeting a smaller or more precise audience segment and asking questions aimed at solving a suspected problem. Specific primary research reveals problems that are unique to your audience so you can then offer a unique (and valuable) solution.

Secondary Research

Secondary research refers to collecting and analyzing data that has already been published or made available in public records. This may include market statistics, trend reports, sales data, and industry content you already can access. Secondary research really shines when you go to your competitors . The most commonly used sources of secondary market research include:

• Public sources
• Commercial sources
• Internal sources

Public Sources

When conducting secondary market research, the first and most accessible sources of information are usually free . That’s right–these public sources are free and at your fingertips so there’s no reason for you to not be checking them out and leveraging them for your own gain.

One of the most common types of public sources is government statistics. According to Entrepreneur, two examples of public market data in the United States are the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor & Statistics. These sources offer helpful information about the state of various industries nationwide including:

Commercial Sources

Research agencies such as Pew, Fratzke, Gartner, or Forrester often provide market reports containing industry insights from their own in-depth studies . These reports usually come at a cost if you want to download and obtain the information, but these agencies are experts at what they do, so the research is most likely valuable.

Internal Sources

Internal sources of market data can include average revenue per sale, customer retention rates, and other data on the health of old and new accounts. They are often overlooked when it comes to conducting market research because of how specific the data is; however, these sources can be valuable as they provide information on the organization's historical data.

By analyzing this information, you can gain insights into what your customers want now . In addition to these broad categories, there are various ways to conduct market research. Let’s talk about them.  

Types of Market Research

• Interviews (in-person or remote)

Focus Groups

• Product/ Service Use Research

Observation-Based Research

Buyer persona research, market segmentation research, pricing research.

• Competitive Analysis Research

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research

Brand awareness research, campaign research.

Interviews can be conducted face-to-face or virtually, allowing for a natural conversation flow while observing the interviewee's body language. By asking questions about themselves, the interviewee can help you create buyer personas , which are made by using information about the ideal customer, such as:

• Family size 
• Challenges faced at work or in life 

And other aspects of their lifestyle. This buyer profile can shape your entire marketing strategy , from the features you add to your product to the content you publish on your website. Your target audience will feel that the marketing was made just for them and will be drawn to your product or service.

Focus groups are market research involving a few carefully selected individuals who can test your product, watch a demonstration, offer feedback, and answer specific questions. This research can inspire ideas for product differentiation or highlight the unique features of your product or brand that set it apart from others in the market.  This is a great market research option to gain specific feedback, which you can use to improve your services .

Product/Service Use Research

Product or service usage research provides valuable insights into how and why your target audience uses your product or service.  This research can help in various ways including:

•  Identifying specific features of your offering that appeal to your audience. 
• Allowing you to assess the usability of your product or service for your target audience. 

According to a report published in 2020, usability testing was rated the most effective method for discovering user insights, with a score of 8.7 out of 10. In comparison, digital analytics scored 7.7, and user surveys scored 6.4.

Observation-based research is a process that involves observing how your target audience members use your product or service. The way that you intended your product or service to be used may not be the actual way that it is used. Observation-based research helps you understand what works well in terms of customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX), what problems they face, and which aspects of your product or service can be improved to make it easier for them to use.

To better understand how your potential customers make purchasing decisions in your industry, it is essential to know who they are. This is where buyer persona research comes in handy. Buyer or marketing personas are fictional yet generalized representations of your ideal customers. They give you someone to whom you want your marketing efforts to empathize and move, even though they don’t really exist. 

Gathering survey data and additional research to correctly identify your buyer personas will help you to visualize your audience so you can streamline your communications and inform marketing strategy . Key characteristics to include in a buyer persona are:

• Job title(s)
• Family size
• Major challenges

Market segmentation research enables you to classify your target audience into various groups or segments based on specific and defining characteristics. This method allows you to understand their needs, pain points, expectations, and goals more effectively.

Pricing research can provide valuable insights about the prices of similar products or services in your market. It can help you understand what your target audience expects to pay for your offerings and what would be a reasonable price for you to set. Correct pricing is important because if you set it too high, consumers will go to your cheaper competitor; but if you set it too low, your consumers may become suspicious of your product or service and still end up with your competitor. This information allows you to develop a solid pricing strategy aligning with your business goals and objectives. 

Competitive Analysis

Competitive analyses are incredibly valuable as they provide a deep understanding of your market and industry competition. Through these analyses, you can gain insights like: 

• What works well in your industry 
• What your target audience is already interested in regarding products like yours
• Which competitors you should work to keep up with and surpass 
• How you can differentiate yourself from the competition

Understanding customer satisfaction and loyalty is crucial to encouraging repeat business and identifying what drives customers to return (such as loyalty programs, rewards, and exceptional customer service). Researching this area will help you determine the most effective methods to keep your customers coming back again and again. If you have a CRM system, consider further utilizing automated customer feedback surveys to improve your understanding of their needs and preferences.

Brand awareness research helps you understand the level of familiarity your target audience has with your brand. It provides insights into your audience members' perceptions and associations when they think about your business.This type of research reveals what they believe your brand represents. This information is valuable for developing effective marketing strategies, improving your brand's reputation, and increasing customer loyalty .

To improve your marketing campaigns, you need to research by analyzing the success of your past campaigns among your target audience and current customers. This requires experimentation and thoroughly examining the elements that resonate with your audience. By doing so, you can identify the aspects of your campaigns that matter most to your audience and use them as a guide for future campaigns. 

Now that you understand the different market research categories and types let's look at how to conduct your market research.  Using our expertise and experience, we’ve created a step-by-step guide to conducting market research.

How to Do Market Research (Detailed Roadmap)

• Define the problem or objective of the research. 
• Determine the type of data needed. 
• Identify the sources of data. 
• Collect the data. 
• Analyze the data. 
• Interpret the results. 
• Report the findings. 
• Take action based on the findings.

1. Define the problem or objective of the research

Defining the problem or objective of the research is the first step in conducting market research. This involves identifying the specific issue that the research is trying to address. It is essential to be clear and specific about the research problem or objective, as it will guide the entire research process.

2. Determine the type of data needed

After defining the research problem or objective, the next step is determining the data type needed to address the issue. This involves deciding whether to collect primary or secondary data. Primary data is collected directly from the source, while secondary data is collected from existing sources such as government reports or market research studies.

