Market Surveys: Everything You Need to Know in 2025
Market surveys are an important tool for understanding your audience better - but you have to know how. Read on to learn more.
70% of the businesses that conduct proper market research surveys report better product alignment with consumer needs. It makes sense: when they understand customer needs, preferences, and behaviors, companies can make better choices about marketing, product launches, branding, and more.
Clearly, market research surveys are a critical tool for businesses seeking to gain insights into their audience, products, competitors, and market landscape. These surveys allow businesses to collect valuable data that can inform strategic decisions and improve performance.
How do you run a good market research survey? Here’s what you need to know in 2025:
What is a market research survey?
A market research survey is a structured method for gathering information from a group of respondents about their opinions, preferences, experiences, or behaviors related to a specific subject. Businesses use these surveys to collect data that helps them better understand their target audience, evaluate brand awareness, analyze competitors, and more.
Most often, market surveys collect information about customer demographics, purchasing habits, and industry trends, thus giving businesses the evidence needed to thrive in competitive markets.
Market research vs. marketing research
Though the terms are often used interchangeably, market research and marketing research serve distinct purposes. Market research focuses on understanding a market’s characteristics, including its size, trends, demand, and audience segmentation.
Marketing research, on the other hand, aims to explore the 4 Ps—product, pricing, place, and promotion—to craft and improve marketing strategies. While market research is broader in scope, covering external factors that influence businesses, marketing research zooms in on internal aspects and decisions related to branding, communication, and sales tactics. Both research methods complement one another and provide actionable insights when applied effectively.
| Aspect | Market Research | Marketing Research |
| Scope | Broad, focusing on external factors like market trends, competitors, and customer demographics. | Narrow, focusing on internal elements such as branding and promotional strategies. |
| Purpose | To understand market conditions, demand, and audience segmentation. | To optimize the 4 Ps—product, pricing, place, and promotion—for better marketing execution. |
| Focus | Examines the entire market environment. | Centers on specific marketing actions and decisions. |
| Insights | Provides data on external opportunities and threats. | Offers actionable strategies for marketing improvement. |
| Application | Helps identify target markets and business potential. | Helps refine marketing campaigns and messaging. |
| Relationship | Provides foundational data for marketing research. | Uses insights from market research for execution. |
Why are surveys important?
Surveys are essential for businesses because they provide a direct way to gather primary data from consumers. Unlike data collected indirectly (e.g., from Google Analytics) survey data can help answer specific questions about customer needs and market conditions that secondary research may not address.
Essentially, surveys enable businesses to validate assumptions, identify trends, and uncover opportunities. They also help maintain a competitive edge by offering real-time insights into shifting market dynamics.
How market surveys can grow your business
Market research surveys present opportunities for businesses to expand and optimize their operations. Here are several ways they drive growth:
Understand your target market
Surveys are a powerful tool for businesses to better understand their customers. They help identify who the ideal customers are, what their preferences and needs might be, and the specific pain points they encounter.
By gathering this valuable feedback, businesses can tailor their products and services to align more closely with customer expectations. Additionally, surveys provide insights into market trends, customer satisfaction levels, and areas for improvement. This understanding not only helps foster stronger customer relationships but also supports the development of strategies to enhance overall business performance and drive growth.
For example, a survey can reveal that your target market is shifting towards eco-friendly products, prompting you to develop and promote more sustainable options in your product strategy.
Evaluate brand awareness
Market research surveys can also assess how well customers know and perceive your brand. By asking questions about brand recognition, recall, and sentiment, businesses run brand research that reveals how their products and brands are perceived in the marketplace.
This information can help identify areas for improvement in messaging or branding strategies. It can also inform your marketing plan and every decision on how to differentiate from competitors and strengthen overall brand awareness.
For instance, a survey may uncover that customers are not familiar with a new product launch under your brand. This feedback could prompt changes in advertising efforts to increase brand visibility (and, eventually, advocacy).
Reach an audience
Surveys can target specific audience segments, allowing businesses to gather valuable insights from the right groups of people. By focusing on particular demographics, interests, or behaviors, companies can tailor their messaging and offerings to meet the unique needs of their potential customers.
This targeted approach not only improves the effectiveness of marketing strategies but also helps build stronger connections with audiences, ultimately leading to better engagement, increased customer personalization and satisfaction, as well as higher conversion rates.
