“Running a company on market research is like driving while looking in the rearview mirror”, says Anita Roddick and we couldn’t agree more. To break down what market research is in a simpler form, it is considered the backbone of any business. When you first think of a business idea or come across a business opportunity it is important to understand the market landscape, who your competitors are in addition to knowing your consumers. The first few months can prove to be precarious to any new business and if you haven’t spent enough time and effort into market research, then you’re not going to have a business model strong enough to ensure that those customers don’t stop coming to you. Let’s look at what market research entails and why it is important for businesses to invest in it.
What is Market Research?
Market research is the simplest and most efficient way for businesses to keep up with the industry trends, identify consumer problems and track realistic competitors while maintaining an edge by sizing up a business opportunity. It isn’t a specific activity or a method, it’s just an attempt for businesses to learn more about their target audience to maintain relevance and longevity of their business. Market research can be carried out in different stages depending on different objectives - for instance, if your business is launching a new product or service, conducting research from the pre-launch stage makes sense as it will help you gain a sense of how your target market may respond to your product/service and help you establish a sound business strategy to grow your brand and leave your competitors behind.
Now that we have a better understanding of ‘what is market research’, let’s look at how it could prove to be fruitful to a burgeoning business and ensure it’s growth and longevity, or simply put - the importance of marketing research for businesses.
In conclusion, all we’d like to say is that if you are a business that’s just starting out, ensure you spend enough time and resources to get a better understanding of the market landscape as it guarantees success and growth. We have put together this article to help you understand what is market research and to elucidate the importance of marketing research for your ambitious business plans.
Reach out to our research experts to know more about how you can create the right market research strategy for your business!
This content was originally published here.