Don't ask if you're not going to action

Market research is a funny beast. We feel like we SHOULD be doing it - keeping in touch with our customers, checking how we're performing, working out what we should change, learning what's important to prospects. Yet the research is a waste of time if you don't do anything with it.In fact, it can even be damaging to your business if you ask but don't action.

Many times I've worked with clients who've done research - either one off, or ongoing - with little changing subsequently. I was browsing the web today looking for wall paper when I came across this site as an example. I saw they had a little poll about whether visitors to the site would like to buy wallpaper online or not. So I clicked yes, as I would like to buy it online. You'll see from the screenshot, so would about 80% of other people.

Yet this poll has been active three years and you still CAN'T buy wallpaper online at this site. Which is made just a little more frustrating because YOU KNOW that THEY KNOW that is what people want...which doesn't provide for a great first impression.

So the moral of this story - if you're not going to do anything about it, don't ask the question. Spend the time and resources elsewhere.