For instance, let’s say you sell luxury skincare products. A survey targeting affluent women aged 35-55 could reveal that they are particularly interested in anti-aging solutions. This information can guide your marketing and product development efforts toward creating effective messaging and products that cater to this specific demographic’s needs.
Gain product insight
Using surveys, companies can gather valuable feedback on product features, usability, and overall desirability both before and after a product launch.
Say a company is about to launch a new app. It can (and should) survey potential users to understand which features are most important to them and how they expect the app to function. After launch, surveys can help identify pain points, such as confusing navigation or bugs, and assess overall customer satisfaction.
Similarly, an eCommerce business can use surveys to evaluate the demand for a new product line or gather insights into how existing products can be improved to better meet customer needs. If, as a business, you leverage this feedback, you can refine your offerings and create more user-centric solutions.
Analyze competitors
Understanding where competitors excel and fall short is crucial for identifying opportunities to differentiate and capture more market share. By analyzing their strategies, you can pinpoint gaps to position your business more effectively.
So if a competitor is known for fast delivery but lacks customer service quality, your business can focus on providing exceptional customer support to stand out.
Also, let’s say your competitors dominate in pricing but offer limited product customization. In this case, introducing flexible, personalized options can help you attract customers looking for unique solutions – you can fill the gaps, meet unmet needs, and build a stronger market presence.
Understand customer demographics
Surveys provide essential demographic data, including details like age, income, gender, location, and preferences. This information helps businesses better understand their target audience and tailor their products or services accordingly.
A clothing brand might use survey data to identify that their primary customers are women aged 25-35 with a mid-range income, prompting them to focus on affordable yet stylish collections.
Segment your market or audience
With the insights gained, businesses can divide their audience into meaningful segments, allowing for more personalized and effective marketing strategies. This approach helps build stronger connections with customers and drives better results.
For example, an eCommerce company might segment its audience based on purchasing behavior, such as frequent buyers, one-time purchasers, or those who abandon their carts.
In a similar way, a fitness app could create segments based on user goals, such as weight loss, strength training, or general wellness, tailoring its communication to each group. By understanding these unique characteristics, businesses can deliver targeted messages, offer relevant promotions, and create experiences that resonate with each segment, ultimately driving engagement and loyalty.
Test your branding & positioning
Before rolling out major branding changes, surveys are a valuable tool to gauge customer reactions and minimize risks.
Another example is testing new product packaging; feedback from surveys can highlight issues such as unclear labeling or unappealing aesthetics. These insights help businesses make informed decisions, ensuring changes resonate positively with their audience and reduce the likelihood of negative backlash.
Get a grasp of consumer sentiment
Understanding customer feelings and attitudes toward your brand is crucial for building trust and loyalty. When you identify concerns, such as frustration with slow customer service or dissatisfaction with a product feature, you can take proactive steps to address these issues and improve the overall customer experience.
For instance, if customers frequently mention delays in shipping, you can work on streamlining your logistics process or improving communication around delivery times. On the other hand, analyzing positive feedback allows you to recognize your strengths, like exceptional customer support or high-quality products, and emphasize these in your marketing efforts.
For example, if customers often praise your eco-friendly packaging, you can highlight this in your campaigns to attract like-minded consumers. This process not only strengthens your brand but also helps foster deeper connections with your audience.
Create better content
Surveys help you understand the topics and formats that truly connect with your audience, allowing you to create more effective content strategies.
Although content performance, whether video or in writing, reigns supreme when it comes to deciding which kind of content makes your audience tick, running quick surveys (e.g. one-question surveys at the bottom of the page) can help you learn, more directly, what your audience’s preferences are. The best content strategy is to build on both quantitative – performance – and qualitative data – from open-ended survey questions.
Run academic research
Market research surveys aren’t just for businesses—they are a vital tool in academic studies to analyze consumer behavior and societal trends.
For example, researchers in sociology often use surveys to examine how cultural attitudes toward sustainability influence purchasing decisions. In psychology, surveys help study patterns in decision-making, such as why individuals prefer certain brands over others.
Public health researchers also rely on surveys to gather data on dietary habits, exercise routines, and healthcare access, offering insights that shape policies and interventions. These studies demonstrate how surveys provide valuable information across various fields, helping to better understand and address complex human behaviors.
