Primary research is a research technique used to collect new data directly from the source, rather than using previously collected data or provided by a third party. This type of research is solely carried out to address a specific problem.
The need for primary research arises when the company wants direct feedback from the customers on selected issues. Thus the research is very pinpointed, and questions asked to the consumers are very focused. This type of research is most commonly required in case of a new product launch, finding pain points for the customers.
A detailed and precise primary research can either make or break a company, and that's the reason companies are investing heavily in research to make sure they can deliver better results in terms of revenue and customer satisfaction. And since primary research needs the data to be collected directly from the customer, the data is authentic, and the company can reuse it further.
Even though the companies can carry out primary research by themselves, it is highly recommended to hire a primary research company for the task, as it is tough for any company with no experience conducting primary research to match the quality of research done by an experienced one primary research company.
Let's dive straight into the methods any primary research company uses to collect the data effectively-
Surveys-
Surveys are one of the most effective methods to collect data in primary research. It allows us to interact with a more significant number of people without much increase in cost. Surveys were conventionally conducted using pen and paper. But now, they are generally conducted in online mode. Online surveys can be quickly circulated by email or directly filled out on websites. Also, it barely asks the customer to make any physical efforts to fill it on their mobiles or laptops.
Online surveys are also convenient in managing the recorded responses, as the platforms used for this purpose generally give numerous options to compile the answers in the desired format. The company can encourage its customers to fill out surveys by giving some reward so that a good size of data can be collected for primary research.
Interviews-
Interviews are a very effective way to understand the customer's experience, opinion, and perception of the product. It provides good quality data for research as it involves a dialogue between the customer and researcher, where the interviewer tries to understand the requirements or pain points of the customer.
Interviews can either be conducted in person or over the telephone. But, in-person interviews are known to generate better responses than telephonic interviews. However, the success of this method depends on the researcher, as he needs to keep a mix of questions from every domain initially and the ability to assess the customer's answers to analyze if he needs more detail to understand it or move to the following questions.
Observations-
This is an indirect method of primary research. The primary research companies generally set up either video cameras or trained professionals to observe and, in some cases, record the behaviors of the consumers and try to make a note of it. These are conducted in predetermined situations, and the observers try to notice the first reactions of the customers in these situations.
Focus groups-
This is a prevalent research technique in which the data is collected from a group of around 6-10 people. These are generally people who are experts in the subject of the research. In this method, to collect the data, we have a moderator to stimulate the discussion in the group. The discussion is recorded, or the observer notes the views expressed by the group members to understand their opinion.
Primary research is one of the most effective and credible methods to collect data. The company gets first-hand data, and the method can be used for highly specific purposes and allows in-depth analysis of the problems. However, the downside of this method is that it can be very costly and time-consuming.
If you consider conducting primary research for your company, The Analyst Agency is the best option to get the best results. Our team of experts thoroughly understands the problems, and the target audience then makes the best use of resources to collect the relevant data.
