If you ask any business owner what his main goal is, he will almost certainly end up saying in one way or another about growth.
Naturally, business owners want their company's revenue to grow over time. To do this, of course, a business must not only continually increase the number of customers it serves, but also improve the quality (and possibly quantity) of the products or services it provides to consumers.
“Get closer — like never before — to your customers. So close, in fact, that you know what they need before they even know it.” — Steve Jobs
These days, trying to expand client base or improve your own, you definitely should not do this, relying only on intuition. Not only will this almost certainly result in a waste of time, money, and energy, but it will also be almost impossible to determine if your efforts are bearing fruit.
Only a strategic approach to such improvements will increase your chances of business growth and, in addition, will allow you to determine the effectiveness of your efforts.
The first step to take when you plan to optimize your business is to conduct market research. This will give you a much more reasonable idea of the direction you should take.
In this article, we will discuss the important role of customer surveys in market research and explain how you can use the results of these activities to quickly and radically improve your business.
But before we delve into the topic, let's give a precise definition of what marketing research is, what it consists of, and why it is so important for business.
Market research: what is it and why is it important to you
In its broadest sense, market research is the process of validating a product or service (or such aspect) by measuring the extent to which your target customer is interested in it.
More specifically, when conducting market research, you will study and analyze information about your customers, competitors, and your company's performance in your industry.
The purposes that market research serves are (but this is not a complete list):
- Assessing the Opportunity of a New Business or Enterprise
- Determination of the level of interest of the target customer segment in a new product or service (or its characteristics)
- Analysis of your company's ability to enter a new market
- Identifying trends in the industry your company belongs to
- Fine tune your marketing mix and optimize your marketing efforts
- Differentiating your brand from competitors
- Improving processes within your organization as a whole
By gaining an understanding of the above information, you will be better placed to:
- Determine the value of your company for your customers, as well as its true purpose - primarily for existing consumers of a product or service.
- Focus your resources and efforts on rewarding activities that your customers find useful.
- Set goals and milestones to determine if your efforts have been successful.
In essence, doing market research allows you to focus “with laser precision” on the growth that will occur when you make any changes to your company's processes. In other words, you will be sure that the changes you make will play a tangible (positive) role for your business as a whole.
Two types of market research
Primary studies are those that the company (or contracting party) conducts directly.
There are two main branches within primary customer-focused research:
- Exploratory Research: broad, open-ended discussions with clients that help identify key issues.
- Specific research (Specific Research): discussions largely focused on issues identified during the study studies and conducted with the aim of ensuring a concentrated increase in growth in the future.
Because the information you gather through primary research is unique (and also yours as your private property), it is inherently extremely valuable. Data like this can give you insights into your industry that no other company will be privy to, giving you a huge edge over your competitors.
You may also conduct secondary research, which primarily consists of examining information that has already been collected and made public by competing companies and/or third party research companies. The problem with secondary research is that the data presented may be outdated, irrelevant to your goals, or inaccurate. With that said, secondary research can act as a kind of starting point to help you focus on further advancing your own primary research.
Primary Research | secondary research |
|
Initial data was collected... | By you (or a company you hire) | By someone else |
Examples | Focus groups Interview Observations Experiments | Information collection does not apply; the act of examining existing data and is secondary research |
Qualitative or quantitative method? | Either the first or the second can be used |
|
Main advantages | Tailored to your needs, you control the quality of the data | Usually performed cheaply and quickly |
Main disadvantages | The cost is usually higher, it takes more time | Data may be out of date and/or fit your needs |
Be that as it may, in order to achieve the objectives of this article, we will focus on primary research methods.
Conducting primary market research
As already mentioned, primary market research is the one that takes place with the direct participation of your company.
In other words, it requires more than simply studying information previously published by someone. To obtain primary research data, you need to actively engage with your clients.
Some of the most popular primary market research tactics are:
- Product testing
- Focus groups
- Direct observation of clients
Depending on your company's ability to conduct such research, you may use more than one of these tactics. Naturally, the more strategies you implement, the more complete the picture will be presented to you by the information collected.
In addition, you should always strive to supplement the information you collect by providing surveys to clients related to their experience (both within a specific study and in relation to your company as a whole).
Using Surveys to Complement Market Research
The main purpose of conducting surveys is to provide your clients with an additional opportunity to provide more details and/or clarify statements they made - or actions they may have taken - during the initial survey (as discussed above).
The advantage of using surveys is that you can customize your line of questions to get the information you have identified as critical to achieving your current goals. (This is why it is critical to define the purpose of your marketing research before than doing anything else as part of your further initiative.)
The types of surveys we'll discuss in the following sections provide valuable insights into customers and their interactions with your product or service (and brand in general), as well as data about the industry your company operates in.
Again, if you have the ability to do so, we suggest using everyone of the survey methods mentioned to help design the changes you plan to make in the future.
Customer Experience Surveys
As we mentioned earlier, the main way to promote growth within your company is to focus on improving the service you provide to your customers.
To do this, you need to understand how your company currently looks to customers. In turn, you'll get a better idea of what you're doing right, as well as where you might need to make some improvements in the near future.