Examples of use cases for surveys in business
Surveys are an extremely versatile tool, as they can address a variety of business needs. Some common use cases include:
Market description
Understanding the market is critical for any business strategy. It involves defining market size, analyzing growth trends, and identifying demand within the industry. A clear market description helps businesses uncover opportunities and make informed decisions.
Market segmentation
Market segmentation divides your audience into groups based on demographics, behavior, or needs. It allows businesses to tailor marketing strategies and deliver personalized experiences, ensuring each segment feels understood and valued.
Tracking surveys
Tracking surveys monitor key metrics like customer satisfaction or brand awareness over time. They provide data-driven insights that help businesses evaluate trends and optimize their strategies.
Customer intent
Why do customers choose your product or service? Understanding their intent helps refine offerings and align them with what your audience truly needs. By uncovering their motivations, you can build stronger connections and deliver solutions that truly resonate.
Customer attitudes and expectations
Measuring customer attitudes reveals how your audience perceives your brand. It ensures you’re meeting expectations and helps you consistently deliver on promises.
Lead generation
Lead generation uses survey data to identify potential customers. By understanding their needs, businesses can focus on the most promising prospects and streamline their marketing efforts. This process not only improves the efficiency of sales teams but also helps create more personalized and targeted campaigns. This way, businesses can build stronger relationships with their audience and drive higher conversion rates.
Customer trust
Trust is the foundation of any strong brand. Measuring customer trust reveals how reliable your brand appears and highlights areas to strengthen relationships. When customers trust your brand, they are more likely to remain loyal and recommend your products or services to others. Building trust requires consistency, transparency, and delivering on promises to meet customer expectations.
Customer service representative feedback
Gathering feedback on customer service interactions helps identify gaps and improve team performance. It ensures your customers receive the highest quality experience.
Product surveys
Product surveys provide direct feedback from customers. They identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, driving product development and customer satisfaction. By understanding customer needs and preferences, businesses can make data-driven decisions to create products that truly resonate with their audience.
Brand surveys
Brand surveys assess recognition, loyalty, and perception among your audience. They help refine messaging and ensure your brand connects effectively with the target market.
Types of survey methods
To run good surveys that provide you with the information you actually need, you should first understand the different types of survey methods and choose the one that fits you best.
Although there are multiple classifications for surveys, we’ll be looking at how they categorize according to medium and purpose. This will help you understand the differences among them and their applications.
By medium
For the purpose of this classification of survey methods, “medium” is used in the sense of “channel used when collecting data.” In other words, it’s the way you conduct your survey and get answers from participants.
Online
Online surveys are highly accessible and scalable, making them ideal for reaching a broad audience. They can be distributed through social media, websites, or specialized survey platforms, allowing quick data collection from diverse demographics. Their ease of use and automation make them a popular choice for many organizations.
Paper
Paper surveys remain a traditional method, particularly effective for in-person events, conferences, or locations with limited internet access. They offer a tangible way to collect responses and can feel more personal. However, data entry can be time-consuming, and scalability is limited compared to digital options.
Email surveys allow for direct communication with targeted respondent groups. They work well for reaching specific audiences, such as existing customers or mailing list subscribers. Email surveys are convenient for respondents and can include personalized messaging, making them a powerful tool for engagement. However, response rates may vary based on the email’s appeal.
Keep in mind that using an email management system can help you better distribute email surveys. For instance, all company emails can include clickable banners to different surveys, according to the department the sender is from. This way, your Customer Support team’s email signatures can include CSAT surveys, your Product team can include NPS surveys, and so on – all easy to implement across the entire organization, from the same tool.
Telephone
Telephone surveys provide an interactive way to collect data, allowing the interviewer to clarify questions, probe deeper, and gather more detailed responses. While this method can yield high-quality insights, it is more time-consuming and resource-intensive compared to other formats.
In-person
In-person surveys enable face-to-face interaction, fostering trust and encouraging in-depth responses. They are ideal for focus groups, interviews, or field research. However, they come with higher logistical costs, including travel, scheduling, and preparation, making them suitable for smaller-scale or highly specific studies.
Panel
Panel surveys involve pre-selected groups of respondents who provide consistent and reliable data over time. These panels are particularly useful for longitudinal studies or tracking trends. While they ensure high-quality insights, maintaining and compensating a panel can be costly and requires careful management to avoid bias.