3. Identify the sources of data

Once the data type has been determined, the next step is identifying the data sources. This involves identifying potential sources of primary and secondary data that can be used to address the research problem or objective. Primary data sources can include surveys, focus groups, and interviews, while secondary data sources can include government reports, industry publications, and academic journals.

4. Collect the data

After identifying the data sources, the next step is to collect the data. This involves designing and implementing a data collection plan consistent with the research problem or objective. The data collection plan should specify the methods and procedures for collecting data, sample size, and sampling method.

5. Analyze the data

Once the data has been collected, the next step is to analyze the data. This involves organizing, summarizing, and interpreting the data to identify patterns, relationships, and trends. The research problem or objective should guide the data analysis process and be conducted using appropriate statistical methods and software.

6. Interpret the results

After analyzing the data, the next step is to interpret the results. This involves drawing conclusions from the data analysis and using the results to address the research problem or objective. It is essential to analyze the results objectively and to avoid making assumptions or drawing conclusions that are not supported by the data.

7. Report the findings

Try identifying common themes to create a story and action items.To make the process easier, use your favorite presentation software to create a report, as it will make it easy to add quotes, diagrams, or call clips.

Feel free to add your flair, but the following outline should help you craft a clear summary:

• Background: What are your goals, and why did you conduct this study?
• Participants: Who you talked to? A table works well to break groups down by persona and customer/prospect.
• Executive Summary: What were the most exciting things you learned? What do you plan to do about it?
• Key Findings: Identify the key findings using data visualizations and emphasize key points.
• Recommendations + Action Plan: Your analysis will uncover actionable insights to fuel strategies and campaigns you can run to get your brand in front of buyers earlier and more effectively. Provide your list of priorities, action items , a timeline, and its impact on your business.

8. Take action based on the findings

The final step in conducting market research is to take action based on the findings. This involves using the results to make informed decisions about the marketing strategy, product development, or other business decisions. It is important to use the findings to drive action and to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the action taken continuously.

How to Prepare for Market Research Projects

Identify a persona group to engage, prepare research questions for your market research participants, list your primary competitors.

The idea is to use your persona as a reference point for understanding and reaching out to your industry's audience members. Your business might cater to more than one persona, and that's completely acceptable! However, you must be mindful of each persona while strategizing and planning your content and campaigns. 

How to Identify the Right People to Engage for Market Research

When selecting a group on which to conduct market research , it is essential to consider individuals with the same characteristics as your target audience. 

If you need to research multiple target audiences, recruit separate groups for each one. Select people who have recently interacted with you by looking through social media for post interactions or seeing if they’ve made recent purchases from you.

If you are planning to conduct an evaluation, it is recommended that you focus on people who have completed it within the last six months. However, if you have a longer sales cycle or a specific market, you can extend the period up to a year. It is crucial to ask detailed questions during the evaluation, so the participants' experience must be fresh.

Gather a mix of participants

If you want to expand your customer base, you’re going to want to get viewpoints of your product or service from every angle. Consider getting this mix by recruiting individuals who have already purchased your product, those who have bought a competitor's product, and those who haven't purchased anything. While targeting your existing customers may be the easiest option, gathering information from non-customers can help you gain a more balanced market perspective .

We recommend taking the following steps to select a mix of participants:

• Create a list of customers who made a recent purchase . This is usually the most accessible group to recruit. If you have a CRM system with list segmentation capabilities, run a report of deals that closed within the past six months and filter it for the characteristics you're looking for. Otherwise, work with your sales team to get them a list of appropriate accounts.
• Create a list of customers who were in an active evaluation but didn't make a purchase. You should get a mix of buyers who either purchased from a competitor or decided not to purchase. Again, you can obtain this list from your CRM or your Sales team's system to track deals.
• Use social media to call for participants. Try reaching out to people who follow you on social media but decided not to buy from you. Some may be willing to talk to you and explain why they did not purchase your product.
• Leverage your network . Spread the word that you're conducting a study to your coworkers, former colleagues, and LinkedIn connections. Even if your direct connections don't qualify, some will likely have a coworker, friend, or family member who does.
• Choose an incentive to motivate participants to spend time on your study. If you're on a tight budget , you can reward participants for free by giving them exclusive access to content. 

Related Resources:

• Digital Marketing Strategy: Keep It Simple
• 5 Marketing Predictions for the Looming Recession
• Recession Proof Marketing Strategies for Your Business
• Marketing Operations Framework - The Five Ps
• Biggest Marketing Challenges Leaders Face
• Digital Marketing Benchmarks & KPIs - How To Compare Your Performance

Preparation is key when conducting research in hopes of gaining productive and informative conversations. This involves creating a discussion guide, whether it is for a focus group, an online survey, or a phone interview. The guide should help you cover all the relevant topics and manage your time efficiently.

The discussion guide should be in an outline format, with an allocated time and open-ended questions for each section. All the questions must be open-ended, as asking closed questions may lead the interviewee to respond with a simple "yes" or "no" answer. You may need more detailed answers to make informed decisions, so be sure to ask follow-up questions as necessary.  Also leave out any leading questions as they may unintentionally influence the interviewee's response, skewing your research results.

It's essential to identify your competitors accurately and you may even have some hidden in plain sight.  There are some instances where your company's business division might compete with your main product or service, even though that company's brand might have a different focus. Take a look at Apple:  the company is known primarily for its laptops and mobile devices, but Apple Music competes with Spotify over its music streaming service.

From a content perspective, you might compete with a blog, YouTube channel, or similar publication for inbound website visitors — even though their products don't overlap with yours. An example of this is when a toothpaste company might compete with publications like Health.com or Prevention on specific blog topics related to health and hygiene, even though the magazines don't sell oral care products.

Here are a few ways to build your competitor list:

• Check your industry quadrant on G2 Crowd: This is a significant first step for secondary market research in some industries. G2 Crowd aggregates user ratings and social data to create "quadrants" that show companies as contenders, leaders, niche players, or high performers in their respective industries. G2 Crowd specializes in digital content, IT services, HR, e-commerce, and related business services.
• Download a market report: Companies like Forrester and Gartner offer free and gated market forecasts yearly on the vendors leading their industry. On Forrester's website, for example, you can select "Latest Research" from the navigation bar and browse Forrester's latest material using a variety of criteria to narrow your search. These reports are good assets to save on your computer.
• Use social media : Social networks can be excellent company directories if you use the search bar correctly. On LinkedIn, for example, select the search bar and enter the name of the industry you're pursuing. Then, under "More," select "Companies" to narrow your results to the businesses that include this or a similar industry term on their LinkedIn profile.

