30 November 2011

Basic Marketing Research Methods

By Ben Johnson


There are a myriad of ways to effectively record data in relation to sales, supply and demand, as well as product usage and niche popularity, all of which are known as marketing research methods and procedures. It was during the 1960s that one of the most commonly used research marketing methods were developed.

Surveying, group-oriented research, product trials, personal interviews and observatory research are five of the most basic and commonly used marketing research methods. Of the five, surveying is the oldest and most common marketing research methods. Surveying methods are divided into three types: personal surveys which are like one-on-one interviews, telephone surveys which are done via telephony, and online surveys which litter the world wide web. Mail surveys were also conducted back in the day until it was eclipsed by email and was relegated to the sands of time, with some occasional exceptions every now and then. Like all surveys, personal surveys are time-consuming. The alternatives such as telephony surveys and online surveys, while relatively more inexpensive, can at times be unreliable as primary marketing research data sources.

When the Internet all but swept the world by storm, several companies thought it would be a good medium for conducting surveys because it provided a relatively cheap, easy-to-access means to connect with others.These are usually started out by people who as a certain question to a group in the hopes that discussion will commence. The elicited feedback is recorded and used along with other data as a baseline for general public opinion on the product discussed.Of course there are personal interviews which are conducted by surveyors, and while these are still reliable means to collect marketing data, these are no longer used by most businesses as they aren't exactly that time or cost-effective. Private organizations and the government still make use of such marketing research methods though, but not necessarily for profit.

This relative affordability has turned online research surveys into something viral, as they are now found in websites, sent through emails, and come out as pop-ups.This subtle tactic depends on the proper placement of monitoring devices in supermarkets. Observing customer choices allows companies to discern what sells and what doesn't, and it gives them a first-hand look at what customers want. Field trials also help companies decide whether an experimental trial run is worth the effort or not by simply placing new products on shelves and waiting to see who grabs the bait. These types of marketing research methods are often conducted in selected areas only.

Some sites even have a built-in survey which nobody but the site managers can see!




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