I love writing this blog, but even more so when I know you like reading it. I want to make sure the blog posts I write are interesting to you … help you solve a problem … make you think about a fresh approach to a best practice. The common theme there is YOU. Not me in a vacuum brainstorming things I think are interesting. So, while I have no shortage of ideas, I want to hear from you. Will you take a minute to answer these two short questions?
Now, that’s just one low-cost example of how you can conduct research on a budget. (I used PollDaddy. A one-year subscription costs $200. You can also try TwtPoll or SurveyMonkey.) How else can you gain insights without spending a ton of cash?
- Conduct a focus group on Twitter. I saw a start-up do this couple years ago and thought it was brilliant. Using the company’s Twitter handle, they promoted the time and asked people to join in for a one-hour conversation. The moderator was prepared with some conversation-starting questions and did an excellent job of asking follow-up questions. From this, the company learned what features users valued, what new additions they’d like to see, and different ways people use the product.
- Interview lost business. Did you have a client recently leave your company? Do you really know why? Ask your contact if he/she would mind answering a few questions. Spending just a few minutes understanding the root cause of problems will equip you to take preventative steps going forward.
- Email Survey. Got a strong email list? Send them a survey. Maybe you’ll have to offer an incentive to encourage responses, but it’s probably worth it if it the results enable you to improve your product or service.
- Ask your employees for feedback. Regardless of your views on paying employees for innovative ideas, employees are a minefield of knowledge when it comes to your customers. Sales? They know what messaging resonates and what features companies are actively seeking in the market. Customer service? Sure, they hear all the complaints and problems, but they also know how to fix them. Ask for ideas to make things smoother. Your HR team should know who your competitors are hiring — valuable intel.
- Listen to online conversations. Monitor online conversations — there are LOTS of free/low-cost listening tools — but just watching the conversation isn’t enough. Absorb what you see and relay it to the appropriate department so it becomes actionable information that can help you improve.
What other free or low-cost research ideas would you add to the list?