Identifying Content Competitors

Search engines can be beneficial when it comes to secondary market research . To identify the online publications competing with your business, start with the overarching industry term you identified earlier, and then come up with more specific industry terms that are related to your company . For example, if you run a catering business, you might consider yourself a "food service" company, as well as a vendor in "event catering," "cake catering," "baked goods," and so on.

Once you have this list, follow these steps:

• Google it: Running a search on Google for the industry terms that describe your company can be very beneficial. You may come across a mix of product developers, blogs, magazines, and other websites.
• Compare your search results against your buyer persona: Remember the persona you created during the primary research stage? You can use it to evaluate whether a publication you found through Google could steal website traffic from you. If the website's content aligns with what your buyer persona would want to see, it is a potential competitor and should be added to your list of competitors.

After a series of similar Google searches for the industry terms you identify with, look for repetition in the website domains that have come up.

When searching, examine the first two or three pages of results. These websites are considered reputable sources of content in your industry and should be monitored closely as you create your collection of videos, reports, web pages, and blog posts.

Market Research Examples

Mcdonald's focus on customer feedback and profiling.

McDonald's invests in developing a detailed consumer profile to attract and retain customers, including parents of young children who appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere and menus. The brand seeks feedback from customers through surveys and questionnaires in stores, social media, and its mobile app. It also monitors customer feedback on digital channels.

Nike's Extensive Research and Collaboration for Running Shoes Development

Nike invests heavily in creating running shoes that cater to the needs of its customers, which it determines through extensive market research and customer surveys. The brand goes to great lengths to understand its customers' preferences, such as the type of running surface, the distance they run, and their running style, to develop shoes that meet their specific needs.

In addition to customer surveys, Nike also collaborates with athletes to develop shoes that cater to their specific requirements. This research helps Nike improve its existing running shoe models and innovate new ones, ensuring that the brand stays ahead of the competition.

Disney employs focus groups that specifically cater to children to test out their new characters and ideas.

The Walt Disney Company invests millions of dollars in creating captivating stories tested for their effectiveness with children, the intended audience. Disney executives hold focus groups with preschoolers and kindergartners several times a year to gather their opinions and feedback on TV episodes, Disney characters, and more. 

This market research strategy is effective because children are the ultimate audience that Disney aims to please. The collected feedback helps the company improve existing content to meet the preferences of its audience and ensure continued success as a multi-billion dollar enterprise.

KFC tested its meatless product in specific markets before launching it nationwide.

In 2019, KFC began developing and testing a meatless version of its famous chicken. However, instead of immediately launching the product nationwide, they decided to test it in select stores in the Atlanta, Georgia area. 

This is an innovative and practical approach to market research, as it allows the company to determine the product's sales performance on a smaller scale before committing too many resources to it. If the meatless chicken fails to gain popularity in Georgia, KFC can make the necessary changes to the product before introducing it to the broader market.

Yamaha conducted a survey to determine whether to use knobs or sliding faders on the Montage keyboard.

Yamaha is a Japanese corporation that produces various products, from motorcycles to golf cars to musical instruments. When it began developing its new Montage keyboard, the team was unsure whether to use knobs or sliding faders on the product. 

To address this dilemma, Yamaha used Qualtrics to send a survey to their customers. Within just a few hours , they received 400 responses. By using survey feedback, Yamaha ensured that it was designing a product that would perfectly meet the preferences of its audiences.

The Body Shop used social listening to determine how to reposition brand campaigns based on customer feedback.

The Body Shop is a well-known brand that offers ethically sourced and natural products. They take pride in their core value of sustainability. The Body Shop team tracked conversations to understand the sustainability subtopics that were most important to their audiences. 

They found that their customers cared a lot about refills. Based on this information, the Body Shop team confidently relaunched their Refill Program across 400 stores globally in 2021, with plans to add another 400 in 2022. Market research confirmed that their refill concept was on the right track and also highlighted the need for increased efforts to demonstrate how much the Body Shop cares about its customers' values .

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How To Do Market Research For Your Business

Before you start a new business, new product, or service, it is important to conduct thorough and accurate market research. Market research includes research into the target customer of the product or service as well as any competitors that may already be providing a similar product or service.

In this article, we will give you some tips on how to go about conducting market research for your new business.  

What is Market Research?

First, let’s take a look at what market research actually is. Market research is the process of collecting information about a particular market sector or industry. This information can be used to help you understand your target customer, their needs and wants, as well as any potential competition.

Why Do Market Research?

There are a few key reasons why it is important to conduct market research before starting a business:

• To understand your target audience and what they want/need
• To understand the size of the potential market for your product or service
• To identify any potential competition and how you can differentiate yourself from them
• To understand the costs and revenue potential for your business
• To develop a marketing strategy

It is important to remember that market research should not be conducted solely to sell your product or service. The purpose of market research is to help you understand what customers want and need, as well as how many potential customers there are in your target area. If a business does not meet the needs of its customer base, it will lose out on a lot of revenue.

Primary and Secondary Research Methods For A Business

There are two main types of market research methods – primary and secondary research.

Conducting Primary Research

Primary market research is the process of gathering information from people who may be interested in your business or potential customers directly. This type of market research can be done through a number of different methods, including:

• Focus groups allow you to find out what consumers think about a product or service. In a focus group, a small group of people are brought together to discuss a particular topic.
• In-depth interviews are one-on-one interviews with potential customers about their needs and wants when it comes to your product or service.
• Questionnaires allow you to gather information from a large number of people in a short period of time.
• Online surveys involve emailing potential customers and asking them questions about their needs and wants with regard to your new business.

Exploratory Primary Research

Exploratory primary research provides you with the opportunity to test your great business idea before starting up. This method of primary market research is conducted on people who are not customers yet but could be in the future. It typically involves collecting information about consumers’ needs and wants when it comes to a product or service that would meet those needs.

