The Advantages of Focus Groups

The Advantages Of Focus Groups

Focus groups are a market research method used to gather customer opinions and perspectives on new products, services, campaigns or ideas. There are five types of focus groups, mini focus groups, online focus groups, two-way focus groups, dual moderator focus groups, and client participant focus groups. During focus group discussions, participants are asked different types of questions and encouraged to freely share their thoughts. 

The questions are designed to gather as much information as possible and include engagement questions, exploration questions, and exit questions. Focus groups are part of product development, marketing, or customer service development strategy and should have defined goals. What are the benefits of focus groups?     

Understand Customers’ Thoughts  

The customer is at the core of every business, and the main advantage of focus group interviews is learning about their experiences. You gain valuable insight into the customer’s perspective on a brand, product, service or topic. When the group discussion is well planned, held in a comfortable interactive setting and led by an experienced moderator, consumers are more likely to share their opinions. 

Focus groups might not be the most effective method to get customer feedback on delicate topics or products of a sensitive nature, as people could feel inhibited. A confidential questionnaire or survey should elicit more feedback. At Consumer Perceptions, our moderators are skilled and experienced in facilitating focus groups. They know how to create a safe space that guarantees all views are heard and respected.

Collect Valuable Output  

A mix of perspectives and focus group dynamics can have a very positive impact on the quality of the research results. Good moderators know how to stimulate discussions among participants, which leads to more in-depth conversations and the collection of valuable output. Establish rules at the beginning of the meeting that guarantees everyone will be heard, including people that are shy about giving their opinion. When contributors know they are listened to and their input is valued, they become more comfortable sharing.     

The Customer Perceptions field researchers are vital to the success of our focus groups. The base is large, and we can profile particular demographics requested by our clients.  

Data Is Created and Received Quickly  

Every manufacturer or service provider wants to be a first mover. The competitive advantage allows them to establish brand recognition and customer loyalty before competitors bring out their products. To be a first mover, you need to produce and deliver a product quickly, and this means you must have access to data from potential customers. Focus groups are ideal. They involve up to ten people and can be held in 3 to 4 cities, ensuring you get different ideas and reactions within 90-minutes.   

The focus group content must include observations about facial expressions, body language, social cues in language, and past recollections. The results provided by Customer Perceptions as a market research company are succinct, user-friendly and easy to interpret. 

It Is A Time-Saver 

Focus group interviews are led by a trained moderator. For 30 to 90 minutes, people discuss a set list of 10 to 12 questions designed to draw thoughtful responses from participants. Everyone is encouraged to share their different opinions and ideas as honestly as possible. Members of the focus groups are recruited based on their purchase history, demographics, activities, interests, and views. They generally do not know each other. 

The condensed nature of the focus group methodology means that a large number of opinions and feedback are sought on multiple aspects of a product within a limited set of time. It saves time during the research phase of product development, speeding up the journey of new merchandise or services to the marketplace.

We operate in seven industries, and after nearly thirty years, Customer Perceptions are specialists at creating bespoke market research solutions for our clients. Do you need customer satisfaction surveys, public opinion polls or focus groups? Contact us today.

The Effects An In-Store Audit Has On Staff

Retail Audits

The point of an in-store audit is to identify those aspects of your business that need improvement, so that you can adjust your operations as necessary. Most importantly, your staff members need to be able to accept and implement the positive changes that arise from the results of the audit. The audit itself means little unless it does not result in progress and improvement in your business as a whole and particularly, among your staff. The effects of an in-store audit should ultimately speak for themselves, but there are a few intermediate steps before you will see those results.

The Benefits Of A Store Audit

Why do a store audit in the first place? A store audit gives you a balanced, objective, data-driven assessment of your retail business’s performance. You can then use the data to create meaningful changes in your organisation (where necessary) and bring it in line with your goals and standards. The main benefits of a store audit by Customer Perceptions include: 

  • A partnership-driven approach: We work in partnership with our clients to design audits that are tailored to their specific business needs.
  • Cost-effective solutions: Our auditing software is extremely cost-effective and user-friendly.
  • Flexibility: Our solutions are designed to work with all kinds of retail businesses, towards all kinds of business goals. 
  • Trained auditors: Our panel of field researchers are highly skilled and have plenty of experience in conducting both open and covert audits.
  • Data-driven results: The audit results are data-driven and objective, providing clear, accurate measurements that you can use to assess and improve your business operations. 

