5 game-changing strategies for consumer behavior research

Knowing “what” people buy is just the tip of the iceberg. Discovering “why” they make those choices matters the most. And this is where employing the right strategies for consumer behavior research can make all the difference.

By exploring the interconnected factors that influence purchasing decisions, from individual preferences and values to broader cultural and social factors, companies can gain a complete view of their target audience.

But consumer behavior research isn’t just a one-way street—it’s a conversation. It’s all about engaging with customers on their terms, listening to their feedback, and catering to their evolving needs and desires. It’s about uncovering the unspoken needs and desires that consumers may not even be aware of themselves. It’s about reading between the lines and identifying the subtle cues that signal opportunity.

This blog will explore the top strategies for consumer behavior research, including surveys, focus groups, behavioral analysis, and more.

What are the types of consumer research?

Consumer research methods can take many forms, but they’re generally categorized as primary or secondary research.

Primary research is the method of collecting data directly from your target consumers through two techniques:

1. Quantitative research: Quantitative techniques, such as surveys with multiple-choice questions or rating scales, enable you to collect large amounts of structured data and identify statistically significant patterns.
2. Qualitative research: Qualitative approaches, such as focus groups and in-depth interviews, allow you to uncover rich, nuanced feedback through open-ended responses and gain a deeper understanding of consumer attitudes, motivations, and pain points.

You can also combine the two by asking both quantitative and qualitative questions so you can get a more complete picture.

Secondary research, on the other hand, relies on existing sources, such as industry reports, market trends, and competitor analysis. While secondary research is not a substitute for primary research, it can provide valuable context and supplement your primary findings.

The key to effective consumer research is strategically selecting the appropriate primary and secondary methods aligned with your specific objectives, budget, and timelines. A well-designed blend of techniques can uncover robust, actionable information that drives product innovation, enhances customer experiences, and aids in business growth.

Decode your customers’ minds: 5 strategies for consumer behavior research

Conducting consumer behavior research requires diverse methodologies and tools. For enterprise brands, the following mix of primary and secondary research approaches can yield valuable insights.

1. Surveys

Surveys are among the most popular and versatile tools for gathering consumer insights. They allow you to collect data from a large sample of people quickly and cost-effectively. You can conduct surveys in various ways—online, by phone, or in person—and can include a wide range of question types, from multiple-choice and ranking or grading questions to open-ended ones.

How can you create an effective survey?

• Be clear about the specific decisions you hope to make with the survey data before creating the survey questions.
• Define the precise information you need to get to inform those decisions.
• Next, develop a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions that will provide a well-rounded understanding of your target market.
• Use online survey platforms like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Qualtrics, or Wynter (if you’re a B2B enterprise) to distribute your survey to a large audience, or partner with a market research firm to access a targeted group of respondents who meet your specific criteria.
• Use skip logic to show respondents only the questions that are relevant to them based on their previous answers.
• Test your survey with a small group before distributing it to identify any issues or areas for improvement. And make sure that the answers align with your decision-making needs.
• Consider offering incentives, such as gift cards or discounts, to increase response rates.

When crafting your survey questions, use clear and concise language that’s easy for participants to understand. Avoid jargon, leading questions, or complicated questions that ask about multiple things at once. Keep your survey as short as possible while still gathering the necessary information.

For multi-location brands, tailoring these surveys to specific regions or localities is crucial. By crafting localized survey questions that address the unique cultural, socioeconomic, and psychological factors of each location and target market, you can get a better understanding of the motivations behind those customers’ buying behaviors. If you’re unable to create individual localized surveys, consider adding a qualifying question that identifies locations for respondents so you can segment the data later.

You can use this sample size calculator to determine the number of survey participants you’ll need based on your targeted population size.

For example, the enterprise hotel chain Marriott has a feedback program called guestVoice, where guests can offer feedback directly to the hotel properties. They take these survey responses a step further by combining it with social media analysis for deeper insights to improve customer satisfaction at each of its locations.

By leveraging such simple, appropriate localized surveys, you can uncover important details that might otherwise be obscured by a one-size-fits-all approach. This enables you to make data-driven decisions that cater to the unique consumer needs of each market you serve.