Consider the types of the most common surveys used in marketing research.
1. Net Promoter Score (NPS) score
These profiles will include the following information related to your customers:
- Demographic and geographic data
- Behavioral Data
- Psychographic Data
While each answer you receive is likely to be at least somewhat unique, there will certainly be many similarities between them. You will want to take these similarities into account in order to create your archetypal client profile.
Take a look at the following profile example:
For a company that sells beauty products or similar services, this profile has just about everything you need to know about the target person in order to create a marketing campaign that will grab their attention and convince them to make a purchase.
Without this information, said company may be wasting valuable time, money, and energy creating marketing campaigns and other initiatives that, unfortunately, will be largely ignored by the targeted customer base.
Amalgamated analytics surveys are used to model the new product purchase experience, allowing you to exactly find out exactly what your customers are looking for.
Although pooled analytic reviews come in a wide variety of formats, they typically call on the client being surveyed to compare two or more products (of a similar nature), evaluating a range of their features as well as prices.
Take a look at the following example:
Here, customers are encouraged to choose between three different laptops. Each product is made by its own brand, has unique strengths and weak sides in terms of CPU clock speed, volume random access memory and monitor sizes and is offered at an unbeatable price.
Once the selection is made, the customer will be presented with the same question, but some specifications of each product will be the same (for example, all monitors may be listed as 17 inches). This process is then repeated until the enough data in order to show which characteristic is of most concern to a particular client.
(Let's say in the example above, the customer continues to consistently choose the laptop with the highest CPU power—regardless of changes in other specifications. This, of course, will make it clear that CPU speed is the customer's primary determinant in terms of buying a new laptop.)
The purpose of combined analytics surveys is to determine which features of your product are most interesting to your customers - and which they consider redundant. By identifying this information, you can focus on optimizing the parts of your product that matter to your target audience (rather than spending time perfecting minor details and aspects).
Even in the absence of an assessment of the experience of interaction of their target customers with your company, you can still learn a lot about them by conducting surveys related to their buying personas. In fact, the more you know about who your customers are as individuals and as consumers, the better prepared you will be to optimize their customer experience within your company.
Conclusion
The more you know about your customers, the better you can serve them.
By actively taking the time to learn as much as you can about them, you're giving yourself a great opportunity to offer them exactly what they're looking for. Sometimes - even before they know it!
Don't forget to create a separate landing page for each survey using .
§ 2. The use of surveys in socio-psychological diagnostics
Survey methods are the most common in the work of practical social psychologists.
The survey as a whole is understood as a method of purposefully obtaining verbal (oral or written) information about socio-psychological phenomena through correspondence (mediated by a questionnaire) or face-to-face (direct) communication of a practical psychologist (or questionnaire, interviewer) with the respondents (respondents). As a result, assessments, opinions, attitudes, perception stereotypes, etc. are revealed.
There are two main types of surveys: interviews and questionnaires. Interviewing involves direct communication between the interviewer and the respondent (interviewee) using an interview questionnaire. Moreover, this questionnaire is in the hands of the interviewer throughout the conversation. Questions are asked orally. In the same form, the answers of the respondents are given, which are recorded by the interviewer in the interview questionnaire or on a standardized form with coded numbers of questions and possible answers to them, or using a voice recorder on magnetic tape (when it comes to in-depth interviews to study personality problems for the purpose of subsequent studying not only the verbal, but also the non-verbal response of the respondent to the questions asked).
The interviews differ for several reasons. According to the degree of formalization (standardization), interviews are divided into formalized and non-formalized (free, non-standardized, deep, high-quality). In a formalized (standardized) interview, both the wording of questions and their sequence are strictly defined by the authors of the methodology, and deviation from the accepted standard is not allowed. The methodology of non-formalized (non-standardized) interview differs only in the general setting of the main topic, problem. The sequence, number of questions, their wording are flexibly varied by the interviewer depending on the specific conditions of each interview. Intermediate options are also possible - semi-formalized interviews.
According to the number of respondents and the purpose of diagnosing, interviews can be divided into individual, group and mass.
Individual diagnostic interviews, as a rule, are free, non-standardized. Their main goal is to study the personal characteristics of a particular person. Interviews of this type are clinical, in-depth, and focused. Clinical interviews are aimed at identifying personality accentuations, searching for stress factors, causes of negative mental states, etc. In-depth interviews - to clarify the events and experiences of the interviewee in the past, located in the depths of his memory. A focused interview focuses the attention of the interviewee on a single life event, a problem that is significant to him. Moreover, focusing can be set both by the diagnostician and by the interviewee himself (in the latter case, we have self-focusing).
This is achieved through a free interview, during which the psychologist-diagnostician, with the help of indirect leading questions, sort of "gropes" pain points in the mind of the respondent. This is especially true for psychoanalytic interviews. The specialist, starting the interview, does not know what episodes, facts of the client's biography were repressed into the subconscious and serve as the cause of his neurotic state. However, it is known that attempts to open such unconscious complexes and bring them to the level of consciousness meet with resistance from the client. These zones are “groped” for long pauses, defaults, vasomotor reactions, etc. .
