Consumer behavior, preferences, and expectations can change in the blink of an eye, making it imperative for businesses to stay ahead of the curve.
This is where consumer insight surveys come into play, acting as invaluable tools for unlocking the mysteries of consumer sentiment and behavior.
In this blog post, we'll delve deeper into consumer insight surveys, exploring what they are, why they matter, and how they can revolutionize the way you understand and engage with your target audience.
What are consumer insights in market research?
Consumer insight can be a core topic of market research in the sense that it provides a lot of decision-making research that can help your brand grow positively (especially from a survey).
We like to think of consumer insights as the interpretation of customer data from the customer's point of view (including their interaction with your brand).
Market research gathers data on consumer behavior using research methodologies like interviews, focus groups, experiments, and surveys. This type of research often generates both quantitative and qualitative data, such as data on market demographics and consumer sentiment.
Consumer insights can also focus on different things about your consumers from their age, location, or their experience.
Our market research company believes in examining all parts of consumer insights to have a successful consumer insight survey or project completed.
Why are consumer insights important?
By collecting feedback and data from consumers (including your customers) that you can analyze, you’re getting insights into what it’s like to be a customer (or potential customer who is thinking about buying from you).
It should also give you more insight into what actions or things you can change to make the customer experience better for them.
Analysis and deep insights from a consumer insight survey or project might include:
- Changes to your products or services (for the consumers benefit)
- Improving the buying experience (from start to finish)
- Offering excellent customer support
- Knowing more about why your target audience buys from you
- Increasing your customer lifetime value
Consumers typically may expect a lot from brands they are loyal to (depending on the product). That’s why it is critical to listen to them on a regular basis and make changes if needed.
In fact, research from 2021 shows that 91% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that listens to them and fulfills their needs. On top of that, 76% would be willing to fill in a short survey on a website to help get a more personalized experience for themselves.
Therefore, neglecting consumer insights or feedback can be a critical error for today’s businesses.
As a market research company that has worked with consumer insights for nearly 80+ years, we know how to best collect, analyze, and understand consumer insight data. We’ll show you how you can best get the consumer insights you need for your brand.
How to collect consumer insights
Designing a consumer insight survey can be a great way to get more quantitative information from your target market.
You’ll want to include your own custom-designed questions that aim to get in-depth, detailed responses and therefore the best analysis for your analysis.
If you’re just getting started with customer insights or consumer insight surveys, we’ll include ways to make the best survey and how we might build a custom consumer insight survey ourselves.
1. Kicking off your project
The first stage to any market research project is a kickoff meeting with your team's stakeholders and your dedicated Drive Research project team.
Here we clearly outline the purpose of your survey. This includes determining what specific insights you hope to gather from consumers and how you plan to use this information to improve your products, services, or marketing strategies.
We'll also identify your target audience of who you want to survey be outlining factors such as age, gender, location, income level, interests, and purchasing behaviors.
2. Designing survey questions
Based on your objectives, our team creates clear, concise, and unbiased questions in a word document. We like to ensure that questions are relevant to your audience and easy to understand.
Our online survey company also uses a combination of closed-ended (multiple-choice, rating scales) and open-ended questions to gather quantitative and qualitative data.
After the survey draft is complete, your team will review and approve of the document. Once both parties are satisfied with the consumer insights questionnaire, we begin to program it.
3. Launching the survey
Before launching the survey, Drive Research conducts a small-scale pilot test with a sample of your target audience to identify any issues with question wording, survey flow, or technical glitches.
We'll make necessary adjustments based on feedback received during the pre-test.
Then, the survey is sent to the remaining sample to fully kickoff fieldwork.
It is recommended to regularly monitor survey responses to track participation rates and identify any issues that may arise during data collection.
4. Analyze data
Once data collection is complete, analyze survey responses to extract meaningful insights. Our market research company utilizes statistical analysis tools to identify trends, correlations, and patterns within the data.
Doing so allows us to synthesize findings from the data analysis to draw conclusions about consumer preferences, behaviors, and attitudes.
We then use these insights to make informed decisions and recommendations for product development, marketing strategies, or customer experience improvements for our clients.
5. Report Findings
Lastly, our team prepares a comprehensive report summarizing key findings, insights, and recommendations derived from the survey. We will present the report during a debrief meeting, incorporating visualizations such as charts, graphs, and tables to enhance understanding.
It is then recommended for the client to implement strategies and initiatives based on the insights gathered from the survey to enhance customer satisfaction, drive business growth, and achieve organizational objectives.
25+ Example Consumer Insight Survey Questions
Here are some example consumer insight survey questions covering various aspects of consumer behavior, preferences, and opinions:
Demographic Information:
- What is your age range?
- What is your gender identity?
- What is your highest level of education?
- What is your household income level?
- In which region/country do you reside?
Product/Service Usage:
- How frequently do you use [product/service]?
- What influenced your decision to use [product/service]?
- What features of [product/service] do you find most appealing?
- Have you recommended [product/service] to others? Why or why not?
Purchase Behavior:
- Where do you typically purchase [product/service]?
- What factors influence your purchasing decisions the most?
- How satisfied are you with the price of [product/service]?
- Have you made a purchase based on online reviews or recommendations?
Brand Perception:
- How familiar are you with our brand?
- What words or phrases would you use to describe our brand?
- How does our brand compare to competitors in terms of quality?
- What do you think sets our brand apart from others in the market?
Customer Experience:
- How satisfied are you with your overall experience with our brand?
- How likely are you to continue using our products/services in the future?
- Have you had any issues or challenges while interacting with our brand? Please elaborate.
- How would you rate the level of customer service you received?
Feedback and Suggestions:
- Is there anything specific you would like to see improved about our products/services?
- Do you have any suggestions for new features or offerings?
- How could we better meet your needs or preferences?
- Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with our brand?
Market Trends and Preferences:
- Are there any emerging trends or developments in the industry that influence your purchasing decisions?
- What factors do you consider most important when choosing between different brands or products?
- How do you prefer to stay informed about new products or promotions?
- Are there any specific types of products or services you would like to see more of in the market?
Frequently Asked Questions About Consumer Insight Surveys
What is a consumer insights survey?
A survey that explains and gives a deeper look at why consumers behave the way they do. A digital survey can examine why people behave the way they do in your online store. A retail survey can look at why people behave a certain way at a business location.
Is there a difference between consumer insights and customer insights?
Similar to consumer insights, customer insights look at the “why” behind consumer actions. However, consumer insights examine the thought process of your entire potential market, while customer insights just focus on people who are already your customers.
Methods like customer satisfaction surveys and case studies can help businesses get more insight into their current customers instead. With current customers things to look at might include customer preferences, frequency of purchase, and repurchase behavior.
What is the consumer insight method?
Consumer insights are an interpretation of data collected by businesses to gain an understanding of how their target market perceives them. Analyzing the behaviors or opinions of consumers allows companies to really understand what their consumers want and need, and most importantly, why they feel this way.
Contact Our Consumer Insights Survey Company
Drive Research conducts consumer insight surveys for all different types of brands. We take care of the process from start to finish including writing, distributing, and analyzing your data. We’ll even help consult on your project the entire way.
Contact Drive Research by filling out the form below or emailing [email protected].
Austin Parker
Austin has an extensive background in SEO as he's been blogging since 16 years old back when the internet was in its infancy. As fitting, he holds a Bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in creative writing.
Learn more about Austin, here.