How can you interpret data collected from surveys?

Once you’ve collected your survey data, use statistical analysis tools like Crunch.io or MonkeyLearn to identify trends and patterns. Look for differences in responses based on demographic factors like age, gender, or location to discover the reasoning behind consumer choices and decisions. This will help decipher essential insights for product development, marketing, and customer experience strategies.

2. Focus groups and interviews

Focus groups and interviews offer a qualitative perspective that can shed light on the underlying motivations and emotions behind the consumer decision-making process.

By organizing a focus group, you can bring together a select group of individuals to engage in a meaningful discussion about a specific topic or product. This approach allows for a deeper exploration of the subject matter and can generate valuable input that may not be uncovered through other methods.

A trained moderator typically leads the discussions, guiding the conversation and encouraging participants to share their thoughts and opinions. Focus groups are highly effective in gathering qualitative insights, as they allow researchers to probe deeper into customers’ attitudes, beliefs, and motivations.

For example, LEGO conducted focus groups with 3,500 girls and their mothers to understand its female customer base. This research led to the development of a line with more realistic figures, a refreshed color palette, and only 10% pink blocks—challenging outdated assumptions and aligning with real consumer desires. This helped LEGO increase its female customer base by 19% in two years.

When it comes to the group sizes, experts like Krueger & Casey recommend conducting 3-4 focus groups per participant type, with 6-8 participants per session being an ideal range. Smaller groups of 4-5 can still provide value, but excessively large groups over 10 people become difficult to manage and limit each participant’s opportunity to share their perspective.

Interviews are similar to focus groups but often happen one-on-one. While most of the questions are similar, you get to go into detail to get a single person’s point of view and also help avoid groupthink biases, ensuring that individual opinions and insights are accurately captured. And this is why it’s very important to handpick the right participants for the interview to get a good representation of your target customers.

How can you conduct a productive focus group or a consumer research interview?

• Start by defining your research objectives and identify the decisions you aim to make based on the insights gained.
• Design your questions to directly address these objectives, ensuring they are actionable and aligned with your goals.
• Develop a detailed discussion guide that outlines the flow of the conversation and the key topics to cover—with a mix of open-ended questions, projective techniques (such as word association or role-playing), and activities that encourage participants to engage with the topic in different ways.
• When recruiting participants for your focus group or interview, look for people who represent your target audience and have relevant experiences or opinions to share, while also representing diverse opinions.
• Search for participants through social media, online forums, or by partnering with a market research firm that specializes in focus group recruitment.

During the focus group and consumer research interview, the moderator or the researcher should create a warm and welcoming environment that encourages participants to share their thoughts openly and honestly. The moderator should be unbiased and ideally a third party to ensure impartiality. They should be able to ask follow-up questions to clarify responses and probe deeper into interesting or unexpected insights.

How can you interpret data collected from focus groups and interviews?

Once you have all the inputs ready from the focus groups and interviews, you can use tools like Insight7 Transcription or Dedoose to transcribe and analyze qualitative data.

Examine the participants’ answers to identify common themes and patterns. Look for areas of consensus as well as divergent opinions, comparing them against the consumer personas, and consider how the data can improve your offerings and help you build effective marketing strategies.

3. Geo-targeted social media and review site monitoring

Social media has become a powerful medium for people to share their experiences, thoughts, and opinions about brands and products. By monitoring and analyzing social media conversations, companies can gain helpful information about consumer reactions, preferences, and purchase behaviors. You can use review sites like Yelp to gather valuable location-specific insights based on user feedback from your brand as well as your competitors’.

Social media and review site monitoring involves using specialized tools and algorithms to track mentions of your brand, products, or relevant keywords across social media platforms and popular review sites.

An integral part of this process includes scanning for regional keywords, which can pinpoint the location-specific discussions about your brand, offering critical insights into regional market trends and consumer behavior.

How can you create an effective geo-targeted social media and review site monitoring strategy?