By purpose
Survey methods can also be categorized based on the specific purpose they are designed to serve. In this classification, we have the following types of surveys:
Competitor research
Conducting competitor research means identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors to better understand the market landscape. By analyzing their strategies, products, and customer feedback, you can uncover opportunities to differentiate your brand and improve your offerings.
Consumer behavior
Analyzing consumer behavior involves studying the buying habits and decision-making processes of your customers. By understanding what influences their choices, you can tailor your marketing strategies, product designs, and messaging to better meet their needs.
Brand personality
Evaluating your brand personality means understanding how your brand’s tone, voice, and identity are perceived by your audience. This helps ensure that your brand messaging aligns with its intended image, creating a consistent and appealing presence in the market.
Customer demographics
Customer demographics refer to key details about your customer base, such as age, gender, location, income, and education level. Gathering this data allows you to create targeted marketing campaigns and develop products that suit their preferences and needs.
Price testing
Price testing involves assessing how customers perceive the value of your products or services. By experimenting with different price points, you can determine the optimal pricing strategy that maximizes both customer satisfaction and business profitability.
How to conduct market surveys
Okay, let’s say you already know what your goals are and what kind of market survey and channel works best for your business. Here’s how to conduct market surveys, step by step:
Set clear goals from the get-go
Before creating a survey, it’s essential to know exactly what you want to achieve. Are you aiming to gather customer feedback, identify trends in your industry, or measure satisfaction levels? Clear goals help focus your survey and ensure that every question you include serves a purpose. Without defined objectives, you risk collecting data that lacks direction or relevance, making it harder to draw meaningful insights.
Understand your audience
Your audience determines the type of questions you ask and the tone of your survey. For example, questions for first-time customers will differ from those designed for long-term clients. Take time to research who you’re targeting. Consider their age, location, preferences, and experience level. Knowing your audience well allows you to craft questions that resonate with them and lead to more accurate, actionable responses.
Decide the best way to get answers
The method for gathering feedback matters as much as the questions themselves. You could send online surveys to a tech-savvy audience, conduct face-to-face interviews for in-depth insights, or use paper forms for groups less familiar with digital tools. Think about accessibility and convenience for participants. The right method increases response rates and enhances the quality of your results.
The difference between primary research & secondary research
Primary research focuses on gathering firsthand information directly from sources, such as through interviews, surveys, or experiments. It provides specific, relevant data tailored to your needs, though it often requires more effort or resources.
Secondary research, on the other hand, involves analyzing information already collected by others, such as reports, articles, or studies. It’s quicker and less costly but may not always fit your exact requirements. Understanding this distinction helps you choose the approach that aligns with your goals.
Set your accepted margin of error
The margin of error represents the degree of uncertainty you’re willing to accept in your results. For example, if you’re launching a critical product, you might need a lower margin of error to make confident decisions. On the other hand, for general feedback, a higher margin may suffice. Balancing accuracy with practicality ensures that your results remain reliable without being overly restrictive or costly to achieve.
Consider all the details
When you build a market survey, every detail matters, so be sure to have it all crystal-clear (and in writing) for at least the following elements:
The right people
Hiring the best talent is essential for your business’s success. Focus on finding individuals who not only have the skills but also align with your company values and vision. For example, if you sell eco-conscious footwear, your survey can target people who are likely to buy this kind of product, as opposed to, say, consumers who are more into the fast-fashion side of the industry.
The right timing
Timing is everything when it comes to recruiting. Ensure you’re hiring when your business is ready to onboard and support new team members effectively, without rushing the process.
For instance, if you’re launching a new product in three months, start gathering survey responses at least six weeks before the launch to have enough time for analysis and decision-making. Similarly, avoid sending out surveys during the holidays or high-stress periods for your customers, which can skew results and affect response rates.
The right medium
Choose the right platform or tools to connect with candidates. Whether it’s through AI-driven recruitment, professional networks, or targeted ads, reaching the right audience is key. You wouldn’t run a survey on LinkedIn about the types of socks people prefer, just like you wouldn’t run a survey about the use of AI in data analysis on Instagram—so get to know your channels and pick the ones where your target audience is most likely to be.
Run an in-depth analysis
Evaluate the data collected by carefully analyzing both qualitative and quantitative insights to gain a comprehensive understanding:
- Dive into qualitative data: Review open-ended responses to uncover nuanced perspectives, unique insights, and recurring themes. These details can provide context, emotional undertones, and deeper understanding that raw numbers might not reveal. Look for patterns in the language used or ideas expressed that can inform future decisions.