Group diagnostic interviews are conducted simultaneously with the entire group, in a semi-free form, they provide for a group discussion on the range of issues raised. Individual opinions of group members, when expressed as part of a group, can be significantly distorted due to conformism, group solidarity, under the charm of the group leader (or fear of sanctions from his side for the “wrong” answer). Combination of individual and group interviews in diagnosing problems interpersonal relationships can give very interesting and useful information to the diagnostician.
Mass interviews are designed to diagnose mass socio-psychological phenomena: public opinion, mood, social tension, etc. They are also called demoscopic interviews. E. Noel - the author of the book "Mass Polls" defines this species interview as "an oral standardized questioning of people selected on statistical principles". A mass, demoscopic, interview is “a survey “according to a scheme” pre-programmed to the details, although for the respondents themselves it can be perceived as a rather “live, private and rather relaxed conversation due to anonymity”.
The mass interview is formalized to the maximum extent possible. Standardization concerns not only the order and wording of questions, but also a possible fan of ready-made answers. The share of open questions for which there is no ready-made fan of possible answers is very small.
A type of standardized interview is a telephone survey. A telephone survey differs from a regular individual interview in that there is no direct full communication between the interviewer and the respondent. In this regard, certain restrictions are imposed on the telephone interview. In particular, the time spent on it should be limited to 5-10 minutes. As in a quick survey, the questions and the possible fan of answers to them should be short, limited in number. Due to the danger of obtaining non-representative information (in many cities, telephones are mostly owned by the wealthier part of the population), it is advisable to conduct telephone surveys in large cities, where the percentage of telephone penetration is much higher. But here, if you use a spontaneous sample (random mechanical), you can get a discrepancy in its general population. Therefore, with the help of a special detour or calling subscribers, it is advisable to first form a representative group of the respondent network that voluntarily wishes to participate in such telephone interviews. Moreover, their composition should be updated periodically. There are a number of methodological requirements that must be taken into account when conducting telephone interviews. The interested reader can get acquainted with them in the specialized literature.
A formalized interview is very similar in its characteristics to another type of survey - a questionnaire. Questioning is commonly understood as a written survey of respondents using a questionnaire questionnaire. The communication between the diagnosable and the diagnostician here is indirect (through a questionnaire) in nature. As a rule, it is used in the study of group opinions and the opinions of large social groups.
According to the method of conducting the survey is divided into press, postal and distributing. In the case of a press survey, the questionnaire is published in some periodical publication, and readers of this publication are invited to answer questions and send answers to the editorial office. This method is the cheapest, but gives very unreliable information in terms of its representativeness. After all, the answers are sent mainly by the most socially active readers. Therefore, it is unreasonable to extrapolate the results of such a survey to a large general population of people. In addition, the percentage of return in this method is minimal (3-5% or less).
The distribution method in the survey is most preferable, since the return of questionnaires in this case approaches 100%. Sufficient representativeness of the sample can be ensured. In addition, with this method, the questionnaire can explain to the respondents the purpose and objectives of the survey, the meaning of some questions, etc.
A variety of a questionnaire survey carried out by a distributing method can be attributed to the so-called express survey, when the respondents are not given questionnaires of questionnaires made by a typographic or rotaprint method, but blank sheets of paper. The questionnaire of the questionnaire is in the singular with the organizer of the survey, who sequentially reads out each question and a fan of ready-made possible answers to it, and the respondents in their leaflets put only the numbers of these questions and the numbers of the selected answers to them. Conducting a survey in this way allows you to cheaply and quickly obtain information about the opinions of people on a question of interest to the diagnostician.
Both the questionnaire and the questionnaire contain different types of questions, the combination of which results in more reliable information.
Questions can be open or closed. In the first case, the respondent is asked only a question, and he gives the answer in his own words to the extent of his understanding of the essence of the question. In the second case, the respondent is offered a fan of possible answers, from which he must choose one (if the question is dichotomous) or several answers that coincide with his judgment.
Open-ended questions are most often used in free, non-formalized interviews, and closed questions are most often used in formalized interviews and questionnaires. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of both types of questions are closely related to the types of interviews we have already considered above. Semi-closed questions, to a certain extent, make it possible to remove these contradictions.
In closed questions of questionnaires or interviews, various scales are most often used, which can be nominal (if the indicators are not characterized by the sign of intensity), ordinal (if the indicators differ by the sign "more" or "less") or metric (when the indicators can be compared as objective numerical, numerical values). Since most indicators in social psychology are of a qualitative nature, the polls mainly use nominal and ordinal scales.
By function, the questions are divided into filtering, control, buffer, contact and meaningful. Filter questions allow you to sift out from the general mass of respondents those who are competent to answer a series of subsequent questions, from those who cannot answer them competently. Control questions are called questions repeated at a certain interval, but in a different wording. They allow you to verify the reliability of the answers. Buffer questions are designed to enhance the imitation of a casual and logical conversation with the interviewee. The content of responses to them is not processed. Contact questions allow you to make contact with the respondent, and buffer questions connect two dissimilar blocks of questions in a questionnaire or interview questionnaire.
