Market Research Techniques for Libraries

2. Market Research Techniquesfor Libraries An Infopeople Workshop Presented by Joan Frye Williams joan@jfwilliams.com

3. Market Research = Organized effort to gather information about markets or customers

4. Change Increases the Need for Market Research • Population • Economic conditions • Competition • Technology

5. Market Research Can Explore or Confirm • Open our eyes and broaden our vision • What is new? • What are we missing? • Narrow our options and concentrate our efforts • Is this the right choice? • What specific results can we expect?

6. What Do You Want to Find Out?Market Research Objectives • Focus • Be specific • Use action verbs • Prioritize

7. Market Research Techniques • Third party research • Customer visits • Focus groups • Experimentation • Surveys

8. Third Party Research • Work already done by others • Published or unpublished • Raw data and/or analysis

9. Third Party ResearchSteps • Ask question(s) • Scan resources • Evaluate for trends, patterns, nuggets • Assemble key points • Repeat, refresh, refine

10. Third Party ResearchDos and Don’ts • Do ask Reference to help • Do consult “official” local sources • Do compare and contrast information from different sources • Don’t take numbers at face value • Don’t try to absorb a mass of data all at once

11. Customer Visits(Outside the Library) • Face-to-face interviews • Direct observation • Interact on customers’ turf • Ad hoc or planned • Snapshot or ongoing

12. Ad Hoc Customer Visit Steps • Agree on simple questions • Train staff to ask those questions outside the library • Log answers/observations • Where • When • Who (describe, don’t identify) • Review for patterns, trends, puzzles

13. Planned Customer VisitSteps • Select customers to visit • Make appointments • Select staff to interview, record • Create discussion guide • Conduct interviews • Debrief and log answers/observations • Analyze and report results

14. Customer VisitDos and Don’ts • Do guard against interviewer bias • Do involve non-public service staff • Do ask customers to identify problems • Don’t ask customers for solutions • Don’t talk too much • Don’t draw sweeping conclusions

15. When to Use Different Types of Questions • Open-ended, narrative questions • Face-to-face • Customer visits, focus groups • Specific, defined choice questions • Online, phone, mail • Experiments, surveys

16. The Best Questions • Something customers already know • Opportunity for personal expression • Simple, uncluttered • Active voice • Jargon-free • Don’t lead • Clear why you’re asking

17. Focus Groups • Moderated group interviews • One topic – 4 questions • Open-ended • 8-12 participants • 2 hours per session • Minimum of 3 sessions • Audio/video recording

18. Setting Up the Focus Group Steps • Identify kind(s) of customers to research • Reserve meeting room with large table • Prepare screening questions • Decide on incentives • Recruit and schedule participants • Recruit more participants than you need

19. Conducting the Focus Group Steps • Identify moderator, host, and (audio or video) recorder • Develop discussion guide • Engage entire group in discussion • Debrief immediately • Review tapes with others • Analyze and report results

20. Focus GroupDos and Don’ts • Do anticipate logistical foul-ups • Do get a top-notch moderator • Do focus on a few topics • Don’t be too picky about screening • Don’t vote or count responses • Don’t draw sweeping conclusions

21. Experimentation • Individual customers choose from alternatives • Experience, not imagination • One variable only • In person, mail, online

22. Experimentation Steps • Select variable • Create alternatives • Identify “laboratory” • Identify participants • Pretest • Conduct experiment • Record results • Analyze and report

23. ExperimentationDos and Don’ts • Do ask the right question • Do limit to one variable • Don’t start with this technique • Don’t reject customers’ choices

24. Surveys • Fixed set of questions • Large sample • Self-reported • In person, phone, mail, online

25. Try Not to Mix Survey Types • Customer satisfaction • Market segmentation • Service usage • Usage intentions • Brand image and perceptions • Tracking • Media usage

26. Try Not to Mix Question Types • Yes/no • True/false • Agree/disagree • Forced choice • Scale of 1-5 • Comparative ranking • Choose from list

27. Survey Steps • Identify population • Draw sample • Develop survey • Mock up reports • Pretest • Administer survey • Follow up • Tabulate results • Analyze and report

28. Dos and Don’ts • Do keep it short • Do draw a large sample • Do avoid jargon • Do ask staff to predict results • Don’t draft the survey alone • Don’t over-explain • Don’t assume self-reporting is trustworthy

29. When to Hire a Professional • Major policy decision • Divisive issue • Big money at stake • Political cover needed • Expert moderators • Statistically rigorous sample • Laboratory, polling stations, meeting facilities • You know what to ask, but not how to ask it

30. Scanning the environment Third party research Customer visits Surveys Generating options Customer visits Focus groups Selecting an option Surveys Experimentation Evaluating success Surveys Choosing the Right Techniquefor Your Needs