• Identify key social media platforms, review sites, and online channels where your target audience is active.
• Determine the specific keywords, phrases, and hashtags you want to monitor, including your brand name, product names, and relevant industry terms.
• Use social media monitoring tools like Hootsuite, Brandwatch, or Sprout Social, and review monitoring tools like Yext, or Soci to automatically track and analyze mentions of your brand across the web.
• Utilize these tools to quickly identify trends, sentiment, and influential conversations, as well as gather detailed analytics and reports to inform your strategy.
• To set up localized or geo-targeted listening, listen for brand or product mentions in conjunction with location-specific keywords, such as city or region names, to identify trends and sentiments within each market.
• Make sure to monitor conversations in the local language, and be attuned to cultural nuances and slang.
• On review sites like Yelp, analyze feedback specific to each business location to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
• Keep track of metrics like sentiment (positive, critical, or neutral), engagement (likes, comments, shares), and reach (number of people exposed to the conversation). For multi-location businesses, use review sites like Yelp to drill down the origin of each customer sentiment.

How can you interpret data collected from social media and review site monitoring?

To derive meaningful insights from your monitoring data:

• Use sentiment analysis tools like Sprout Social or InMoment to gauge the overall tone and emotion behind brand mentions.
• Look for patterns in customer feedback, such as recurring issues, compliments, or feature requests.
• Identify influential users or conversations shaping brand perception, and consider engaging with them directly to address concerns or amplify the positive sentiment.

You can then use the data you’ve gathered to optimize your marketing efforts, product development, and customer service strategies. For example, if you notice a high volume of complaints and negative reviews about a particular product feature, prioritize improvements or updates to address those concerns.

Or if you identify a trending topic or hashtag relevant to your industry, consider joining the conversation to build brand awareness and credibility—like McDonald’s did.

McDonald’s leveraged social media monitoring to detect and capitalize on the viral Grimace shake trend in 2023. Their witty meme response generated over 490,000 engagements, turning the campaign into an iconic sensation with immense organic reach. In fact, this meme even contributed significantly to increasing their quarterly earnings.

 

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Social media and review site monitoring can also be used for crisis management and reputation monitoring. By tracking mentions of your brand in real time, you can quickly identify and respond to negative comments or complaints before they escalate into larger issues.

4. Behavioral analysis

Behavioral analysis involves tracking and analyzing how potential customers interact with your brand. By understanding how users navigate your site or business page, their actions, and where they drop off, you can identify opportunities to improve their experience.

How can you capture data for behavioral analysis?

• Identify the most critical metrics and user actions to track, such as page views, clicks, form submissions, or purchases, based on your business goals and objectives—prioritize metrics that directly impact revenue, user engagement, and overall business performance.
• Set up tracking codes on your website, app, and other business listing pages to capture user data and feed it into your analytics platform. A few platforms have built-in tracking capabilities that you can use to directly gather the data. For example, you can use Yelp Pixel to monitor customer behavior on your website after they engage with your Yelp Ads and even track as far as your online or in-store purchases with LiveRamp.
• Integrate such data from multiple sources, such as web analysis, CRM, third-party advertising platforms, and marketing automation platforms, to gain a holistic view of user behavior.
• You can use behavioral analytics tools like Mixpanel and Heap to get specific, actionable recommendations for improving user experience, conversion rates, and other vital metrics.

How can you interpret data collected for behavioral analysis?

The first step in an effective behavior analysis strategy is to segment users based on common behaviors, demographics, or other attributes so you can better understand different user personas, spending patterns, and their buying habits. This allows you to identify unique user profiles, pain points, and optimization opportunities for each market. You might also segment users based on their behavior and develop targeted marketing or product experiences for each segment.

Once you’ve segmented the users, identify key metrics and patterns within these segments that highlight user behaviors and preferences.As you analyze the data, look for opportunities to optimize the user experience and drive better outcomes. For instance, you might identify pages with high bounce rates or low conversion rates—or metrics important to your industry—and make changes to improve their performance.

For example, H&R Block, a tax preparation firm, uses behavioral analytics to gain deeper customer insights, such as correlating how Net Promoter Score (NPS) changes based on user demographics. The firm then uses this information to create UX features that lead to better conversions.

Behavioral analysis can also be used for A/B testing and personalization. By comparing the performance of different versions of a page or feature, you can identify the most effective design or messaging for your audience. You can also use behavioral data to personalize the experience based on individual user preferences and actions, such as recommending products or content based on past customer behavior.

