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By Tiffany Mullin, Aytm
The concept of self-service market research is not a new one. For more than a decade portions of the market research lifecycle have been automated to optimize efficiency. However, many researchers are still resistant to moving research once completed by a full-service agency over to a self-service platform. In recent years the attitude related to self-service has changed and automation has proven to save time and money.
Self-service research provides some very important advantages but most importantly, it allows companies to leverage consumer insights in more of their decision-making. Initiatives that are allocated a limited budget may not be able to afford to hire an outside agency. And fast-track initiatives may not have the time it takes to go through the process of using an outside agency.
In addition to speed and price benefits, organizations with in-house research capabilities also have the advantage of having a broader understanding of their overall business strategy, previous research and past experiences of the organization which provides valuable context for survey design and interpretation of results (though care needs to be taken not to allow internal knowledge to create biases). Agencies can be briefed but they are only likely to get a small piece of that context.
However, self-service does not mean you are on your own. Most self-service platforms employ research experts with experience in survey design, programming and analysis. For instance, Aytm offers free access to its client services team over chat, phone and e-mail to assist you as you build and launch your survey. Should you decide you want to outsource a portion or even all of your study to a professional, Aytm also offers comprehensive and flexible full service options.
As with any form of research, proper planning is key. In this guide, you’ll receive information on:
- Best practices for survey design
- Properly targeting your panel audience
- Easily programming complex surveys with no technical skills
- Using automation to speed up data analysis and get to actionable insights sooner