Specific Primary Research

Specific primary research is conducted when you already have a product or service and are looking to find out more about it. This information can help you identify any areas of improvement for your product or service, as well as provide insight into where the market will be in the future.

Conducting Secondary Research

Secondary market research is the process of gathering information that has already been gathered by someone else. This information can be found in a number of different places, including:

• Market reports analyze data from a particular market or industry.
• Company websites can be a great source of information about your potential competitors.
• Trade journals contain articles about specific industries or consumer markets.
• Government websites often have market statistics about various industries.

Public Sources

There are several public market data sources available including directories, databases, and other websites that provide publicly available information.

• Business directories allow you to find a list of other companies in a particular industry.
• Product review websites can help you understand the quality of your competitors’ products.
• Market research reports give you current data on a particular market or industry.
• Government census reports can give you valuable insight into industry trends.
• Databases allow you to search for a particular company or product.

Commercial Sources

There are commercial secondary data sources that provide a vast amount of information on various industries, but you have to pay for a subscription in order to access their database. These include:

• Industry-specific databases allow you to search a number of different sources for information about a particular market or industry. These types of databases can be very expensive.
• Trade magazines contain articles that are mostly targeted at business owners and managers, while trade journals tend to target academics and other professionals in the field who want to gain new consumer insights.
• Market research firms offer a variety of services, from providing market analysis to conducting focus groups.
• An industry trade association often has market research reports that are available to members only.

Once you have a general understanding of the different types of market research, you need to decide which type(s) will work best for your new business. The following questions can help you make that decision:

Do you have a product or service to sell?

If you have a product or service to sell, then you will need to conduct specific-problem research in order to understand how your product or service meets the needs and wants of potential customers.

What is the target market for your product or service?

If you know who your target audience is, then you can focus your research on that particular group of people.

What are the needs and wants of your target market?

To understand what the needs and wants of your target market are, you will need to do some exploratory research. This involves talking to potential customers about their needs and wants, as well as researching what is currently available in the market.

What are your competitors’ products and services?

If you know what your competitors are selling, you can use that information to understand the needs and wants of your target market. You can also use it to identify any areas where you may have an advantage over your competitors.

Types of Market Research

There are several types of market research including:

• Specific-Problem Research : This type of market research is most commonly used for new products or services. It involves understanding the problems that customers are having with existing solutions, and how your product or service can provide a solution to those problems.
• Exploratory Research : This type of research is used to gain a better understanding of a particular market or group of customers. It involves talking to potential customers about their needs and wants, as well as researching what is currently out there.
• Competitive Research & Intelligence : This research is used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your direct and indirect competitors, in order to help figure out how you can differentiate your company or product.
• Market Segment Research : Market segmentation involves separating your potential customers into groups based on similar needs, wants, or characteristics.
• Product Positioning : Product positioning focuses on how you want your product to be viewed in the market by your target audience.
• Economic Research & Analysis : This research is often conducted when deciding whether or not to start a business in a particular industry. It involves understanding the economic factors that could impact your business.
• Marketing Research : This research is used to understand consumer behavior, including what products or services they are interested in, and how much they are willing to spend on them.
• New Product Development : This type of market research is done during the development stage of a new product or service, and involves testing different options with consumers to determine which version would be most successful on the market.
• Social Research & Analysis : This research focuses on understanding the impact that your company’s social actions have on the public and how to use this information in a positive way.
• Distribution Research : This type of research is focused on understanding where consumers purchase products and services, and how to gain access to those distribution channels.
• Allocation Research : This type of research focuses on understanding which distribution channel will best reach your target audience.
• Market Forecasting and Trends Analysis : This research looks at historical primary data to determine future market trends.
• Pricing Research : This research is focused on understanding how much your target audience is willing to pay for your product or service, and what the competition is charging for similar products.

Once you have identified the type of research you will be conducting, you need to decide who your target market is. This can be done by doing a customer profile, which will help you understand what your target customer looks like. You will also need to determine where to find these target customers and how to reach them.

How to Do Good Market Research

Let’s take a look at the market research process. The following steps will help you get started:

Determine the purpose of your market research

To start the market research process, you need to determine the purpose of your research. What do you want to find out? What are your goals?

Define your target customer

The first step in conducting market research is to define your target customer. This is the group of people that you are hoping to sell your product or service to. You need to understand who they are, what they want, and what needs your product or service can meet.

Gather data about the market

Once you have defined your target customer, you need to gather data about the market. This data can include detailed information such as population data, demographics (age, gender, income, etc.), purchasing power, and what products and services are already available.

Analyze your data

Once you have gathered data about the market, you need to analyze it to see what trends it brings to light. For example, if your target customer wants a product that is inexpensive and easy to use, this information will be useful when you are deciding on your product features. If you are providing a service, you need to research the average salary in your target area so that you can price your services correctly.

Perform a SWOT analysis

Once you have gathered your data and conducted your interviews, you need to perform a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis will help you consolidate all of the information that you have gathered and identify your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Conduct a competitive analysis

Once you have analyzed the specific market research data, it’s time to conduct an analysis to better understand the competitive environment. This entails researching other businesses in your area that provide similar products or services and understanding how they operate. It is important to understand what makes your business different from the competition and how you can capitalize on it.

Create a business plan

Once you have completed your market research, it is important to include the findings in your business plan. The business plan will help you to determine if your new business is feasible and how you will go about marketing and selling your product or service.

This document will outline your business goals, marketing strategies, and how you plan on achieving them. Your market research should be included in the appendix as a supporting document for your claims within the business plan.

Market research should not be conducted solely to sell your product or service. The purpose of market research is to help you understand what customers want and need, as well as how many potential consumers there are in your target area.

Do Market Research Regularly

Once you have started your business, it is a good idea to conduct market research on a regular basis. This will help you identify any changes in consumer behavior and adjust your marketing plan accordingly. You can also conduct market research to identify your target market, which will help you to tailor your product or service to them.

Don’t Forget the Business Plan!

Once you have completed your market research, remember that it should be included in your business plan. Your business plan provides a method for showing investors that you are qualified and competent to start and run a business. The market research should be included in the appendix as a supporting document for your claims within the business plan.

Market research is an important step in starting any new business. By researching the target customer, the market, and the competition, you will be able to create a well-informed business plan that will help you to start and run a successful enterprise.  