Why Are Retail Audits Important?

Retail audits are vital for any retail business’s continued competitiveness and success in a rapidly-changing market. With an expertly conducted in-store audit, you can achieve the following:

  • Improved sales and market share: Using the feedback from your audits, which are provided to you in real time, you can make instant adjustments to your displays and operations, helping you increase your market appeal and sales without delay.
  • Better retail compliance: In-store audits examine retail compliance with placement, pricing and promotional agreements. If your business falls short of these in any way, you can very quickly adjust them to bring them in line.
  • Superior customer experience: Perhaps most crucially, in-store audits scrutinise the level of experience you are offering your customers. Consumers have a world of choices, and they will ultimately choose the one that offers them the most pleasant customer experience. The audit will examine every aspect of the experience you are offering to your customers, from the amount of time it takes to locate products to the courtesy and helpfulness of your staff. 

The Effects Of An In-Store Audit On Staff

In-store audits are intended to provide an objective assessment of your store’s performance. It is not about pointing out faults – especially where your staff is concerned – but is instead concerned with hard data and tangible results, regardless of whether you would describe those results as good or bad. Both favourable and unfavourable results should be communicated to staff openly and fairly. Instead of pinpointing any areas that need improvement and calling them faults, the data should be used to inspire and motivate staff to adjust and improve, as well as provide a clear roadmap to enable them to do so. An audit is a tool for maximising and improving your business’s performance, and your staff are a vital part of that process.

Customer Perceptions are leaders in market research solutions. With 27 years of experience, we have developed bespoke research solutions to help our clients to enhance their customer experience, gain insight into their competitors, increase customer retention, monitor standards and ultimately, increase sales and revenue. We provide in-store audits to help businesses assess their performance as merchants or service providers. If you would like to learn more about our in-store audit services, and see how they can help you assess and improve your business, contact us for more information.

The Top 3 Benefits of Using a Market Research Company

The top 3 benefits of using a market research company

Do you really need to do market research? Not only do you need it – it is essential. No business should underestimate the value of market research. Neglecting to conduct research into your market will affect your bottom line. It may result in too much time, money and effort being spent on misdirected marketing strategies and tactics. There are many reasons why market research should be a regular part of your business operations. The following three outcomes are three of the most important benefits of using a market research company to help you conduct insightful and productive market research. Market research companies use a variety of effective methods to help you assess the needs and preferences of your customers, including market research, in-store audits, competitor analysis, public opinion polls, and customer satisfaction surveys.

Market Research Helps You Identify Opportunities In The Marketplace

You may have a certain product or service planned, but your market research reveals that there is not as much demand for it as you initially thought. Instead of wasting time and money putting this product onto the market, you can use your research to help you either modify it to suit your customer’s preferences, or change tack entirely and market a different product. Without market research, you would not have the insight you need to make this change, which means you could end up losing money by marketing a product your customers don’t want. Market research can also help you to spot opportunities you would otherwise not have been aware of at all. 

Market Research Helps You Minimise Risks

Market research can help you decide whether or not a particular action you have been planning is actually viable. Perhaps you have been planning on launching a new product range or opening up a new store. Your market research can either confirm your belief that these would be good moves, or show you in no uncertain terms that they could be a complete waste. You may find that the new product is not likely to be popular among your customers, or that the area where you propose to open the new store already has too many similar businesses. You can thus avoid investing in unprofitable ventures, and direct your capital in other, more favourable directions.

Market Research Guides Your Communication With Current And Potential Customers.

When you receive the results of the research, you will have a far better understanding of your customers, and you can then formulate the best way to communicate with them. Knowing what they like and don’t like, you can then carefully design targeted communications to prompt them to take action.

Customer Perceptions are leaders in market research solutions. With 27 years of experience, we have developed bespoke research solutions to help our clients to enhance their customer experience, gain insight into their competitors, increase customer retention, monitor standards and ultimately, increase sales and revenue. If your business could benefit from using a market research company, contact us today and talk to us about our services.