According to the way the answers are interpreted, the questions are divided into direct and indirect. The content of direct questions is interpreted directly, literally, while indirect questions are interpreted indirectly.
To a certain extent, impersonal and projective questions can be attributed to the variety of indirect questions. In a projective question, interpretation is also carried out indirectly. For example, surveys in which respondents are asked to continue the phrases they have begun, to respond to the depicted situation in the person of one of its participants, etc., can be classified as projective.
All of these types of questions in various combinations help to increase the reliability of the information collected through the survey.
Certain requirements are imposed on the wording and sequence of questions. In particular, questions should be formulated in a language understandable to the interviewees, taking into account their level of education and culture. That is, the meaning of the question should be clear to the respondents. The wording of the questions should be neutral and not contain value judgments. Otherwise, there is a danger of inciting respondents to the point of view of the author of the questionnaire or interview questionnaire because of the desire to please the author or to present themselves in a more favorable light. Questions, the content of which reveals socially undesirable facts of the behavior of the respondents, destroys their idealized ideas about themselves, it is also desirable to formulate in the form of indirect, projective ones. Sometimes the wording of the questions is rather general and cumbersome. Often this is due to the fact that the authors do not translate target, program questions into batteries of indicator questions, which should be asked to respondents in a questionnaire or interview.
As for the order of questions, there are also some rules here. The first rule is that questions should arouse the interest of respondents, stimulate their desire to answer. Therefore, you should not ask questions that are too difficult to understand at the beginning. They should follow the simple ones. This is where the so-called funnel rule comes into play. Simpler and more interesting questions, as it were, “pull” the interviewee into the “funnel” of questions and answers, and it becomes more and more difficult to get out of it as it deepens. This reduces the failure rate. Based on the same considerations, it is inappropriate to ask questions that touch on intimate topics at the beginning. It is better to save them for the end of the interview, when a more confidential conversation will start between the interviewer and the respondent, the necessary contact will be established.
The questions arranged one after another form a certain structure of the questionnaire or interview. Three major blocks can be distinguished in this structure. The first is the introductory part, which reveals the appeal to the respondent, indicates the purpose of the survey, emphasizes its anonymity, the method of filling out the questionnaire (answering questions). In the interview questionnaire, the introductory part may be absent or very small, since
the interviewer presents the content of this part orally (the text of the introduction can be placed in the instruction to the interviewer). The main part - the largest in volume, contains questions that reveal the problem of the client or customer. The third part of the questionnaire - "objective", or "passport" - contains a number of factual questions about the respondent's belonging to a particular socio-demographic or professional group, which allows, at the stage of subsequent processing and generalization of primary information, to identify causal relationships between the respondents' answers to evaluative questions of the main part and objective parameters of interest to the diagnostician (gender, age, education, marital status, occupation, etc.).
The total time spent on conducting a survey varies quite widely. Demoscopic surveys last an average of 20-30 minutes, while individual interviews (clinical, in-depth, etc.) can last for hours and several sessions. The main thing here is that the respondent does not get tired to such an extent that he no longer understands the questions, is burdened by them, and answers formally. This largely depends on the interest of the respondents in the problem under discussion.
The survey of experts differs from other types of surveys primarily in the level of competence of the respondents in the problem of interest to the practical psychologist, as well as in the procedural aspects associated with the selection of experts and the analysis of the information received from them. The collection of information can be carried out both in the form of interviews and questionnaires, even telephone interviews.
An expert survey is of particular importance as one of the ways to check the validity of the methods used. Expert surveys can provide an irreplaceable service in predicting mass socio-psychological phenomena.
Much attention is paid to the selection of experts. In the methodological literature, attempts are made to standardize this procedure. In particular, it is proposed to carry out selection according to such objective criteria as the level of education, the availability of a scientific degree, the number of published works on the diagnosed problem, the number of references to these works of other researchers, the length of service associated with the diagnosed problem, etc. After that, the experts can be additionally tested for creativity, intelligence, general competence in the range of issues under consideration. The methods of expert surveys themselves may differ from the methods of conventional surveys in a more complex and professional language, provide for more complex combined questions. In the case of a long and mentally demanding expert survey, the work of experts can be paid from the customer's funds.
Some expert survey methods provide for standardization in the processing and analysis of the information received (for example, the Delphi method). In particular, the most extreme values given by experts are not included in mathematical processing, etc.
A specific form of group interviews with experts includes the method of "brainstorming" - a very effective, albeit complicated in terms of the procedure, way of finding new alternative solutions in problem situations.
Sociometry - a quantitative measurement of relationships, some authors refer to the number of independent methods, others identify with the test.
Sociometric survey is carried out with the help of both questionnaires and interviews. Along with the methods of collecting information, it also contains a standardized procedure for processing information (compiling a sociomatrix for each sociometric criterion, sociograms, calculating all kinds of indices based on the sociomatrix data characterizing the personality, interpersonal relations in the group and the group as a whole), as well as interpreting the information received.
One of the varieties of the survey is the method of goal-group assessment of the personality, with the help of which the socio-psychological position of the individual in the group is determined.