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Conducting market research is an essential step in starting a new business. By following the steps outlined in this article, you will be able to gather the information you need to make informed decisions about your product or service.

Some businesses may be tempted to conduct research themselves as opposed to hiring outside agencies. However, that is not to say that there are no businesses that should conduct their own market research. Instead, it all depends on the type of business and who makes up your target audience.

All businesses need to take an active interest in understanding their target customers and how they behave so they can provide products or services that will best suit their needs. Market research will help you to understand your customers and the market that they operate in.

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What Is Market Research?

• How It Works
• Primary vs. Secondary
• How to Conduct Research

The Bottom Line

• Marketing Essentials

How to Do Market Research, Types, and Example

Joules Garcia / Investopedia

Market research examines consumer behavior and trends in the economy to help a business develop and fine-tune its business idea and strategy. It helps a business understand its target market by gathering and analyzing data.

Market research is the process of evaluating the viability of a new service or product through research conducted directly with potential customers. It allows a company to define its target market and get opinions and other feedback from consumers about their interest in a product or service.

Research may be conducted in-house or by a third party that specializes in market research. It can be done through surveys and focus groups, among other ways. Test subjects are usually compensated with product samples or a small stipend for their time.

Key Takeaways

• Companies conduct market research before introducing new products to determine their appeal to potential customers.
• Tools include focus groups, telephone interviews, and questionnaires.
• The results of market research inform the final design of the product and determine how it will be positioned in the marketplace.
• Market research usually combines primary information, gathered directly from consumers, and secondary information, which is data available from external sources.

Market Research

How market research works.

Market research is used to determine the viability of a new product or service. The results may be used to revise the product design and fine-tune the strategy for introducing it to the public. This can include information gathered for the purpose of determining market segmentation . It also informs product differentiation , which is used to tailor advertising.

A business engages in various tasks to complete the market research process. It gathers information based on the market sector being targeted by the product. This information is then analyzed and relevant data points are interpreted to draw conclusions about how the product may be optimally designed and marketed to the market segment for which it is intended.

It is a critical component in the research and development (R&D) phase of a new product or service introduction. Market research can be conducted in many different ways, including surveys, product testing, interviews, and focus groups.

Market research is a critical tool that companies use to understand what consumers want, develop products that those consumers will use, and maintain a competitive advantage over other companies in their industry.

Primary Market Research vs. Secondary Market Research

Market research usually consists of a combination of:

• Primary research, gathered by the company or by an outside company that it hires
• Secondary research, which draws on external sources of data

Primary Market Research

Primary research generally falls into two categories: exploratory and specific research.

• Exploratory research is less structured and functions via open-ended questions. The questions may be posed in a focus group setting, telephone interviews, or questionnaires. It results in questions or issues that the company needs to address about a product that it has under development.
• Specific research delves more deeply into the problems or issues identified in exploratory research.

Secondary Market Research

All market research is informed by the findings of other researchers about the needs and wants of consumers. Today, much of this research can be found online.

Secondary research can include population information from government census data , trade association research reports , polling results, and research from other businesses operating in the same market sector.

History of Market Research

Formal market research began in Germany during the 1920s. In the United States, it soon took off with the advent of the Golden Age of Radio.

Companies that created advertisements for this new entertainment medium began to look at the demographics of the audiences who listened to each of the radio plays, music programs, and comedy skits that were presented.

They had once tried to reach the widest possible audience by placing their messages on billboards or in the most popular magazines. With radio programming, they had the chance to target rural or urban consumers, teenagers or families, and judge the results by the sales numbers that followed.

Types of Market Research

Face-to-face interviews.

From their earliest days, market research companies would interview people on the street about the newspapers and magazines that they read regularly and ask whether they recalled any of the ads or brands that were published in them. Data collected from these interviews were compared to the circulation of the publication to determine the effectiveness of those ads.

Market research and surveys were adapted from these early techniques.

To get a strong understanding of your market, it’s essential to understand demand, market size, economic indicators, location, market saturation, and pricing.

Focus Groups

A focus group is a small number of representative consumers chosen to try a product or watch an advertisement.

Afterward, the group is asked for feedback on their perceptions of the product, the company’s brand, or competing products. The company then takes that information and makes decisions about what to do with the product or service, whether that's releasing it, making changes, or abandoning it altogether.

Phone Research

The man-on-the-street interview technique soon gave way to the telephone interview. A telephone interviewer could collect information in a more efficient and cost-effective fashion.

Telephone research was a preferred tactic of market researchers for many years. It has become much more difficult in recent years as landline phone service dwindles and is replaced by less accessible mobile phones.

Survey Research

As an alternative to focus groups, surveys represent a cost-effective way to determine consumer attitudes without having to interview anyone in person. Consumers are sent surveys in the mail, usually with a coupon or voucher to incentivize participation. These surveys help determine how consumers feel about the product, brand, and price point.

Online Market Research

With people spending more time online, market research activities have shifted online as well. Data collection still uses a survey-style form. But instead of companies actively seeking participants by finding them on the street or cold calling them on the phone, people can choose to sign up, take surveys, and offer opinions when they have time.

This makes the process far less intrusive and less rushed, since people can participate on their own time and of their own volition.

How to Conduct Market Research

The first step to effective market research is to determine the goals of the study. Each study should seek to answer a clear, well-defined problem. For example, a company might seek to identify consumer preferences, brand recognition, or the comparative effectiveness of different types of ad campaigns.

After that, the next step is to determine who will be included in the research. Market research is an expensive process, and a company cannot waste resources collecting unnecessary data. The firm should decide in advance which types of consumers will be included in the research, and how the data will be collected. They should also account for the probability of statistical errors or sampling bias .

The next step is to collect the data and analyze the results. If the two previous steps have been completed accurately, this should be straightforward. The researchers will collect the results of their study, keeping track of the ages, gender, and other relevant data of each respondent. This is then analyzed in a marketing report that explains the results of their research.

The last step is for company executives to use their market research to make business decisions. Depending on the results of their research, they may choose to target a different group of consumers, or they may change their price point or some product features.

The results of these changes may eventually be measured in further market research, and the process will begin all over again.

Benefits of Market Research

Market research is essential for developing brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. Since it is unlikely for a product to appeal equally to every consumer, a strong market research program can help identify the key demographics and market segments that are most likely to use a given product.

