Consumer surveys and focus groups enable a company to have a better picture of the market. When a company launches a new product in the market, it is important for them to carry out a survey. Consumer surveys are mainly of two types, do-it-yourself surveys and professional surveys.

Focus groups are considered to be a qualitative market research that focuses on a selected group of 8 to 10 people. If you want to drill down into consumers’ minds, then it is always better to conduct a focus group survey.

You can use either open ended or close ended questions. Close ended questions consist of an option to select from a given set of answers. It’s more like a multiple choice questionnaire.  The open ended questions offer ample opportunities for the customer to answer in detail.

There are a number of ways in which you can conduct your own surveys and focus groups at minimum cost.

Ways in which surveys can be carried out by you:

•    Question people regarding the product through ask500people.com - This is a mostly free service that can be used for asking questions to many people. It is always advisable to use close ended questions while using such a method.

•    You can use Vizu Research- Vizu Answers allows practically anyone to conduct fast, affordable market research. For a small charge, you will be able to measure your online brand advertising effectiveness.

•    Yahoo Answers can also be an effective tool. This is free, and open ended questions can be asked.

•    You must keep in mind that in websites such as above, useful responses are not always guaranteed.

---