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Market research is the process of systematically gathering, recording and analyzing data
and information about customers, competitors and the market. Its uses include to help
services, and expand into new markets.
Market research is generally either primary or secondary. In secondary research, the
company uses information compiled from other sources that appears applicable to a new
or existing product. The advantages of secondary research are that it is relatively cheap
and easily accessible. Disadvantages of secondary research are that it is often not specific
to your area of research and the data used can be biased and is difficult to validate.
Primary market research involves testing such as focus groups, surveys, field tests,
interviews or observation, conducted or tailored specifically to that product.
A list of questions that can be answered through market research:
What is happening in the market? What are the trends? Who are the competitors?
How do consumers talk about the products in the market?
Which needs are important? Are the needs being met by current products?
Market research for business planning
Market research is for discovering what people want, need, or believe. It can also involve
discovering how they act. Once that research is complete it can be used to determine how
to market your specific product.
For starting up a business there are a few things that are important:
Market information
Market information is making known the prices of the different commodities in the market,
the supply and the demand. Information about the markets can be obtained in several
different varieties and formats.
Examples of market information questions are:
Who are the customers?
Where are they located and how can they be contacted?
What quantity and quality do they want?
What is the best time to sell?
Market segmentation
Market segmentation is the division of the market or population into subgroups with similar
motivations. Widely used bases for segmenting include geographic differences, personality
differences, demographic differences, use of product differences, and psychographic
differences.
Market trends
The upward or downward movements of a market, during a period of time. The market size
is more difficult to estimate if you are starting with something completely new. In this case,
you will have to derive the figures from the number of potential customers or customer
segments. [Ilar 1998]
But besides information about the target market you also need information about your
competitor, your customers, products etc. A few techniques are:
Customer analysis
Choice Modeling
Competitor analysis
Risk analysis
Product research
Advertising research
and information about customers, competitors and the market. Its uses include to help
services, and expand into new markets.
Market research is generally either primary or secondary. In secondary research, the
company uses information compiled from other sources that appears applicable to a new
or existing product. The advantages of secondary research are that it is relatively cheap
and easily accessible. Disadvantages of secondary research are that it is often not specific
to your area of research and the data used can be biased and is difficult to validate.
Primary market research involves testing such as focus groups, surveys, field tests,
interviews or observation, conducted or tailored specifically to that product.
A list of questions that can be answered through market research:
What is happening in the market? What are the trends? Who are the competitors?
How do consumers talk about the products in the market?
Which needs are important? Are the needs being met by current products?
Market research for business planning
Market research is for discovering what people want, need, or believe. It can also involve
discovering how they act. Once that research is complete it can be used to determine how
to market your specific product.
For starting up a business there are a few things that are important:
Market information
Market information is making known the prices of the different commodities in the market,
the supply and the demand. Information about the markets can be obtained in several
different varieties and formats.
Examples of market information questions are:
Who are the customers?
Where are they located and how can they be contacted?
What quantity and quality do they want?
What is the best time to sell?
Market segmentation
Market segmentation is the division of the market or population into subgroups with similar
motivations. Widely used bases for segmenting include geographic differences, personality
differences, demographic differences, use of product differences, and psychographic
differences.
Market trends
The upward or downward movements of a market, during a period of time. The market size
is more difficult to estimate if you are starting with something completely new. In this case,
you will have to derive the figures from the number of potential customers or customer
segments. [Ilar 1998]
But besides information about the target market you also need information about your
competitor, your customers, products etc. A few techniques are:
Customer analysis
Choice Modeling
Competitor analysis
Risk analysis
Product research
Advertising research
| Market Research |