Market research is also important for developing a company’s advertising efforts. For example, if a company’s market research determines that its consumers are more likely to use Facebook than X (formerly Twitter), it can then target its advertisements to one platform instead of another. Or, if they determine that their target market is value-sensitive rather than price-sensitive, they can work on improving the product rather than reducing their prices.

Market research only works when subjects are honest and open to participating.

Example of Market Research

Many companies use market research to test new products or get information from consumers about what kinds of products or services they need and don’t currently have.

For example, a company that’s considering starting a business might conduct market research to test the viability of its product or service. If the market research confirms consumer interest, the business can proceed confidently with its business plan . If not, the company can use the results of the market research to make adjustments to the product to bring it in line with customer desires.

What Are the Main Types of Market Research?

The main types of market research are primary research and secondary research. Primary research includes focus groups, polls, and surveys. Secondary research includes academic articles, infographics, and white papers.

Qualitative research gives insights into how customers feel and think. Quantitative research uses data and statistics such as website views, social media engagement, and subscriber numbers.

What Is Online Market Research?

Online market research uses the same strategies and techniques as traditional primary and secondary market research, but it is conducted on the Internet. Potential customers may be asked to participate in a survey or give feedback on a product. The responses may help the researchers create a profile of the likely customer for a new product.

What Are Paid Market Research Surveys?

Paid market research involves rewarding individuals who agree to participate in a study. They may be offered a small payment for their time or a discount coupon in return for filling out a questionnaire or participating in a focus group.

What Is a Market Study?

A market study is an analysis of consumer demand for a product or service. It looks at all of the factors that influence demand for a product or service. These include the product’s price, location, competition, and substitutes as well as general economic factors that could influence the new product’s adoption, for better or worse.

Market research is a key component of a company’s research and development (R&D) stage. It helps companies understand in advance the viability of a new product that they have in development and to see how it might perform in the real world.

Britannica Money. “ Market Research .”

U.S. Small Business Administration. “ Market Research and Competitive Analysis .”

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• Market Research

The 5 steps of the market research process

Steps of the market research process.

• Define the problem you’re trying to solve
• Design your research process
• Use software to collect data
• Convert data into an insightful report
• Take action based on your findings

Market research is a valuable tool that can help businesses better understand their prospects and customers. Regardless of industry or business size, these insights can be useful for determining the future direction of an organization.

Whether you’re considering launching a new product or service, targeting a new market segment, or entering a new geographic area, market research can guide your organization in making the right decisions and mitigating potential risk.

Follow a strategic market research process like the one below to ensure you get relevant data you can learn from.

1. Define the problem you’re trying to solve

The first step in the market research process is to clearly identify the problem you’re trying to solve or the opportunity you’re considering. “The market is segmented into different parts, and from that a target audience is fixed,” says Daniela Sawyer, the founder of FindPeopleFast , a SaaS platform. “The organization then creates a team to oversee the data collection.”

It’s also important to ask yourself what the objective of the market research is and what you want to get from it. For example, do you want to understand why your company is losing market share? Are you considering launching a new product line and wondering how your target audience will react to it? Consider the causes of the problems your organization is experiencing so you can focus the questions in that area.

By defining the results you want to achieve with your market research, you can more effectively determine the questions you need to ask and the way you need to ask them. For exploratory research — which is an effective way to garner answers to a specific problem — you may decide to conduct focus groups or in-depth interviews with key stakeholders.

If you want to know more details about a market segment (a form of descriptive research), surveys and personal interviews are most effective. To understand cause and effect relationships, a form of causal research is necessary, such as estimation and analysis.

2. Design your research process

Collecting data is the most important aspect of market research, notes Sawyer. It can help determine critical aspects of the business, such as product demand, brand value, and customer viewpoints.

Once you know what problem you’re trying to solve, the next step in the market research process is to develop the market research framework you plan to follow. To do that, you’ll need to determine whether you’re going to use primary research (data you collect yourself) or secondary research (data that a third party has collected) or a combination of the two.

The market research plan not only outlines how you’ll conduct the research but also how you’ll analyze the data once you’ve gathered it. Your market research plan should include the following information:

• The main problem you’re trying to solve
• A clear definition of the information you’re trying to gather
• The method(s) you’ll use to gather data, such as surveys, feedback questionnaires, and user tests (Sawyer notes that effective ways to gather data also include direct interviews with the target audience.)
• The questions you’ll ask in the market research process
• The sample size of your market research or how many people you’ll include in your research
• Who on your team will conduct the market research or whether you’ll outsource it to another organization
• Who will analyze the data you collect and develop reports from the information you’ve gathered
• Who will review the reports and act on the market research
• The schedule for the entire market research process

Outlining these pieces ensures that the market research process runs smoothly — and that there’s a plan of action once you’ve gathered the data. Many organizations conduct market research but neglect to follow through. If you don’t analyze the findings and plan to address what you’ve discovered, the exercise of data collection will be useless.

3. Use software to collect data

To put your plan in place — especially if you’re conducting primary research — it’s vital to have the right software for the job.

For an end user, providing information should be easy. If your software isn’t user-friendly, you may not have many participants in your research, as they may get frustrated and stop answering questions.

From an organizational perspective, you should avoid using software that requires a lot of setup and configuration time. “Collecting accurate data is the biggest challenge,” says Sawyer. “It’s a very time- and effort-consuming process.” Often, organizations can’t keep up with data collection unless they have a tool that makes the process easy.

Jotform is the ideal tool for automating data collection because it’s easy to use, both from the business and consumer perspective.

Marketing teams can use the hundreds of available templates to quickly develop surveys and questionnaires. Each template is easily customizable, so you can tailor form fields to address the problem you’re trying to solve. Examples of templates include demographic surveys , questionnaire sheets, user experience surveys , and much more.

4. Convert data into an insightful report

Once you’ve gathered the data with easy-to-use software, it’s time to learn from it. The analysis process is critical to the market research process, as it helps organizations better understand their prospects and customers.

When conducting analyses, look for trends within the data — but be sure to leave any assumptions you had behind. It’s important to avoid applying your biases to the data you’ve collected. Write up a formal report that outlines the process you used and the findings you’ve gleaned so you can share it with the relevant stakeholders.

