In this data-dominated world, market research adds value by providing insights into the psychological needs of your customers, revealing the “why” behind the numbers. Below I mention a brief overview of research methods that I frequently use in Retail marketing research. Aligning internal data, with market data analysis completes the circle.
As a market researcher, I conduct interviews with internal and external professionals. By maintaining my neutrality as a conversation partner and through thorough questioning, I often uncover the underlying factors: the issues behind the questions.
In this form of market research, the interaction among participants is crucial. Discussions take place based on a predetermined list of discussion points. The quality of focus groups is determined by the selection of participants. Therefore, I always collaborate with recruitment agencies that uphold high-quality standards.
Surveys provide insights into percentages. The foundation for such research can be the client’s own customer database. However, it is essential to ensure that customers have given their consent for research. If this is not the case, at least one OPT-question (a clickbox question asking if the customer wants to participate in the research) must be included to obtain consent. This may result in a decrease in response rate. I can assist clients in conducting B2B customer research in alternative ways, to guarantee response rates.
It is always advisable to provide customers with the opportunity to leave reviews on a business website. However, this also means that there must be prompt and effective follow-up for negative reviews. Summaries of reviews through text analysis and human interpretation provide crucial information for growth.
Most forms of customer research can be conducted both face-to-face and online. However, I prefer face-to-face interviews and focus groups. In live conversations and discussions, non-verbal communication can be better incorporated into the results. This is essential because non-verbal communication accounts for 93% of total communication (source: Professor Albert Mehrabian).
