If you’re looking to get started with online marketing research, the first thing you need to do is develop a plan. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about creating an effective research plan, including what data to collect, how to analyze the data, and ways to use the results to improve your marketing strategy.
What Type Of Data Do I Need?
In developing your plan, you need to think about what data you’ll need to carry out your research. There are three major types of data you’ll need:
- Quantitative Data – This type of data can be easily pulled from a survey. You can get an idea of how many people agreed with a certain statement, or you can use it to determine the popularity of a product or service.
- Qualitative Data – This type of data is less scientific and more based on an individual’s opinion. You can get an idea of how people perceive a product or service by reviewing customer reviews or listening to customer testimonials.
- Process Data – This type of data will give you an idea of the steps your customers took before purchasing the product or using the service. Analytics tools like Google Analytics can pull this type of data, as long as you’ve set them up to track conversions and identify recurring purchases.
In addition to the above, you may also want to consider collecting data from social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook. With so much information already available online, you can use this data to determine the popularity of your product or service, learn about your target audience, and gain valuable insights into how to improve your marketing strategy.
How Do I Go About Collecting The Data?
To collect data, you’ll need an online survey tool. There are dozens of these tools out there, and the most popular ones are Google Survey & SurveyMonkey. Each of these tools offers robust features and offers a simple way to connect with potential respondents.
As a marketer, you’ll be asked to share a bit about yourself in the survey. After taking the survey, you’ll be given the option to enter into a prize draw to win a gift card. This is a great way to encourage feedback without feeling like you’re being sold anything!
Once you’ve collected the required data, you’ll need to summarize the results and determine the most appropriate next steps. If you’d like to learn more, check out this detailed article on how to conduct an effective online marketing research project using Google Analytics.
Why Do I Need To Define A Research Plan?
The first step in any marketing research project is to define what you’ll be researching. Without a clear idea of what questions to ask, you’ll end up with a ton of research that doesn’t quite fit together. As a marketer or business owner, it’s your job to know what questions to ask and how to go about answering them. This article will walk you through the process of creating an effective research plan so you can get started on your project properly.
How Do I Start?
To begin, you will need to begin with a clear idea of what you hope to find. Do you want to learn more about your target audience? Are you seeking inspiration for a new product or marketing strategy? Use your answers to these questions to guide you in the right direction.
Once you’ve got a rough idea of your target audience, you can begin to build a research plan. Start by listing what you know already. Are you familiar with your competitors? How do you expect audiences to behave online and on social media? From there, you can flesh out a plan of action.
As noted above, you’ll need to think about what data you’ll need to carry out your research. Once you’ve got an idea of what you’ll be exploring, you can determine the appropriate research tools.
What Should I Look Out For?
When choosing your research tools, make sure that they’re adequate for the size of your project. If you’ve got a small budget, you’ll want to find free tools or those that are low cost. If you’re seeking more professional tools, you may want to consider paying for them.
In addition, make sure that the research tools you select are robust enough to provide you with the answers you’re looking for. Do you have a specific audience in mind that you want to research? Or do you want to explore a broad range of questions that may or may not be relevant to you?
Make Sure To Plan For Triangulation.
The above tips on how to collect and analyze market research data will help you get started. From there, you can add more steps to your research project based on your findings. Triangulation is a strategy where you’ll add multiple methods of data collection and analysis to your research plan. This will help you obtain more accurate results. To add more steps to your research project, simply come back and add them in.