Jotform Report Builder is an effective tool for converting the data you’ve collected into beautiful visual reports. Whether your research involves polls , feedback forms , or prospect questionnaires , you can turn them into visual insights within seconds. Using attractive charts and graphs will make it easier to glean insights from your market research, so you’ll be better equipped to make solid business decisions.

The reports are easy to share with others using a link, or you can convert them to secure PDFs. And in just a few clicks, you can customize your market research reports with your own branding.

5. Take action based on your findings

“Market research determines the demand for any product in any particular region,” says Sawyer. “It also helps show the best way and time to launch a product.”

Unfortunately, many organizations never reach this last step of the market research process. Either they’re not able to analyze the data properly, or they simply don’t communicate their findings to decision-makers within the company.

Regardless, this is one of the most important steps because it leads to action. How will your organization apply the findings to shape the future of the business?

Keep in mind that the market shifts continuously, so the data you’ve gathered is valid only for a short period of time. If you wait too long to put your insights into action, they may no longer be relevant or helpful.

Always relate your findings to the original problem or opportunity you identified in the first step of this process. For example, if you wanted to know how prospects would feel about a price increase, consider whether you’ll increase your prices based on the data you’ve collected and if so, by how much. Will you increase them all at once or stagger the increases slowly over the course of a few weeks?

The market research process can help businesses illuminate opportunities, mitigate risks, and resolve problems before they become larger issues. Now that you know what the process looks like, you can get started right away to lead your organization in the right direction.

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TechBullion

Digital marketplace: essential market research tips for new businesses.

Getting started on a new business is exciting, but you need to know your market well to be successful. Market research is the map that helps you make choices in a world where consumer tastes and industry trends are always changing. For new business owners, learning how to do market research is very important for building a strong base. Here are some important tips that will help you get where you want to go:

• Set Clear Goals: Before you start doing market research, you should make sure you know exactly what your business goals are. Want to make a big splash with a new product, or do you want to find a niche in a market that already exists? Knowing what you want to achieve will guide your study and make sure that every insight you gain has a purpose.
• Know Your Audience: The people you want to sell to are what keep your business going. Spend some time getting to know their likes, dislikes, and problems. To learn more about how they act, you can use analytics tools, do polls, and look at what they say on social media. You can better make your products or services fit the wants of your audience if you know more about them.
• Look at your rivals: In the business world, where competition is high, information is power. Do an in-depth study of your competitors to find out what makes them good and bad and how they position themselves in the market. What plans do they have in place? What holes are there in the market that you can fill? You can learn a lot about how to run your business better by looking at how your competitors do it.
• Use Technology: It’s easier than ever to do market study in this digital world. Use technology to make your study easier and give you access to a lot of information. You can use a lot of different tools, such as internet polls, focus groups, data analysis tools, and social media monitoring. Using technology to your advantage can help you get more information and confidently make choices based on that information.
• Stay Flexible: The business world is always changing, and market study is an ongoing process. Stay flexible and quick to change, and keep an eye on customer tastes and industry trends all the time. Be ready to change your plans when you learn something new or when the market changes. In a market that is always changing, you can set up your business for long-term success by staying adaptable and quick.
• Get In-Depth with Data: Data is what makes market research work. To get a full picture of your market, you should gather both qualitative and quantitative data. Look for patterns and chances by looking at market trends, sales numbers, and customer comments. Don’t be afraid to get deep into data analytics. The information you find could help you make the best decisions for your business.
• Ask an Expert: Market study can be hard, especially for people who are just starting their own business. Please don’t be afraid to ask professionals for help. Getting advice and information from outside sources can be very helpful, whether you hire one of the best market research companies in Singapore or talk to people who work in your field. You can avoid common mistakes and make better decisions if you use the advice of people with more experience.
• Test and Iterate: Don’t rush to launch your goods or services once you’ve learned what the market wants. Instead, take the time to try and iterate, making changes to your products based on what people say about them in the real world. Use focus groups, testing programs, or A/B tests to find out how customers feel and where you can improve. You can make sure you’re giving your target group the most value by improving your products or services based on feedback from real people .

Doing market research is very important for starting a new business. By using these important tips, new business owners can confidently make their way through the market’s many challenges. Mastering the art of market research is essential for achieving your business’s full potential. It helps you set goals, understand your audience, use technology, and stay flexible. You can find long-term growth and prosperity in a business world that is always changing if you plan carefully, do your study, and are willing to make changes.

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RESOURCE CENTER

How to conduct thorough market research for your startup or small business, market research empowers and helps you make the best decisions for you and your business..

Starting a new business venture is exciting. When you’re thinking about launching and promoting your service, it can be easy to get caught up in the fun details, like creating your website, getting the word out, building your social media presence, and making sales.

Before you get to the fun, though, you need to do some homework. Market research must be done for your company to know your competition — and beat it.

Market research is gathering consumer feedback on your product or service and collecting pertinent information on the marketplace. This information includes what your competitors are doing and how they’re pricing themselves. It’s an essential step when putting together your business plan .

You need to have a clear idea of your customers and competitors, as well as the landscape . After all, if there isn’t a demand for your product or service, or the space is too crowded, you may decide to pivot before entering the market.

Before you move forward with your small business or startup , you need to do the behind-the-scenes work.

How to make a success of your first steps with a CRM?

Why you need to conduct market research.

You can’t operate a business based on a ‘gut feeling’ or ‘passion’ and hope for the best. That’s not a plan.

Market research helps you determine whether there’s a fit for your idea and whether it’s something people will pay you for. You want to get a lay of the land and address the following questions:

• Who is your customer?
• What are their spending habits?
• What is the market like?
• Who are your competitors?
• What are your opportunities to grow, build out and possibly shift your business?

Those questions are just the start. Where should you open a brick-and-mortar location? Should you have one at all? What about pricing? Where is the market for your offering headed?

The more information you have upfront, the better off you’ll be and the better business decisions you can make.

How to Do Market Research for a Startup or Small Business

Jumping off the questions in the previous section, you want to get clear on a couple more items before getting started.

Figure out a budget. You don’t need a large budget, but you always want to be mindful of where and how you spend your money.

Inform your team. If you have a staff, get them on board and make sure everyone knows their role in any market research task. Consider appointing a lead person or team to manage and store all related data.