The survey as a type of research is divided into two large varieties - questionnaires and interviews. Questioning is a question-answer form of text organization. An interview is a conversation conducted according to a predetermined plan, involving direct contact between the interviewer and the respondent, during which the interviewer records his answers.
In turn, each of these types of survey is divided into many subspecies: 1) according to the number of respondents (group and individual); 2) at the venue (at home, at work and in target audiences- visitors to the club, patients in the clinic, etc.).
Questionnaires can be divided according to the method of distribution among the respondents: distributing (courier) questionnaire; postal (sent by mail); press (published in a newspaper or magazine).
In addition, types of surveys can be classified according to other criteria, namely: a) quantitative (using statistics) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, focus groups); b) written (questionnaires, tests) and oral (interviews); c) full-time and part-time; d) standardized, semi-standardized and non-standardized; e) clinical and focused; f) directional and non-directional; g) trial (pilot, probing, express polls) and basic (as the main way to collect primary information); h) mass survey (for non-specialist respondents) and expert survey (for specialists in a particular field).
Each type of survey depends on many circumstances: the content of the questionnaire or interview (i.e., the list of questions in which the subject of the study is implemented); the quality of the work of the questionnaire or interviewer who organizes and directly ensures the completion of questionnaires; the situation of the survey, its conditions, which should be as favorable as possible for the calm and concentrated work of the respondent; the psychological state of the respondent at the time of the survey and others.
With all the differences, the types of surveys are united by one circumstance - a questionnaire, i.e. corresponding to the research design and logically built system of questions - speech messages addressed to the respondent in an interrogative, affirmative or negative form, as well as the answer options offered to them. A questionnaire is a broader term than a questionnaire. It applies to both questionnaires and interviews. In turn, the questionnaire is a survey document ("Questionnaire for the worker") and a survey method (i.e. questionnaire). In Western methods, a questionnaire is called a questionnaire (questionnaire), which is most often filled out with the help of interviewers, but sometimes sent by mail or distributed to respondents for self-completion.
Group questionnaire widely used in the workplace and study. Questionnaires are distributed to be completed in the audience, where the respondents included in the sample are invited. Usually one interviewer works with a group of 15-20 people. At the same time, one hundred percent return of questionnaires is ensured, respondents can consult on filling techniques, find out difficult and unclear places, and the questionnaire, collecting questionnaires, can control the quality of filling.
Group survey requires compliance with certain special conditions that ensure the psychological comfort of the survey situation and improve the quality of the answers. The room where the survey is conducted should be psychologically neutral (rest room), free from interfering factors (telephone calls, extraneous conversations, music, TV shows, the presence of strangers, etc.). Respondents are provided with the conditions for filling out questionnaires: sit far enough away from each other so that there is no feeling that those sitting next to them “look over their shoulders”; have the opportunity to focus and think about their answers individually, without consulting, without commenting on the situation, questions and possible answers. It is absolutely unacceptable for the intervention of managers of various levels, especially for acquaintance with the answers of the respondents in the process of filling out the questionnaires. Confidentiality of responses must be strictly maintained. If necessary, the collection of completed questionnaires is carried out in a sealed box, while the questionnaires are not preliminarily numbered.
AT national sociology The most popular is the individual questionnaire. They are used in approximately 75-80% of cases. When using individual questionnaires, using a distributing (courier) questionnaire, the questionnaire either hands the questionnaire to the respondent, agreeing on the return date at the next meeting, or, having explained the rules for filling out and the purpose of the survey, waits for the questionnaire to be completed. In the first case, the respondent gets more time to fill out the questionnaire, think over the answers, but at the same time, the problems of return become more complicated and it becomes possible to discuss the topic of the survey with strangers, even to replace the respondent. Handout individual questionnaires are used both at the place of residence and at the place of work.
Social psychologists are more inclined towards tests and sociometric methods. But the questionnaire procedure is by no means uncommon in psychology, which studies people's behavior, motivation of activity and value orientations. In case of individual questioning, questionnaires are distributed at workplaces or at the place of residence (study) of the respondents, and the return time is agreed in advance. This form of survey has the same advantages as a group survey.
The situation is different abroad. Until now, most research in the US, Germany, France is carried out through personal interviews. For various and fairly good reasons (people do not like or cannot read and (or) write, avoid long answers, make many mistakes, make many omissions, give answers that are not to the point, etc., etc.), sociologists tend to avoid questioning, i.e. self-filling. The respondent, and then the interviewer, are the weakest links in the long chain of the scientific process.
Be that as it may, but in sociology, the survey in general, including both of its varieties (oral and written), is the absolute champion of popularity. It is no coincidence that sociology is identified with the use of a survey. True, to a psychologist who operates tests, the sociologist's questionnaire procedure may seem overly primitive or unreliable. However, it has long been established that there are no rigid boundaries between disciplines, the same methods are used in different sciences. The specialist selects the right method to solve his problem, but does not fit the problem to the existing method.
Four types of survey - individual and group, oral and written - complement each other, forming a logical square, in the cells of which, as a combination of two features, many types of survey are formed (Fig. 1.3).
For example, a group questionnaire falls into the GP box, and an individual questionnaire into the IP box; telephone survey - in the box of the IU, and the focus group - in the box of the GU.
