Must-Haves for Market Research Surveys

The sole reason for conducting a market research survey is to find out what your customers are feeling, thinking, and needing—and then use that data to meet their needs. The format you use and the questions you ask will directly impact the usefulness and quality of the data you receive. You can gain valuable insight into your customer’s needs if you ask the right questions.

So how can you be sure you are asking the right questions? Including these queries as a baseline in a market research survey is a great start.

1. Characteristics of your prospects

Those somewhat boring but vital questions about demographics help identify a buyer persona and give you a basic understanding of what they need. From age to gender, income level and geographic location, understanding where your potential customer is coming from, how they like to spend their time and who they are at a basic level ensure you are ready to meet their requirements and communicate with them effectively.

2. What they don’t like?

What is your target prospect struggling with? Asking this question clues you into some of their needs. Are they worried about paying the bills or are they trying to decide how to get time off from work for long-needed vacation? Do they have small kids, aging parents, or are they coping with health issues? Gaining an understanding of your prospect's frustrations and struggles can help you come up with ways to approach them that will resonate.

3. What do they value?

A customer decides to buy for different reasons. Are they buying your product because it is affordable or it is a quality item or because of the service you offer? If you have a close competition with your competitors in terms of services and price point, then learning what qualities matter to your prospects ensures you have a clear value proposition and that you are going in the right direction.

4. What would they like to see next?

You may be the expert on your service or product, but the end-user who purchases it uses it and interacts with it every day has valuable insight to share if you ask. Do your machines need a waterproof cover or your umbrella need a strap to keep it closed? You won’t know unless you ask. A single customer with the suggestion is just stating a personal preference, but when the same answer pops up time and again in an online survey, you’ll need to pay attention to the data.

5. What do they dislike about your services and products? 

This question may look like it is inviting complaints, but those minor issues could be preventing you from reaching more customers. Gathering data about what your prospects don’t like about your product or your service gives you valuable insight into how well you are doing.

Gathering and analyzing this data regularly allows you to spot patterns and ensure that you are offering the best experience for your target buyers.

Learn More

To learn more about the market research questions that your business should be asking, visit www.ambivista.com, we will provide you with the best market research software and to determine which questions you need to answer and the best ways to answer them.