We needed to do some qualitative market research for a new tech product, obtaining feedback from American consumers. Since this is an essential task during new product development’s early stages, I go through how we approached it in this video so you can take advantage of the same fast, easy, and cost-effective method.
Why do this type of qualitative market research?
This type of qualitative market research would be great for any company considering developing a new product (in this case, a hardware product). It’s a fast and affordable way of getting consumer feedback compared to employing an agency to set up a professional market research panel.
You simply get relevant consumers from Craigslist who provide feedback on your new product idea in a short Zoom call. This can be done online from your office or home with ease.
What you need
To run this market research, all you need is:
- A US or Canadian credit/debit card to pay Craigslist
- A Calendly account (can be free if you do all this within the free trial period)
- A Zoom account
- Some kind of payment or reward to provide applicants, such as purchasing gift cards for them
Method
The method outlined in the video is as follows:
- Create the Craigslist post explaining that you’re looking for feedback
- Create a questionnaire that people fill out before selecting the appointment time. This helps ensure that you only speak to people who reach your requirements (e.g. they have the right model of iPhone or any other information that helps you confirm that they are likely to have relevant insights)
- Block off the available appointment times in your calendar
- Link Calendly to Zoom so you get emails and an appointment when someone signs up on your calendar
- Have a form, typically in Excel, that guides you (what questions to ask) and lets you record the responses you get. Also make notes about demographics and other indicators about the people you survey, as that will help you see trends (e.g. ‘women tend to like a smaller form factor and tend to like the pastel colors better’).
That’s it! Then, after your phone interview with each person, you can follow up with them by email to provide their gift card.
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Do you have any thoughts about this qualitative market research method? Let us know how you have used it or about any changes you’d make by leaving a comment.
We also discuss market research in this podcast episode.
