It's Better to Ask than Assume (The Power of Market Research.) - No doubt about it. Smart marketing takes finesse. Nowhere is that truism more apt than in message definition. If you want to craft a compelling message, you need to understand your prospective buyer’s motivation. I had a boss once whose favorite ...

Are You Ready To Research Your Market - Picture this. You develop some product or service, spend countless hours making sure everything is just right, set up a beautiful web site, make sure the ecommerce end is secure, and then release what you know will be of utmost benefit to others....

How to Size an Emerging Market - In developing their business plans, companies of all sizes face the challenge of determining the size of their markets. To begin, companies must present the size of their “relevant market” in their plans. The relevant market equals the company`s ...

Have You Done Your Market Research - You`ve just decided to start an online business. You have a great idea for a product, the adrenalin`s pumping and you`re anxious to get started. One important question -- have you done your market research? I know --market research, how b...

A Lesson From “The Apprentice” That Can Make You A Master - I have to admit, I was curious. When I saw previews of a new show called “The Apprentice,” it made me want to at least watch the premiere to see what was going on. Immediately, I was hooked. The whole idea of candidates - from all walks of life, ...

How Market Research can Improve Your Profits & Reduce Costs - In today`s highly competitive world, business success depends on the ability to make well-informed, knowledgeable and strategic decisions. Entrepreneurs and business managers need reliable information to develop strategies to market new and exi...

How to know your Customers ‘Inside-Out’ - It is common knowledge that customers are the lifeblood of businesses. Let’s face it, if you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business. Yet, while most businesses say that the customer is an important part of their business, their actio...

Why Passenger Surveys are a Transport Operators Best Friend - Public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not fully appreciate the multiple benefits that surveys can bring. Not only are surveys an efficient method of market research that will help identify areas of passenger dissatisf...

The Steps from Product Idea to Product Success - Michelangelo once said that his statue of David was embedded in the block of marble and he merely chipped away the edges to reveal it. Is your product idea inside your mind just waiting to come alive? Or, is your product already formed and you ...

Optimizing Marketing Programs through Customer Feedback - As Marketing professionals, we are all aware of the need to measure program results. We can measure website hits, bingo card responses, 800-number calls and increased product purchases. Unless we ask our customers, however, we will never know WHY...

Giving the Perfect Gift, aka Market Research - The Lessons of Gift-Giving for Doing Your Market Research How is gift-giving like doing market research? This isn’t a riddle! With the gift-giving season rapidly approaching, let’s look at the lessons we can apply from giving the perfect gift ...

Why Researching Your Market Can Pay Big Dividends - Over the years I have seen a lot of companies waste a lot of money on market research. In many cases they commissioned the research simply because they had allocated a budget for it. In some cases they didn`t even know why they were doing the...

Marketing Strategies from the Most Successful Small Businesses in America - Imagine practicing archery with your eyes closed or throwing a football with a blindfold on. In both cases, being prevented from seeing your target would make it nearly impossible to hit it. This concept can easily be applied to business, as well...

When Should You Do Market Research - The bad news is: All the time. The good news is: It isn’t that hard. “Market research” may sound like a complicated concept, but it’s something you do all the time. It’s just a matter of becoming aware of it, and orienting it toward your prod...

How to Use Direct Response Card Decks as a Market Research Tool - Market research specialists have discovered a new tool that enables them to quickly identify target market cells, measure buyer acceptance, test new product or service concepts quickly and inexpensively and survey market characteristics...the D...

Simple Starter Steps to Generate Sales - Do you have a website or store front that remains stagnant. No matter what you do, it just doesn`t matter, you just can`t seem to build traffic, increase or generate sales? You’ve created new graphics changed your text to be more appealing to...