Get specific about next steps. You want to act on market research quickly, not several months after you collect it, because consumer insights could change. For example, you probably shouldn’t use January survey results to make decisions about the next peak winter shopping season, which starts as early as November in the UK. Determine how and when you will use this data, then use it promptly. Consider building out a  V2MOM , an organisational system for creating and executing goals, to help nail down the specifics.

There are lots of ways you can conduct market research. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. For instance, you can use social media for cost-effective analysis, such as gathering feedback on a new product with Twitter polls, testing ads on Facebook, and even finding brand ambassadors on Instagram.

What about conducting market research for your business idea?

If you’re in the very early stages of planning an operation — perhaps you’ve mentioned your idea over drinks with friends or you’ve started scouring the internet for 101-types of articles to find out how to get it off the ground — market research is key. You may find that your idea is not something worth pursuing before you invest too much time or money. Your market research may also lead you to pivot one idea into an even better one.

The bottom line: Market research is important for your business plan and execution.

Gather Data on Your Business and Industry

Before going to market, gather data on everything from your ideal customer to the competitive landscape. According to  Startup Nation , you want to collect primary data and secondary data.

Primary data: This is new data you gather from prospective customers, the general public or a mixture of both. For example, you can use focus groups and field trials, such as A/B testing two similar but different product options and recording the participants’ preferences. Primary data can help you determine your product’s plusses and minuses, as well as serve as a guide for how to price it.

Secondary data: This is existing data you can use to retrieve customer information. It can include government census data and surveys done by other companies and organisations. Secondary data serves as a larger view of the marketplace, but bear in mind that some data may be older and therefore outdated or a little misleading.

Here are three additional popular methods used to conduct market research.

Interviews: Can include conversations in the idea phase or after other analysis exercises, such as post-focus group or survey research

Experiments: Controlled testing to prove or disprove theories about your product’s utility

Observation: Monitor and record consumer behaviour and reactions

Different types of market research result in different timeframes — anywhere from an hour to months at a time — and have varying price points.

As you consider the methods you want to use, be respectful of people’s time. Look into ways to perform your research correctly and without bias. Make sure to clear any potential payments, cash or otherwise, with your legal and finance teams to stay on top of any tax liabilities.

How Much It Costs to Conduct Market Research

According to  Vernon Research Group , generally speaking, you can expect to spend between £3,000 and £5,000 per focus group, between £10,000 and £25,000 on consumer research, and up to £40,000 for business-to-business research.

Market research typically isn’t inexpensive. It’s a budget section that can be worth hundreds to thousands of pounds. The actual amount can vary greatly depending on your industry, budget and personal preference; if you prioritise market research, you’ll likely spend more resources on it. You can pay a company that specialises in market research to collect and report on this data for you, or you can organise market research initiatives on your own.

When it comes to activities like focus groups and surveys, you can incentivise people to help with your research efforts in a number of ways. Some participants will offer their input without compensation, while others will be happy to contribute information in exchange for gift cards, financial rewards, discounts or a free product or trial of your service. Regardless of what you offer, it’s important to be upfront with what participants will receive. Be specific. Don’t tell participants they’ll get £20 if you’re offering a £20 Amazon gift card, for example.

Free and Cost-Effective Ways to Do Market Analysis

You can find free and inexpensive ways to collect customer and competitive insights, too.

GOV.UK has a roundup of  business and consumer statistics  on its website. You can also see if your city offers grants or assistance for small businesses that you can apply toward market research. Your local library or industry trade association may offer free or low-cost opportunities for you to conduct analysis through books and online databases.

When it comes to software, you can often sign up for free trials of many content research, SEO analysis and survey tools. Experiment with different ones and see what suits your business best, then convert to a subscription for the tools you rely on most. It’s worth making an  investment in software that supports your growth , after all.

Once you have a business website, install  Google Analytics . It’s a free tool that enables you to access information on your site visitors — demographics, location, the type of device they're viewing your site on and more — and get insights on the types of pages and content on your website that they’re consuming most or least. If you run an ecommerce business, Google Analytics can help you see if and where you may be losing people during the conversion process. The availability of reports (there are many you can set up) can also help you improve your landing pages, behaviour flow and more.

Don’t Skip Market Research

Your company’s success depends on how well you know and can serve your customers, and this starts before your business makes its first sale. It can be tempting to spend less time on this part of building your business, but it’s crucial that you invest the time and energy to perform quality market research.

Good market research empowers you and helps you make the best decisions for you and your business. Guesswork can cost you valuable time and money, while data-based decisions can drive your business in the right direction.

Find leads, close deals, and simplify sales with a CRM for Small Business.

Small business market research faqs, why conduct market research for your small business, how to conduct market research for your small business.

You want to get a lay of the land and address the following questions:

How to gather data for your small business or industry?

You want to gather both primary data (This is new data you gather from prospective customers) and secondary data (existing data you can use to retrieve customer information). 3 popular methods used to conduct market research are interviews, experiments and observations.

More Resources

How to Attract Customers to Your Small Business

How to Conduct Market Research for Your Startup or Small Business

How to Create a Small Business Marketing Strategy

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Research: What Companies Don’t Know About How Workers Use AI

• Jeremie Brecheisen

Three Gallup studies shed light on when and why AI is being used at work — and how employees and customers really feel about it.

Leaders who are exploring how AI might fit into their business operations must not only navigate a vast and ever-changing landscape of tools, but they must also facilitate a significant cultural shift within their organizations. But research shows that leaders do not fully understand their employees’ use of, and readiness for, AI. In addition, a significant number of Americans do not trust business’ use of AI. This article offers three recommendations for leaders to find the right balance of control and trust around AI, including measuring how their employees currently use AI, cultivating trust by empowering managers, and adopting a purpose-led AI strategy that is driven by the company’s purpose instead of a rules-heavy strategy that is driven by fear.

If you’re a leader who wants to shift your workforce toward using AI, you need to do more than manage the implementation of new technologies. You need to initiate a profound cultural shift. At the heart of this cultural shift is trust. Whether the use case for AI is brief and experimental or sweeping and significant, a level of trust must exist between leaders and employees for the initiative to have any hope of success.

• Jeremie Brecheisen is a partner and managing director of The Gallup CHRO Roundtable.

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