In simple words, market research is the process of collecting, recording and evaluating data which relates to various products and services.
Most of the businessmen consider market research the key to a successful business empire. It is quite essential to conduct a thorough research to analyze the prospects of an existing or new product. A well-conducted research proves fruitful in evaluating the business situations,
the potential sales of a product, prospective customers and so forth.
Goal of Market Research
There are many reasons why a business enterprise should conduct researches before launching a new product. Some of the most important goals of such researches involve the following.
Analysis of existing trends: A proper and thorough market research will help to analyze the various trends existing in the business scenario. It gives a clear cut picture of the demand and supply of products and services.
Consumer behavioral patterns: Identifying potential customers is one of the main goals of such researches. It is very essential to analyze the prospective customers and their preferences to sell a product. It is important to sell a product that is in demand in the business front.
Competitors: Effective market research helps to identify existing competitors and their marketing strategies. Researches also help to evaluate their identities, target audiences and potential clients. Therefore it is possible to survive the competition by launching products that meet the requirements of the customers.
Better sales: It also accelerates the pace of business by improving the sales of products. This can be done only through proper analysis of the business scenario.
Minimize loss: Research prior to the launch of products and services also helps to minimize losses. Businesses can be saved from huge losses incurred by launching products which have no demand.
Types of Research
Market research is conducted through a methodological approach which involves both primary and secondary research. Another form of research is the consumer based research.
Primary research involves collection of data directly from the consumers. It is quite an expensive method of research though quite effective. Customer feedbacks are collected through telephonic interviews, surveys and group discussions. The primary research is further categorized into quantitative and qualitative research.
Quantitative research: In quantitative researches, surveys are conducted to collect numerical data. Most of the surveys include close-ended questions which are less time consuming. It is quite easy to collect such data as consumers tend to be more co-operative. The collected data is further analyzed for a proper conclusion.
Qualitative research: In quantitative researches, group discussions or interviews are conducted to gather information. This research involves open-ended questions where consumers are required to answer in-depth questions. Experienced professionals are required to conduct interviews. It is both an expensive and time-consuming method of research.
Secondary research: This form of research involves analyzing data collected from sources such as libraries, magazines, internet and so forth. It is quite an inexpensive method of research.
Consumer research: Analyzing the behavioral patterns of the consumers is another form of research. The preferences of the consumers are evaluated in this type of research.