The logical square is a very convenient and visual form of constructing a classification or typology of something, in this case, survey methods. It is applicable only to such situations where each cell (quadrant) of the table is filled. For example, with four other types of survey - face-to-face and correspondence, individual and group - it will not be possible to build a logical square. The reason is that one cell remains empty. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a group correspondence survey. Although, perhaps, it was once carried out by someone, it remained in the history of science as an exotic example, rather than an established practice.
A variety of surveys are the most common methods for obtaining initial information in a particular area. The main types of surveys are characterized by the speed of obtaining results, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity. These parameters made such studies in demand among politicians, entrepreneurs, school teachers. To obtain reliable types of questions in the survey are selected taking into account the age of the respondents and their level of education.
Forms of holding
Depending on the functions assigned to the survey, it can be conducted in two versions:
- interview;
- questioning.
Features of a sociological survey
A sociological survey is a variant of primary sociological information. Its main types are based on an indirect or direct connection between the respondent and the researcher. The purpose of such a relationship will be to obtain specific data from the respondent in the form of answers to the questions posed.
The essence of the methodology is to communicate directly or indirectly through the questionnaire with a group of people (respondents). Almost all types of sociological survey involve a question-answer dialogue. The specificity of such communication lies in the fact that it should not only clearly correspond to the algorithm, but also take into account that the participants will be simple people answering questions using their life experience. Types of a sociological survey are selected depending on the objectives of the study, the requirements for the reliability and reliability of the information being studied, organizational and economic capabilities.
Significance of sociological research
Such a poll plays special role in various sociological studies. Its main purpose is to obtain sociological information about the state of collective, personal, public opinion, as well as facts, assessments, events directly related to the activities of respondents. Scientists are convinced that almost 90 percent of important empirical information comes from sociological research. Various types of surveys are recognized as leading research into human consciousness. They are especially important for the analysis of social processes, as well as those phenomena that are inaccessible by simple observation.
Classification of contacts with respondents
Currently, it is customary to subdivide the types of surveys into several main groups:
- personal conversations (face-to-face surveys);
- apartment (carried out at the place of direct residence of the respondents);
- street (carried out on the streets, in shopping centers);
- option with a central location (hall-test).
Remote Polls
They involve obtaining information remotely. There is a certain classification of survey data:
- Internet surveys;
- telephone conversations;
- self-filled application forms.
Let's analyze the features remote forms: telephone conversation and internet survey.
telephone survey
Such types of surveys are indispensable in situations where installation research is carried out. Also, similar options are used for territories that are significantly remote from each other. How is a phone survey done? To begin with, it will be necessary to create the largest possible database of telephone numbers of candidate respondents. Further, several numbers are randomly selected from the created telephone base, which will become direct participants in this study.
Benefits of this type of survey:
- speed of execution;
- low cost of research;
- use in the survey of a rather large territory;
- the possibility of involving different groups of respondents in research;
- no problems with quality control of interviewers' work.
Among the main shortcomings of telephone surveys, we note significant restrictions on the duration of the interview. Besides, similar option not always possible, because in many settlements Russia has problems with telephone lines. If we analyze modern views polls, then the most prompt will be exactly telephone option. It makes it possible to identify the opinions of different groups of the population on all issues. There is a division of such survey options according to the type of respondents used: interviews with legal entities, a survey of individuals.
There are certain stages in a telephone interview:
- development of questionnaires;
- sample creation.
Depending on the purpose of the study, the sample can be targeted when subscribers are selected according to certain criteria: age, position. Such types of surveys of citizens are carried out by trained interviewers. They listen to the subscriber's answers, enter them into a special electronic or printed questionnaire. Further, the processing of questionnaires, the creation of tables, the construction of graphs and diagrams is carried out. Specialists carry out analytical processing of the received data, provide the customer with a report. In it, all the answers of the respondents are divided into certain groups, the tables are accompanied by the main conclusions. Telephone surveys will be effective in those settlements where more than 75 percent of the population has telephones. Otherwise, it will be difficult to talk about the reliability of the information that will be obtained as a result of the survey.
What are telephone surveys for?
These types of questionnaires are designed to identify the attitude of the population to certain brands, products, companies. A telephone survey makes it possible to receive prompt information about how the market and consumers react to the actions of competitive companies. Such a study guarantees, without significant financial costs, to carry out market analysis before the start, and also after the completion of promotions, to identify the effectiveness of the measures taken.
Based on the results of a telephone survey, it is impossible to collect in-depth material, since there are restrictions on the degree of complexity of the questions, the time of the conversation. Such a study is not suitable for studying the company's income, analyzing the work of the management team.
Internet survey
Let's analyze different types Internet surveys that allow you to collect sociological information on specific facts and events online.
Given the multi-million army of Internet users, this research option is quite effective and gives good results. As the main advantages of such a survey, we note its efficiency. This testing also has its drawbacks, which should also be mentioned. The results are affected by the attendance of those sites on the basis of which the survey is conducted. It is difficult for developers to control the actions of the respondent, so the results are highly questionable.
