Primary and secondary research
Primary research is information you collect yourself, like surveys, customer interviews, focus groups or test campaigns. Secondary research uses data others have already published, like industry reports, government statistics and competitor websites.
Qualitative and quantitative
Qualitative research explains why people think or act a certain way, usually through conversations and open questions. Quantitative research measures how many, how often or how much, using surveys, analytics and sales data.
Starting small
You don't need a big budget. Talk to ten recent customers, read reviews of your competitors, check what people search for and look at your own website and sales data. Patterns show up quickly.
Why Market Research matters
Decisions based on guesses waste money. Good research shows you who actually buys, what they care about and what they compare you against, so your marketing speaks to real needs.
Customer calls that changed the pitch
A home cleaning company assumed price was its main selling point. After short calls with recent customers, it learned that reliability and trusted staff mattered more. It rewrote its website around those points and saw more quote requests.
Common mistakes
Asking leading questions
Questions that hint at the answer you want give you false comfort. Keep questions neutral and open.
Only asking friends and fans
People who already like you won't show you the full picture. Include lost leads and competitors' customers when you can.
Collecting data without acting
Research only pays off when it changes something. Decide upfront which question you want to answer and what you'll do with the result.
Where we work on this