5. Competitor analysis

Competitor analysis is an important aspect of business strategy that involves researching and analyzing your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning. It’s a chance to leverage your competitors’ best practices and use them to your advantage. It can also help you avoid the pitfalls of your competitors’ experiences.

You can even identify unique opportunities to set your brand apart and position yourself as a leader in your industry.

How can you capture your competitor’s data?

• Identify your competitors and analyze their product offerings—like the depth and breadth of their product lines—along with their pricing strategies and marketing tactics.
• Use tools like Crayon, BuzzSumo, Similarweb, and MailCharts to track how users interact with your competitors’ websites, emails, and other online interactions.
• Monitor online reviews, social media mentions, and other public feedback about your competitors’ products or services to understand user pain points you can address. For example, you can monitor your competitor’s Yelp reviews to get a deeper look into consumer perceptions, pain points, and areas for improvement specific to each location you serve.
• Analyze traffic sources and marketing campaigns for your competitors to reveal effective channels and messaging that resonates with your shared audience.
• Benchmark user metrics like bounce rates, profit margins, and any other important metrics you can find against industry averages and other top competitors.

How can you interpret your competitor’s data?

Start by identifying and benchmarking your performance against your competitors’ metrics. This can help you identify areas where you’re outperforming or underperforming relative to the market. Look for opportunities to learn from your competitors’ successes and avoid their mistakes.

Conduct cohort analysis to understand how user behavior evolves with your competitors’ products over time. This can expose potential churn risks or expansion opportunities. For example, if users tend to drop off after a certain point in your competitor’s onboarding process, you might focus on optimizing that part of your user journey.

Combine competitor data with behavioral research data to map the entire customer journey across your and your competitors’ touchpoints. This can reveal blindspots in your respective experiences. For example, if users frequently switch between your website and a competitor’s site during research, you might invest in more compelling content marketing to keep them engaged with your brand.

Ultimately, competitor analysis aims to understand your market better and identify opportunities to differentiate your brand. By leveraging this data to gain insights into your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your products, marketing, and user experience.

Consumer research checklist: a few things to keep in mind

Effective consumer research requires more than data collection—it demands a strategic, ethical, and continuous approach. So make sure to consider the following:

• Methodology selection: Choose research methods that align with your objectives and resources. Qualitative methods provide deep insights, while quantitative methods offer broader, more generalizable findings. Often, a mix of both yields the most comprehensive account.
• Sampling and representation: Ensuring your research sample accurately represents your target population is crucial for generating reliable insights. Consider factors like demographics, psychographics, and behaviors when selecting participants.
• Research ethics: Consumer research must adhere to ethical guidelines, protecting participants’ privacy, confidentiality, and well-being. Obtain informed consent, safeguard sensitive data, and avoid deceptive practices.
• Bias mitigation: Researchers should be aware of potential biases that can skew results, such as sampling, response, and confirmation biases. Use randomization, double-blind studies, and diverse research teams to minimize bias.
• Longitudinal studies: Consider conducting research over an extended period to track changes in consumer behavior, preferences, and attitudes. This is particularly valuable in dynamic markets or when assessing the impact of marketing campaigns or product changes.
• Contextual factors: Recognize that consumer behavior is influenced by external factors such as economic conditions, social trends, and cultural norms. Incorporate these contextual elements into your research design and analysis for a more holistic understanding.

Incorporating these considerations into your consumer research methods ensures that your insights are reliable, ethically sound, and effectively translated into business success.

Let research and data be your guide to market leadership

Effective consumer behavior research requires more than just asking questions—it requires a keen understanding of human nature and a willingness to listen with an open mind. It’s about setting aside preconceptions and letting the data speak for itself, even if it challenges long-held assumptions.

Choose the right combination of qualitative and quantitative research strategies based on the insights you want to uncover. The results will help you understand consumer behavior and, in the long-term, drive product innovation and build brand loyalty that helps you stay at the top of your market.

Want to know the exact metrics you need to track to improve your business growth? Read on to learn how to track website, social media, and offline analytics for multi-location enterprises to get a complete view of your operations.