Have you ever wondered why your favourite stores seem to always have exactly what you need? Or how that new app you downloaded magically solves a problem you didn't even know you had? The answer is market research. 

Companies develop products and services that resonate with their target audience by asking the right questions. 

This article explains what market research questions are, why they matter, and how to create them like a pro. 

What are market research questions?

Market research is when companies or businesses try to understand what their customers want, need, and like. It's a way to peek into people's minds (in a totally legal and ethical way, of course) to see what makes them tick when it comes to products or services.

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Market research questions are the tools you use to unearth this valuable information.  Think of them as conversation starters – a way to get your ideal customers talking about their preferences, pain points, and buying habits. 

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Online surveys are the go-to quantitative tool for market researchers, with 85% of respondents stating they use them regularly. 

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A good market research questionnaire uses a series of questions to gather and analyze data that helps you achieve a specific goal. This goal could be anything from understanding brand awareness to identifying customer pain points to testing a new product concept.

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Here's a breakdown of the different types of market research questions:

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• Demographic Questions: These are the icebreakers. Age, location, income, education level – they help you sketch out a profile of your typical customer.

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• Behavioural Questions: These questions focus on past actions and habits to understand how your target market interacts with similar products or services. How often do they buy similar products? Where do they shop? What influences their purchasing decisions?

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• Attitudinal Questions: Here's where you get to understand your target market's feelings and opinions. What do they think about your brand (if you have one yet)? What are their biggest concerns about the type of product you're offering?

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Understood what are market research questions? Let’s take a look at why it’s important.

Reasons to conduct market research

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Market research is basically research and development for understanding your customers. It helps you avoid launch-day disasters by giving you a clear picture of what your target customers actually want. 

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It's not just a fancy thing big companies do; even small businesses need it to figure out what's up with their customers and their competition. 

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Here are a few rock-solid reasons why businesses should conduct market research: 

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• Stay ahead of the curve: The market is constantly changing, and market research helps you identify trends so you can adapt and innovate before your competitors steal your thunder.

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• Know your target market INSIDE OUT: Your ideal customer isn't just a demographic statistic. They're a real person with needs, wants, and quirks. Market research helps you understand them on a deeper level, so you can tailor your products and services to their desires.

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• Reduce risks: Nobody wants to gamble their hard-earned cash. Market research helps you identify potential roadblocks before you invest heavily in a product. 

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• Make smarter decisions: With market research, you're not just guessing what your customers want. You have data to back up your choices, so you can launch products and marketing campaigns with confidence.

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• Brainstorm new ideas: Sometimes, market research reveals needs you never knew existed. It can lead to the creation of innovative products and services that blow the competition out of the water.

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• Boost your sales: By understanding your target market, you tailor your messaging and offerings to resonate with them directly, which translates to happy customers and a ringing cash register.

Some good market research questions

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Different questions serve different goals. In this section, we describe some examples of market research questions to explore demographics, customer sentiment, product perception, and brand image.

Market research questions for demographics

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Market research survey questions for demographics are all about understanding the basic who, what, and where of your target audience. They help you understand who you're talking to, based on factors like age, location, and income.

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Some market research question examples for demographics include: 

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1. What is your age range? (Select one: Under 18, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+)

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2. What is your gender identity? (Select one: Male, Female, Non-binary, Prefer not to say)

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3. What is your highest level of education? (Select one: High school diploma or equivalent, College, Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Doctorate or professional degree)

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4. What is your current employment status? (Select one: Full-time employed, Part-time employed, Self-employed, Unemployed, Student, Retired)

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5. What is your annual household income range (before taxes)? (Select one: Under $25,000, $25,000 - $49,999, $50,000 - $74,999, $75,000 - $99,999, $100,000+)

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6. In which country do you currently reside? (Select one from a dropdown list)

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7. What is your marital status? (Select one: Single, Married, Domestic partner, Divorced, Widowed, Prefer not to say)

Market research questions for customers

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Market research questions for customers are all about getting inside the minds of your target audience. A study reveals that CRM and customer satisfaction surveys receive 20% of the total global market research expenditure.

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These questions go beyond demographics and delve into their needs, wants, and frustrations. They help you understand how your customer service is perceived and what you can do to improve customer satisfaction.

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1. What are the biggest challenges you face when [insert general task or situation relevant to your business]?

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2. What factors are most important to you when considering [insert general category relevant to your business]?

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3. Where do you typically go to find information about [insert general category relevant to your business]?

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4. How can we make the process of [insert general customer journey step relevant to your business] easier for you?

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5. What is your preferred method of communication with businesses like ours?

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6. What are some of the biggest frustrations you encounter when interacting with businesses in this industry? 

Market research questions for product/service 

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Market research questions for products and services help you understand how customers perceive your specific product or service, its strengths, and weaknesses, and how it stacks up against the competition.

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Here are 12 sample market research questions to ask for a new product/service that get in-depth feedback:

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1. What do you like most about our product/service?

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2. What improvements would you suggest for our product/service?

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3. How often do you use similar products/services?

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4. What features are most important to you when choosing a product/service like ours?

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5. On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with our product/service?

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6. What do you think about our pricing compared to similar products/services on the market?

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7. Where did you first hear about our product/service?

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8. Have you recommended our product/service to others? Why or why not?

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9. What obstacles or challenges prevent you from using our product/service more often?

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10. How would you rate the convenience of purchasing our product/service?

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11. What other products/services would you like to see us offer in the future?

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12. How likely are you to continue using our product/service in the future?

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Market research questions for brand

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Market research questions for your brand are like conducting a focus group for your reputation.  These questions help you understand how your target audience perceives your brand, its values, and its overall image. 

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Here are some brand-related questions to ask for market research:

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1. What words come to mind when you think of our brand? 

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2. Have you seen any recent advertising for our brand? If so, what did you think of it?

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3. Do you follow our brand on social media? Why or why not?

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4. What channels do you most often encounter our brand through (e.g., social media, advertising, word of mouth)?

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5. Can you recall a recent experience you had with our brand (positive or negative)?

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6. Is there a brand ambassador or influencer you associate with our brand?

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7. In your opinion, what are our brand's biggest strengths?

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8. In your opinion, what are some areas where our brand could improve?

How to ask the best market research questions that drive results?

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Asking the right questions is the golden rule of good market research. It can mean the difference between insights that fuel success and data that gathers dust.

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Before you start, be clear on what you want to achieve. Are you looking to understand customer needs for a new product? Uncover buying habits? Gauge brand perception? Having a specific goal keeps your questions focused and relevant.

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Don't just settle for yes/no questions. Instead, use questions that encourage detailed explanations and honest opinions. Keep your questions concise and easy to understand. Avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse your target audience.

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Don't put words in people's mouths. A market research question like "Wouldn't you agree our service is excellent?" comes under the leading question category and won't give you genuine feedback.

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Your research should guide future decisions. The best market research questions are the ones that provide insights you can use to take concrete actions, like improving your product or marketing strategy.

Conduct market research with top survey software 

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You've learned how to write market research questions that provide valuable customer insights. But how do you put those questions into action and turn them into actionable data? That's where a user-friendly and feature-rich survey software platform like Formaloo comes in.

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Ranked as one of the top survey software by Tekpon, Formaloo offers plenty of features to streamline your research process. It has a library of ready-to-use templates that cover a wide range of market research areas.

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Plus it lets you set up automatic email invitations, reminders, and data analysis reports to free yourself up for strategic decision-making.

‍Sign up for a free trial today and experience the ease of conducting market research on Formaloo.