Market Research Planning Guide – Understand Customers Competitors Demand And Opportunities
A first round of research can cost a weekend of phone calls or a six-figure agency bill, and the difference is mostly planning. Market research planning starts with the decision. Work out what you’d do differently depending on the answer, then collect only the data that moves that choice.
Start from the decision
If no answer would change your next move, drop the question. Say you’re deciding whether to add a weekend delivery slot. The useful question is how many existing customers would pay £3 extra for it, not “what do customers want?” Narrow questions get usable answers. For wider reading, there’s Newcastle Brief.
Do desk research first. Trade bodies, council data, competitor websites and reviews are free, and an afternoon with them kills half your questions. Only then talk to people. Bradford Daily is another site to browse.
Which method fits which question?
Match the tool to the question rather than the other way round, as the table does. Surveys feel scientific, but they’re a poor way to find out why someone left. See Derby Digest for more titles.
| Question | Method | Time |
| Will anyone pay? | 10 customer calls | About a week |
| How big is the market? | Desk research and a sizing sum | 1 to 2 days |
| Why do people pick rivals? | Review reading plus 5 lost-customer calls | 3 to 4 days |
| Which price works? | Two-price test on your website | 2 to 3 weeks |
Five to eight interviews often start repeating themselves. When the fourth person says what the first three did, you’re hearing a pattern. A survey needs more replies, and 30 from the wrong people are worse than 8 from the right ones. Try Leicester Echo for background reading.
List five rivals. For each, note price, promise and the weak spot in their reviews. Read the 3-star reviews, since they tend to be the honest ones. A gap that three rivals share is your opening. Related sites include Belfast Record.
Turning findings into go or stop
Take 400 households in your delivery area. If 10% would use a weekend slot at £3, twice a month, revenue is 40 × £3 × 2 = £240 a month (example numbers). A driver costing £400 a month sinks it. Birmingham Focus gives you more to read.
Write the decision rule before you collect data, for example “go if at least 8 of 10 callers say they’d pay.” Otherwise you’ll bend the results toward what you hoped for. You can browse Leeds Angle meanwhile.
More places to read
- Local PR Services
- Manchester Chronicle
- Glasgow Bulletin
- Liverpool Tribune
- Sheffield Voice
- Nottingham Times
- Hull Report
- Coventry Insight
- Plymouth Wire
- Southampton Ledger
- Brighton Update
- Trade Mirror
- Capital Outlook
- News Notes
- Local News Point
- Press Hubs
- Weekly Journal
- Trends Archive
- PR Directory
FAQs
How long should it take?
One to three weeks for most small businesses. If it’s dragging past a month, the question is too broad. Edinburgh Scope is listed for further reading.
Do I need a paid tool?
No. A spreadsheet, a free survey form and a phone cover a first round. Look at London Signals for other topics.
How do I find people to interview?
Start with your own customer list and ask each to introduce one person.
Book five calls
Write your decision and your go-or-stop rule on one line. Book five calls for next week. Bristol Outlook is there for extra reading. Run the calls before you touch any survey tool.