Surveys are important quantitative research tools that enable businesses to better understand “who” wants or needs their specific goods or services and the “what,” “when,” “where,” “how” and “why” those consumers use them. They are especially useful because they can be representative of a large segment of the population and can be standardized to ensure reliable and valid results. But how do you know if your business should involve external survey programming when contemplating market research? If you answer “yes” to any of the following four questions, chances are your business could benefit from a well-designed survey with external programming.
Do you need help defining your market?
Having a firm grasp on your target marketplace is certainly the cornerstone of any good business’s foundation. Pitching a product or service depends on who is there to receive it. Are you targeting your product to middle-aged, single men or young, married women? Do you want to offer a service to small “mom and pop” shops or multi-million dollar corporations? The distinction among these is vast and significant. Knowing your exact consumer base can mean the difference between success and failure. The use of an external survey can help you determine the demographics of your market, as well as how that market will use (or not use) your product or service.
Do you want to test a concept?
If you have an idea but want to assess its validity in the marketplace before rolling out a final product reveal, using external survey programming can be an easy way to predict and then address customer response. Asking consumers to evaluate a product for usefulness, aesthetics, relevance and value before it hits the market will provide you with useful information, enabling you to ultimately provide a better product. Having an external perspective, especially one from consumers, ensures that your business has considered a range of opinions and not simply relied on your own bias.
Do you need feedback?
Once you have researched, designed and launched your product or service, you will need to gather feedback from your consumers. It is paramount that you learn what people liked and what they didn’t so that you can plan for the future. A satisfaction survey will provide your target audience with a chance to feel valued, which, in turn, benefits you!
Do you have a benchmark?
Does your company have a point of reference against which it can measure future progress? A survey could provide you with a starting point for making and tracking prospective goals for your product. Knowing exactly where your product or service stands with consumers in the present is the only way to forecast where you want to be in the future!
Learn More
If you want help in deciding how best to utilize external survey programming, contact Communications for Research today. We can assist you with determining when and how to use surveys in your next market research campaign.
If you’re looking for more information on how to be implement, design & analyze a survey, check out our FREE eBook “The Insider’s Guide to Using Online Surveys Successfully” today:
