Online Marketing Research

By Pat Smith

Conducting online marketing research is imperative for understanding your target audience and competition. Trying to sell products and services without understanding what you're up against is about as smart as driving the wrong direction on a one way street.

There are numerous online marketing research tools that can make the process easier. The kind of techniques used will depend on the type of information needed. These might include: keyword research, product research, brand analysis, psychological profiling, consumer satisfaction, and competitor research.

Keyword research is vital for anyone operating an Internet business. People type in keywords to find what they are looking for. It's imperative to understand which keywords are used so they can be included in sales copy, articles, videos, podcasts, and any other marketing endeavors.

Keyword research is also vital for companies that engage in Pay Per Click (PPC) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Paid advertising is a great way to increase targeted traffic to websites, but does require a good understanding of how to choose the correct keywords for your audience.

Product research involves testing products to determine how well they will be received into the market. This can be as simple as conducting online surveys to setting up a consumer focus group.

Major brand manufacturers spend millions of dollars in product research long before merchandise hits the shelves. While it's not necessary to break the bank, it is important to figure out if there is interest before launching a new product or making changes to products already being sold.

Psychological profiling involves learning about consumers' buying habits and lifestyle. Understanding where consumers spend their money and what they purchase is essential for learning about price points and how and where to market products.

Psychological profiling reveals challenges that companies will likely face when selling products or services. Knowing the hurdles in advance lets business owners figure out solutions to prevent issues from taking place.

Consumer satisfaction surveys are an affordable way to find out how well a company is meeting the needs of consumers. There are many ways to conduct surveys. Some of the more popular include email, phone, and online.

There are several companies that make it easy to provide online consumer satisfaction surveys on websites or blogs. A few of the more well-known include SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang.

Surveys are a great tool for psychological profiling, as well as interacting with visitors. Owners can create nearly any kind of survey whenever they want to find out what customers and visitors think.

Competitor research is critical for all companies, but even more so for those operating an online business. If you aren't aware of what competitors are selling and how much they charge, as well as the kinds of marketing strategies they use, it will be very difficult to outshine them.

Online companies also need to know how many sites are linking to competitor websites. This data helps understand the audience that likes the company well enough to tell others about it. It also provides a blueprint for the kinds of online marketing strategies being used.

Working with an online marketing research company can help reduce the time and effort required to obtain data and compile it into readable format. Knowing what consumers and search engines want is vital for developing a strong online presence.

At Online Marketing DNA, we offer a range of services to help companies expand their online presence and build their brand. We invite you to browse our website to learn about our services and the benefits they provide.