An Introduction to Market Research

It doesn't matter what industry you're in, a firm grasp on market research is imperative if you want to be successful. Long story short, marketing research involves finding out how consumers have responded to past products, are responding to current products and how they may respond to products introduced in the future. It is a matter of determining what buyers want and need, and the best way to package and advertise these things. Basically, it is a matter of knowing your customer.

Years ago, businesses worked very differently than they do today. Shopkeepers went out of their way to befriend their customers and learn their likes and dislikes. Market research was once performed from behind the counter. Today, it's a bit more sophisticated than that. There are large companies that prepare research reports for various fields and areas. There are also marketing research consultants who work on an independent basis to help their clients with this facet of the business. An independent consultant is likely to be cheaper (although not always) especially if they are just starting out and want to build a client base and portfolio.

You can perform your own online market research, depending on what kind of business you're in. If you are a Web-based entrepreneur or marketer then it is entirely possible to do your own Internet market research. There are a great deal of survey companies out there that recruit participants to answer questions about various on and offline products. Sometimes the participants get paid, sometimes they do not. Whether or not you should consider surveying your demographic is up to you. You might even want to send a poll to your mailing list or post one on your website and see what your visitors have to say.

If you are an Ebay seller, this online auction giant gives you an incredibly easy way to perform market research. You can not only search for auctions that are currently open, you can search for auctions that are completed to see the bids and selling price. This is an excellent way to learn how to price your auction items. For those interested in market research careers, a university education in a marketing related field is required for employment with a well-paying company. If you are someone who just wants to make a few bucks giving your consumer opinion in survey form, the Internet is overflowing with these kinds of opportunities.

 

 

Keyword Research News:

 

5 Tips To Help SEO Based Affiliates Evaluate A Niche - Marketing Land

Marketing Land
5 Tips To Help SEO Based Affiliates Evaluate A Niche
Marketing Land
We all know the obvious EUR check traffic volume for keywords in the niche using your favorite keyword research tool. But just because there is traffic, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the EURrightEUR niche. Over the years, I've learned a lot of lessons the .

..


Research and Markets: Epoxy Resins: Paints & Coatings, Electrical Laminates, Bonding, Flooring & Paving, and .
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Epoxy Resins - Global Strategic Business Report" report..


Research and Markets: Calcium Carbonate - Global Strategic Business Report
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Calcium Carbonate - Global Strategic Business Report"..


Research and Markets: Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) - Global Strategic Business Report
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Nitrile Butadiene Rubber - Global Strategic Busi..


The Keyword Research Rabbit Hole - Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land
The Keyword Research Rabbit Hole
Search Engine Land
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to use your first meeting with a client to understand their business and collect information that could later inform your keyword research. Now, you're back at your desk and wondering what to do with all that .

and more »
..


Research and Markets: Baby Foods and Infant Formula - Global Strategic Business Report Featuring 123 Company Profiles
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Baby Foods and Infant Formula - Global Strategic Busi..


Location: A Ranking Factor in Organic SERPs - SEOmoz (blog)

SEOmoz (blog)
Location: A Ranking Factor in Organic SERPs
SEOmoz (blog)
might be a factor, keyword relevance (including the city name as a keyword) is a factor, PA/DA of course.etc. Now I did some research on some other terms as well, including "web hosting", which returned a similar mix of local-ish results + pure .

and more »
..

New Research From Conductor Shows Gifts.com Tops Valentine's Day Online Searches - MarketWatch (press release)

New Research From Conductor Shows Gifts.com Tops Valentine's Day Online Searches
MarketWatch (press release)
NEW YORK, NY, Feb 13, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Conductor, the leader in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) technology, today announced the findings of its research report that examined online search behavior and keywords for Valentine's Day 2012.

and more »
..


[Keyword Not Provided]: A Deeper Look - Actionable Insights

[Keyword Not Provided]: A Deeper Look
Actionable Insights
by drohrer | February 16, 2012 Since that time, we at Covario, much like everyone in the search marketing industry, have been monitoring the initial impact to our clients Analytics data. The initial impact of the new encryption process was confirmed by .

..


Hit Search Named Third Best Search Engine Optimisation Company by topseos.co . - Albany Times Union

Hit Search Named Third Best Search Engine Optimisation Company by topseos.co .
Albany Times Union
Five areas of evaluation are used to benchmark each search engine optimisation service including on page optimisation, off page optimisation, keyword analysis, needs analysis, and reporting methods. Hit Search was identified by the team as a high .

and more »
..


Research and Markets: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - Global Strategic Business Report
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Hormone Replacement Therapy - Global Strategic..


Baidu Sees Strong Growth in Demand for Mobile Search in China, CEO Li Says - Bloomberg

Baidu Sees Strong Growth in Demand for Mobile Search in China, CEO Li Says
Bloomberg
Baidu Inc. (BIDU), owner of China's dominant search engine, expects strong growth in demand for its mobile services this year, after computer-based operations drove a better-than-expected increase in fourth-quarter profit.

and more »
..


Research and Markets: Medical Laser Systems: Surgical, Aesthetic, Ophthalmic, Diagnostic, Therapeutic Lasers - Global .
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Medical Laser Systems - Global Strategic Business Rep..



 

 

Technorati Tags: , ,