- Analyze quantitative data: Calculate averages, percentages, and other statistical measures to identify trends and patterns. Look for significant correlations or outliers that may indicate key issues or opportunities. Quantitative data offers a measurable foundation to validate conclusions drawn from qualitative findings.
- Benchmark against other sources: Compare your findings with data from previous surveys, industry reports, or benchmarks to identify shifts, alignments, or deviations. This context helps position your results within a broader framework and ensures a more accurate interpretation.
- Aim for a holistic perspective: Combine both qualitative and quantitative insights to form a well-rounded view of the data. Avoid focusing too narrowly on individual metrics and strive to understand the bigger picture, considering all the variables at play. Use this approach to make informed, balanced decisions that reflect the full scope of your findings.
Mistakes to avoid when running surveys
A lot of businesses avoid running their own market research because, in all honesty, it can all turn into a seemingly neverending project (not to mention actually getting people to answer your survey can, in itself, be quite the challenge).
The reason “surveys don’t work,” though, is actually connected to common mistakes companies make when engaging in this kind of effort. Here are some of the most widespread ones (which you should avoid, obviously):
Surveying the wrong people
The success of any data collection effort hinges on selecting the right respondents. If your participants don’t represent the target audience or population, the results will be unreliable and potentially misleading.
For instance, if you’re conducting market research for a product aimed at young professionals but end up surveying retirees, your conclusions won’t reflect the reality of your target group. It’s critical to define your audience clearly and use appropriate methods to recruit participants who truly match your criteria.
Wrong sample size
The size of your sample plays a fundamental role in the validity of your data. Too small a sample can lead to results that don’t reflect the larger population, while an excessively large sample can waste time and resources.
The ideal sample size depends on factors like the study’s goals, the diversity of the population, and the level of precision needed. Tools like sample size calculators can help you determine the right number of respondents, ensuring your findings are statistically significant while avoiding unnecessary effort.
For example, suppose you are conducting a survey to understand customer satisfaction, and your target population consists of 10,000 individuals.
If you want a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of ±5%, and you estimate the response distribution to be 50% (the most conservative estimate), a sample size calculator might suggest surveying approximately 370 people. This ensures that your results are statistically significant while balancing the need for efficiency and accuracy. Adjustments may be necessary if your confidence level or margin of error changes.
Not using the right kind of analysis
Collecting data is only the first step; analyzing it correctly is where the real value lies. Using inappropriate statistical methods or failing to account for variables can lead to flawed interpretations and poor decision-making.
For example, running a simple average for a dataset with extreme outliers can distort the results. Careful consideration of the type of data and the research question is essential to selecting the right statistical techniques, whether it’s regression analysis, chi-square tests, or ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).
The main types of statistical tests
Statistical tests vary in their purpose, and choosing the right one is crucial for obtaining accurate insights.
Descriptive tests summarize data, while inferential methods help draw conclusions from a sample to a larger population. Common statistical tests include t-tests for comparing means, correlation tests for identifying relationships, and chi-square tests for categorical data. Knowing when and how to use these tools ensures your conclusions are not only precise but also actionable. Understanding the nuances of these tests is key to avoiding errors that could invalidate your research.
Confusing questions or format
Poorly worded questions can derail your data collection efforts entirely. Ambiguous, overly complex, or leading questions can confuse respondents and result in unreliable answers. For instance, a double-barreled question—one that asks about two different things at once—can make it impossible to discern what the respondent is actually answering. Crafting clear, straightforward questions with a specific focus leads to data that more accurately reflects the respondents’ true opinions or behaviors.
2025’s the year you start running your own market research
The world of business is changing. It always has been, but Artificial Intelligence, the rise of remote work, and the many challenges of the last four years have made it crystal-clear that change is needed. Companies need to shift from a sales-driven strategy to a customer-centric approach.
Your target audience is more discerning, well-informed, and demanding than ever before—and good products or services are no longer enough to keep them coming back. To thrive in this environment, businesses must gather accurate insights into their customers’ needs, habits, and expectations and use that information to inform decision-making at every level.
Running market research has become an essential part of staying competitive in both B2B and B2C markets. With advancements in technology and data analytics tools, conducting surveys has also become more accessible and efficient than ever before.
Now is the time for businesses to take ownership of their market research efforts and build stories that reach, touch, and create true loyalty with customers.
