Lack of a Clear Research Objective
A common mistake is the lack of a clearly defined objective, which turns the process into chaotic data collection. As a result, we obtain a large amount of information but fail to answer key questions. The result: managers don’t know how to interpret the results, and decisions are based on guesswork.
The objective should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This not only focuses efforts but also allows us to measure the success of the research.
Incorrect Choice of Research Type
The choice of the type of marketing research determines the quality of the data obtained. The main types include desk (secondary) research, based on existing data from open sources, and field (primary) research, which collects new information directly from consumers.
Qualitative methods are ideal for understanding motives and emotions, but suffer from subjectivity. It’s a mistake to use them for quantitative tasks. Quantitative methods, on the other hand, provide precise figures for forecasting, but risk missing individual nuances. A common mistake is relying solely on surveys without qualitative supplementation, which masks the true motives of consumer behavior.
Sampling Errors
Sampling is the foundation of marketing research, determining how well the data reflects the real state of affairs.
Common mistakes:
Too small (less than 500 participants) or an unrepresentative sample makes the results unreliable;
Data bias due to an incorrectly selected target audience (respondents may not match actual buyers). For example, when evaluating fitness equipment, only professional athletes were surveyed, but the opinions of novices were not taken into account.
Inappropriate Questions and Data Collection Tools
Surveys are convenient, but the questions must be chosen correctly. Answers must be clear and concise, with no ambiguity allowed.
Typical mistakes:
leading questions about a product, job, or service;
overloaded questionnaires (more than 20 questions) encourage rapid, random scanning;
the influence of wording on responses: long questions (more than 20 words) can confuse respondents, while shorter wording improves the quality of information.
Ignoring Data Quality
Ignoring data quality is a guaranteed way to incur significant losses.
Typical mistakes:
outdated data, like a fifty-year-old map, leads to a dead end;
lack of data checking for errors and anomalies.
A large volume of information isn’t always a good thing, as it needs to be sifted through to remove any “contamination.” In the vast majority of cases, 20% of the available data is sufficient to formulate a strategy.
Lack of Practical Conclusions
A report without recommendations means there’s data, but the path to profit is lost. Businesses expect not only facts but also tangible steps that will enable them to make the right decisions. Any research, even with negative results, should be used in the company’s practical activities.
Marketing research produces erroneous results not because of a lack of data, but because of an incorrect approach. A clear objective, a sound methodology, high-quality data, and competent interpretation are the foundation of effective management decisions.