By the end of the last century, the World Wide Web began to be used by many sociologists to carry out serious research on topical issues. Information can be received from all countries of the world and even from different continents. Thanks to Internet technologies, the collection of initial information for conducting research on various social processes is accelerating. IT allows conducting expert surveys, personal interviews, virtual focus groups. In our country, sociological surveys conducted via the Internet are still considered a rare occurrence. AT European countries such surveys are carried out much more often, replacing them with an oral survey. The types of oral survey used in a regular interview do not allow obtaining the desired results in a short period of time. Network research has certain advantages over traditional forms.
Benefits of online surveys
Such studies provide an opportunity to save material and human resources, as well as time, obtaining high quality data. The decisive factor is precisely the saving of resources in the implementation of Internet surveys. Traditional forms do not attract respondents, as they have to break away from current activities. If the questionnaire is presented on several pages, not all people have the patience to read it to the end. The downside of the paper questionnaire is that it does not allow the respondent to evaluate the intermediate results of testing.
Internet tests provide individual feedback after completion of the survey, encouraging the respondent to systematically participate in such surveys. The surveyed Internet users develop a positive attitude towards such studies, and there is a desire to involve friends and colleagues in them. Scientists highlight the ecological validity of Internet surveys. When interviewing, a person is in his usual, comfortable conditions. You can take the survey at any convenient time, so the respondents have no desire to quickly get rid of the questionnaire. The methodology of such a study involves visual direct contact between the respondent and the sociologist. As a result, a communicative situation is created in which there is no psychological discomfort. The absence of coercion, embarrassment, awkwardness, nervousness, characteristic of the classic survey, guarantees frank and complete answers to the questions proposed in the questionnaires.
Problems associated with the use of alcohol, drugs, suicide, are difficult to identify with conventional surveys, as many see this as an attempt to invade privacy. Traditional methods do not guarantee the anonymity of respondents, so the Internet copes with the problem of openness. Unlike paper interviews, electronic surveys have detailed and detailed answers. This technique opens up new horizons for there are certain technical and methodological problems in the use of Internet surveys.
First of all, it should be noted that the number of people with Free access to the internet. In addition, the types of survey questionnaires are subject-specific and are not suitable for global research. Among the technical problems, we note the limitedness of the proposed answers. When the respondent enters his option, there are difficulties with processing the results of the survey. There are also problems with software, a significant distortion of the results obtained is possible. Some respondents answer the same questionnaire several times, especially if the survey involves material rewards. As a result, the objectivity of the results is reduced, it is impossible to talk about their reliability.
Comparison of telephone survey and Internet survey
Comparing these types, survey methods, sociologists prefer Internet technologies. Telephone interviews are often accompanied by rejection from potential respondents. Approximately 10-15 percent agree to take part in research, the rest of the people just hang up. There is no interest in surveys, since the people surveyed have no material interest. Internet surveys run into technical problems and are not available for remote villages.
Surveys in schools
The most common types of survey in the classroom: frontal, individual. Let us analyze the distinctive features of each option for testing the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of students used by teachers educational institutions. Great for a quick homework check. For example, the teacher can ask the children questions, including the whole class in the work. Such types of surveys in the classroom allow the teacher to assess the knowledge of students, the practical skills they have acquired, in a short period of time.
Thematic dictations are suitable for chemistry and physics lessons. The teacher offers questions, the answers to which will be formulas or units of measurement of physical (chemical) quantities. You can also check the dictation frontally, calling each student of the class to the board “along the chain”. Such a survey will take a few minutes, while it will allow you to evaluate almost all students in the class. Teachers of the humanities (history, social studies, Russian language, literature) prefer individual surveys. Of course, questionnaires are used in their work not only by teachers, but also by the students themselves. Pursuing extracurricular activities When working on their own research, project, the guys use different types of surveys, types of interviews. First, the teacher explains to the child the specifics of the survey, and only after that the young sociologist begins his own research.
Among the nuances that are important to pay attention to when preparing for sociological surveys, one can single out their complete anonymity. For example, a child, through a questionnaire, finds out which shampoos his classmates, teachers, and parents prefer to buy. Further, the young scientist conducts his own research in a chemical laboratory, armed with scientific methods, he finds out the effectiveness of this product. At the next stage of the work, he compares the results of the survey with the results of the experiment, compares them.
AT modern school Polls have become commonplace; no event is complete without them. For example, in order to assess the degree of comfort in the classroom, the psychologist invites the children to answer the questions of the questionnaire. Then the results are processed, the psychological state of the team is analyzed. When a teacher passes qualification tests, a survey of parents, students, and work colleagues is also provided. The results obtained are drawn up in the form of a graph or diagram, applied to the compliance of the teacher with the declared category. Among the latest innovations used in the learning process, we can note the final tests for graduates of primary and secondary schools, offered in the form of tests.
Conclusion
Currently, in all spheres of human activity, different kinds survey methods: telephone interviews, Internet surveys, frontal conversations. Depending on the purpose, the optimal form, type, and duration of the survey are selected. The synthesis of interviewing and questioning is a telephone survey. It is mainly used during advertising and election campaigns. Surveys are used by science to solve practical problems. Statisticians have long used similar methods to gather information on labor force, structure, household expenses.
