How Consumer Research Services Can Improve Your Product

Consumer research services are a critical component of product development. Proper research can reveal consumer expectations, need for modifications and help you focus your developmental research. 

No business can remain static and succeed. No matter how successful your product is, it must evolve and change with the times. Given the extremely competitive market today, product development is an area that no company can afford to ignore. Not only do you need to constantly change and improve your existing product, but as your business expands, you may also want to add new merchandise.

The trick lies in getting it right. What will work and what won’t? This is where consumer research services come in. The mainstay of any business is the consumer. Ultimately, whatever modifications or improvements you bring in, it is the consumer who will decide your fate.

Consumer research offers multiple benefits in product development. Research is undertaken before modifications are introduced to gauge their success. On the other hand, agencies are often contracted to carry out detailed research from time to time to determine the need for improvements. Some of the most common benefits of consumer research in product development are:

Identifying unmet needs: There is no end to the inventions and improvements that can be introduced in any given market. No matter what your market, chances are that there are consumer requirements that you are completely unaware of. Consumer research can often bring forward these unmet requirements, giving you a vast market to exploit.

For instance, research for an automobile manufacturer revealed that their sedans were mostly used by travelling salesmen. These salesmen often stopped for a coffee break. The company decided to include a coffee cup holder in the driver console, a first in the car segment. The result was a massive boost in sales!

Identifying modification points: As mentioned above, every product needs to evolve and improve. But where do we bring in these improvements? Which features should be changed and modified? The truth is that most new developments usually do not work. In most cases it is because of inadequate research.

Consumer research focuses on how the consumer is using the product. Do they find it easy to use? What gives your product an edge? What will make it easier to use?

Concept testing: Many a times you may have a perfect product that seems unique. However, it still fails to create any inroad into the market. The reason is often the consumer’s inability to understand the product. Concept testing in consumer research focuses on the consumer’s understanding of the product. This requires both questionnaires and practical observation of the sample group.

Streamlining R&D: While the importance of research and development is being increasingly recognised, it is often difficult to determine what research should focus on. Often companies spend millions in research, only to find out later that most of it lacks direction and is of little use. Consumer research services give this much needed direction to R&D by focusing on what the consumer wants. 

For instance, consumer research services for Refrigerator Company revealed that people often found the ice making function frustratingly long. Consequently, R&D focused on quick ice-making function. Other features were later added, including special ice trays and ice box. Here, consumer research services helped.