Research is King When Marketing

Discover what you can do with market research!

Every business needs market research. Market research allows you to know who your customers are, what they want, where to find them, and when to sell. Market research is basically learning about your customers, but the benefits of having that kind of information may surprise you. Here’s a quick list of what market research can do for your business:

• It helps you perfect your product. In the world of business, selling something your customers will want is the name of the game. You won’t know what those preferences are without market research.
• It keeps you updated on trends. Knowing your customers’ age range, place of residence, family size or SES can tell you a lot about what they would like. This doesn’t just apply to your products, either; it also works for knowing what advertising strategies would work on them, what locations would be closest to them, and what content they would consume.
• It helps you set business goals. Specific goals are smart goals to keep. You can’t be specific unless you know exactly what you’re going for. Market research can help you set feasible quotas and targets based on trends in the market, your customers’ willingness to spend, and even your competitors’ sales and successes.
• It lowers your business risks. Because market research strategies tell you what your customers do or don’t like, they’re a great tool to use when looking for potential risks. For example, when trying a new product, you can test it out with a sample group first before attempting to sell it to the public. You can also get insights on problem areas, like knowing what it was that made your customers not come back, so you can improve in the future.
• It keeps you relevant. The good thing about always studying your market is that your data stays fresh and up-to-date. This way, even if the market changes tomorrow, you’ll be prepared to adjust to that change in a matter of days. Also, you’ll be able to stay trendy to your customers, who will appreciate having a seller who’s in tune with their changing wants and needs.

• It shows you when, where and how to advertise. Advertising would be hit or miss without research. Research can tell you what time of the day your customers would most likely see your ad. It can tell you where to post your ad—if it’ll more likely be seen online or offline, and if offline is the case, what billboard will it best be posted on. It can even tell you how to advertise—what lingo to use, what design to work with, and what details to put on.

• It helps you improve. Market research doesn’t just help with customers who already patronize you. It also helps you reach out to customers who are no longer interested in your products, and can answer the question why. You can even pay attention to your competitors and know what it is they’re doing that you should, too. Most of all, you can have a clearer idea of where you went wrong in appealing to a customer, and find a way to fix that.
• It helps you make decisions. Finally, with market research and the tips given above, decision-making becomes easier. Goals can be set, new adjustments can be made to the business, expansion and upscaling can be much simpler. You’ll know when and where to sell, whether or not targeting a new market is feasible, and how to do so if it is. Most of all, you’ll know what to do to gain, keep and return your customers’ interest.

Market research doesn’t always have to come at a high price. Sure, it takes some effort, but that effort will turn out to be worth it when you see how big of an impact it has on your business. The customer’s needs dictate your business journey, after all—so why not be an expert on what those needs are, and on how to fulfill them?