Journalists use a similar technique to determine the rating of programs and publications. TV journalists do not choose respondents according to certain criteria, so the results of the research are significantly distorted. Teachers use a survey of pupils as an option for monitoring acquired knowledge, checking homework. Doctors carry out a survey of primary patients, finding out information about existing diseases. The questions asked should take into account psychological features respondents, the situation before the conversation. Thinking through the survey, the sociologist chooses one of the options: questionnaires or interviews. Considering that the interview can be individual and group, its form is preselected.
A common variant of the survey is the distribution of questionnaires to respondents. Such a survey can be conducted at the place of residence, work of the respondents. Thus, the assessment of the quality and efficiency of the work of public utilities involves surveys of residents. The questionnaire includes a specific set of questions, each of which reflects certain tasks research. The questionnaire has an introductory part, it contains an appeal to the respondent, explains the purpose and objectives of the survey, a brief description of expected results, their benefits. Also, the questionnaire should indicate the degree of anonymity of the survey.
For a survey to be complete, it must have detailed instructions by content, title, place and year of publication.
A full-fledged socio-statistical diagnostics makes it possible to obtain information about various social and economic transformation, activities of municipal and government agencies management, impact on youth television and radio.
Attention!
VVS provides exclusively analytical services and does not advise on theoretical issues of the foundations of marketing(capacity calculation, pricing methods, etc.)
This article is for informational purposes only!
You can see the full list of our services.
In contact with
Classmates
How to analyze a marketing survey
How long should it take marketing survey? These researchers need to decide in advance. It is important that the survey does not take too long, otherwise comparability of responses may be difficult, and secrecy will be violated. It should be borne in mind that marketing surveys of consumers of various types take different amount time. If you prefer an in-person marketing survey or do research over the phone, then you spend less time accordingly. An email marketing survey, experimental or observational research takes longer. In any case, a specific time frame is required.
From what sources does the researcher obtain information? First of all, you need to select the date and time of data collection. Marketing research can be conducted both on the territory of the company and outside the enterprise. Anyone who conducts a marketing survey must understand that the priority for him is the urgent collection of information and comfortable conditions or the desire to obtain the necessary objective data, even in a hard-to-reach place.
After carefully detailing all the parameters of the marketing survey, the researchers begin to collect information. The one who is engaged in this work must strictly follow the instructions and comply with all the instructions of the manual. Responses and observations should be recorded.
When analyzing the information received, the number of forms is counted, and then they are studied for further recommendations. Coding of forms is carried out - assignment of numbers and classification of categories of answers. With regard to recommendations, these are suggestions and advice on the future manner of doing business in an enterprise. The basis for recommendations can be information obtained during a marketing survey. All information in writing is provided to the head of the company.
Based on the marketing survey data, decision makers in the organization decide what to do next. The results of marketing research are important for any company, because thanks to them it is decided what to do now and in the future.
Why can a marketing survey give false results?
Subjectivity
Respondents often give out subjective information, focusing on the opinion and reaction of society. At the same time, mass surveys cannot get rid of the problem, since general character can be inherent in prejudices, stereotypes, and delusions.
Lack of information
In a number of cases, respondents cannot give a full answer or express an opinion on a particular issue, because they do not have the proper education and do not have full information.
Wrong answers
Respondents often make mistakes when answering certain questions, doing it unintentionally. As a result, the researcher risks receiving biased and unreliable information.
So, we realized that a marketing survey is an extremely important, but by no means simple procedure. You can use the tips in this article and adopt the appropriate methods marketing research(survey, observation) to obtain reliable information. But remember that to conduct high-quality marketing research, you need to have the appropriate qualifications, experience and knowledge. The best way- to trust specialists who will be able to conduct a marketing survey at a high professional level.
Our information and analytical company VVS is one of those that stood at the origins of the business of processing and adapting market statistics collected by federal agencies. The company has 19 years of experience in providing commodity market statistics as information for strategic decisions that reveal market demand. Main client categories: exporters, importers, manufacturers, participants in commodity markets and B2B business services.
Commercial vehicles and special equipment;
glass industry;
Chemical and petrochemical industry;
Medical equipment;
food industry;
Animal feed production;
Electrical engineering and others.
Quality in our business is, first of all, the accuracy and completeness of information. When you make a decision based on data that is, to put it mildly, wrong, how much will your loss be worth? When making important strategic decisions, it is necessary to rely only on reliable statistical information. But how can you be sure that this information is correct? It can be checked! And we will give you such an opportunity.
Main competitive advantages of our company are:
Accuracy of data provision. The pre-selection of foreign trade deliveries, which are analyzed in the report, clearly matches the subject of the customer's request. Nothing extra and nothing missed. As a result, we get the output accurate calculations market performance and market shares of participants.
Preparation of reports on a turnkey basis and the convenience of working with them. Information is quickly perceived, as tables and graphs are simple and understandable. Aggregated data on market participants are summarized in the ratings of participants, market shares are calculated. As a result, the time for studying information is reduced and it is possible to immediately proceed to making decisions that are “on the surface”.