research

We often make the mistake of assuming we know all about our markets and our customers. Yet most of us have only anecdotal information.

Market and customer research gives you a broader view. Even a small amount of research can make a big difference in your understanding of how your company—and its competitors—are perceived.

Research projects include:

Voice-of-the-customer programs. Your customers have a wealth of knowledge about how well your products and services work, how they stack up against the competition, and what you ought to be considering next. Yet many companies never think to tap this resource. Give your customers a chance to share their first-hand knowledge. The resulting data will help you capitalize on your strengths and improve your weaknesses. And the customer research process, handled correctly, will strengthen your customer relationships.

Custom panel research. When you need to understand a set of issues over time, panel research is an effective approach. Panel research creates a set of respondents that are pre-screened and ready to take surveys, giving you the ability to get quick results that are demographically on target. Panel research is suitable for a wide variety of respondent types. The Internet has made it easy and affordable to create custom panels. For example, recruit your customers for an instant version of the Technology Advisory Board.