According to the American
Marketing Association, marketing research is the systematic
gathering, recording, and analyzing of data about problems
relating to the marketing of goods and services.
Every small business
owner-manager must ask the following questions to devise
effective marketing strategies:
- Who are my customers and
potential customers?
- What kind of people are
they?
- Where do they live?
- Can and will they buy?
- Am I offering the kinds of
goods or services they want - at the best place, at the
best time and in the right amounts?
- Are my prices consistent
with what buyers view as the product's value?
- Are my promotional programs
working?
- What do customers think of
my business?
- How does my business compare
with my competitors?
Marketing research is not a perfect science. It deals with
people and their constantly changing feelings and behaviors,
which are influenced by countless subjective factors. To
conduct marketing research you must gather facts and opinions
in an orderly, objective way to find out what people want to
buy, not just what you want to sell them.
Click on the links below and
start your market research.
This section is
divided into two areas.
- Read
articles on market research here - Get the knowledge you
need.
- Find
time saving research tools here - Useful tools.
