Without
research, you have no basis on which to answer even the most basic questions;
questions that you must answer if you truly desire to successfully market your
product or service.
by
Wild Bill Montgomery
Contributing Author
I have always been a firm believer that there is never one correct answer to
a question. Some call that argumentative, I call it Independent and Creative
Thought. I have also come to the conclusion over the years that by feeding
answers to a student, they will ultimately starve. On the other hand by
posing a question, you teach them to think and in turn feed their own
thought and energies.
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You will never get the right answers however, if you don't know the right
questions. So with this in mind, I from time to time write an article, which
is consists of mostly questions! Questions covering a single subject, which
I hope will provoke you into independent thought, thus creating productive
output. Our topic is what? Marketing Research!
Marketing Research is a very important step in the evolution of your
business. Without research, you have no basis on which to answer even the
most basic questions; questions that you must answer if you truly desire to
successfully market your product or service.
1. Your
Market.
Do you know whom your target market is?
Who are your current customers and do they fall into your target
market?
Are your current customers loyal to your product? Why or Why
not?
If not, how can your create a loyalty strategy?
What is the current size and geographic spread of your target
market?
What will it be in the future?
Will you be able to maintain a product and company growth rate to
match that of the projected growth rate of your target market?
Is your product part of a trend market that has a volatile base, which
can collapse or increase rapidly?
Are you prepared for this? How?
Do you have backend products or services?
2. Your
Price.
Is your market price sensitive?
If so, how does the price of your product or service stack up against
your competitors?
How are you justifying this price in accordance with the "Price
Curve" of your market?
Is there an obvious perceived value in having a higher price?
How does your product Service and Support Pricing compare to your
competitors?
Do you offer "credit terms" to aid you in higher pricing
strategies?
How do you think your competitor(s) will react to your pricing
structures?
3. Your
Competition.
Are you in or entering a market that is already overrun with
competition?
Have you prepared for this with a well-planned strategy to overcome
the over abundance of competition?
What kind of companies make up your competition and can you compete
with them in this market?
Have you diligently analyzed your competitions strengths and
weaknesses?
Have you honestly analyzed yours?
Obviously these are not all the questions you need to answer to
successfully market your product. But if you can answer the questions I've
prepared here, you will find that the answers to others will come more
easily. I hope that you have given these questions more than a quick thought
and haphazard answer. The old saying "more is better" certainly
applies here. The more data you compile and apply to each question, the
better. Also, being the dyslexic-absent-minded professor type, I have found
that putting everything on paper makes it clearer, easier to remember and I
have it to look back on when I need to refer to something I have long since
forgotten.
About the Author:
Read more of Wild Bill's articles
on marketing and online business tips to help you succeed in your online
business ventures. Find more of his articles at "The InfoZone",
the largest Business & Marketing Article Archive on the Internet. Go to: http://www.MakingProfit.com/articles