Research Limitations
Although market research benefits a company in several ways, it is
not easy to conduct market research. For this reason it is often
appropriate to consult with a trained research specialist.
Specialist agencies and research practitioners can help design the right research for you so they are worth talking to if you have a research problem or question.
The research a specialist completes will only be as good as the brief that you give them, so think carefully about the ‘problem’ you have and answers you want from research.
Market research never guarantees success; it only reduces the chances of failure. This is because market research is not an exact science, even though it uses some scientific techniques.
Some forms of direct research techniques will claim to be good predictors of consumers’ future behaviour. However, the reality is, the vast majority of market research will only provide you with a ‘guide’ to future behaviour. Market research is not a crystal ball.
In the case of indirect research techniques, its main limitation is that the information you collect from secondary sources may be old and obsolete and therefore results of analysis may be inaccurate.
It is not necessarily the case that the earlier research was conducted with the same objectives as required in the current situation so the level of consumer understanding possible from secondary sources can be quite limited.
The most effective means of understanding your consumers is through direct research, usually with a research specialist. However, when starting on such a project think carefully at the outset about what it is you want to understand.
As the saying goes – “a problem well defined is a problem half solved”.
So when you want to research a market, think about your research objectives. And also think about how you would communicate those objectives to other people via a research brief. You can use the brief template here to help you define your research questions
Specialist agencies and research practitioners can help design the right research for you so they are worth talking to if you have a research problem or question.
The research a specialist completes will only be as good as the brief that you give them, so think carefully about the ‘problem’ you have and answers you want from research.
Market research never guarantees success; it only reduces the chances of failure. This is because market research is not an exact science, even though it uses some scientific techniques.
Some forms of direct research techniques will claim to be good predictors of consumers’ future behaviour. However, the reality is, the vast majority of market research will only provide you with a ‘guide’ to future behaviour. Market research is not a crystal ball.
In the case of indirect research techniques, its main limitation is that the information you collect from secondary sources may be old and obsolete and therefore results of analysis may be inaccurate.
It is not necessarily the case that the earlier research was conducted with the same objectives as required in the current situation so the level of consumer understanding possible from secondary sources can be quite limited.
The most effective means of understanding your consumers is through direct research, usually with a research specialist. However, when starting on such a project think carefully at the outset about what it is you want to understand.
As the saying goes – “a problem well defined is a problem half solved”.
So when you want to research a market, think about your research objectives. And also think about how you would communicate those objectives to other people via a research brief. You can use the brief template here to help you define your research questions
