MARKET RESEARCH IN CSB OF LATVIA

1. MARKET RESEARCHIN CSB OF LATVIA Gundega Gajevska CSB of Latvia

2. CONTENTS OF PRESENTATION • Research and monitoring • What is monitored? • Subscriptions to publications • Requests for tailor made data sets • Home page visitors and visits • Data base extractions marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

3. RESEARCH AND MONITORING • Statistics on: • subscriptions to publications • information centre (IC) visitors, regional IC visitors • requests for tailor made requests • home page visitors and visits • data base extractions • articles in regional newspapers (RIC) • Monitoring of: • frequently asked questions (by mail, in IC) • comments and proposals at IC • feedbacks in mailbox of database marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

4. RESEARCH AND MONITORING (cont.) • Customer satisfaction survey • by snail mail in xxxx and 2004 • by mail • Image and familiarity survey • outsourcing in xxxx • Meetings with business sector representatives • Other institutions’ web page monitoring marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

5. RESEARCH AND MONITORING:SUBSCRIPTIONS OF PUBLICATIONS - 15 thsd subscriptions in 2004, a decrease of 3.5 thsd compared to previous years - a decline in trend. Comments and proposals at IC • private persons and business companies need quick access to the data, they purchase already released publications rather than make subscriptions at the beginning of the year. • students mostly need only a selection of indicators not the whole data set included in the publication therefore IC staff has to extensively use photocopier. • Publication printruns become smaller/less cost-effective • publication policy was revised and short-term statistics leaflets have been abolished instead a short-term statistics database (free off charge, no registration) has been launched. marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

6. RESEARCH AND MONITORING:REQUESTS FOR TAILOR MADE DATA SETS • Number of requests for tailor made data sets from Latvia is increasing: • Standard replies • Improve service for requests and clients that are profitable • Develop customer database marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

7. RESEARCH AND MONITORING: HOME PAGE VISITORS AND VISITS (thousands) marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

8. RESEARCH AND MONITORING: HOME PAGE VISITORS AND VISITS • An analysis of homepage user statistics shows a growing trend: in December 2004 the number of unique user visits doubled in comparison with the previous year. • Visitors have found useful information and visit the homepage more often than in the previous year. • Monitoring of frequently asked questions (by mail, in IC) • questions on data and information that can be found on home page • home page structure has become sophisticated and difficult to browse • Home page restructuring is urgently necessary (planned outsourcing) marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

9. RESEARCH AND MONITORING:DATA BASE EXTRACTIONS marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

10. RESEARCH AND MONITORING:DATA BASE EXTRACTIONS (cont.1) • From 1 October 2004 the databases are accessible on the Internet without subscription fees and this means that any data user who has the Internet may access these statistical data. The number of viewed or downloaded tables has therefore increased more than 3 times. • In mid-October 2004 improvements were made in software that registers users` manipulations and allows obtaining more detailed information about the users` activities and tables viewed in the databases. marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki

11. (15 October – 31 December, 2004) Most popular themes in the databases : Options used: RESEARCH AND MONITORING:DATA BASE EXTRACTIONS (cont.2) marketing research - LATVIA / Marketing Conference in Helsinki