Although there are significant differences in the research methods between cross-border online market research and traditional online market research, the two are basically consistent in the research content.
Research on consumers
(1) Existing market size
Market size is generally defined as the total sales of a certain product category. Estimates of market size are usually collected from secondary information sources. For example, information published online by some industry associations, or data published on the websites of some survey companies (such as AC Nielsen, etc.), can be used as data sources for market size surveys. It should be pointed out that due to different definitions of industries, different survey institutions will make different estimates of the size of the industry, so it is necessary to understand how the information source used defines the industry to be surveyed.
(2) Potential market size
The potential market of a product refers to the total sales of the product when all potential consumers purchase the product. Steps to estimate the potential market size: The first step is to calculate the total number of potential buyers, that is, the number of people, families or units that may use the product. Statistical data from government agencies is a relatively good data source; the second step is to estimate the possible acceptance rate, that is, the percentage of potential buyers who will purchase the product. At this time, it is necessary to consider factors such as their interest in the product and purchasing power. Relevant information can be obtained through a certain sample of online surveys; the third step is to estimate how much each buyer will spend on average. This number can be estimated from existing market sales or from survey results on user purchasing behavior.
(3) Background characteristics of buyers
In the consumer goods market, it is necessary to understand the demographic characteristics of buyers, such as age, gender, income, marital status, family size and education level. When users register on the website, they are basically required to provide this information. Another type of information is about the characteristics of purchasing behavior, as well as the psychological characteristics of attitudes, tastes and preferences that affect purchasing behavior. This type of information can be obtained through online questionnaires, or corporate websites can use corresponding tracking software and business intelligence software to collect information on users’ online behavior, and analyze it on this basis to obtain the user’s behavioral characteristics and psychological characteristics.
(4) Why and how buyers use products and services
The most common method to obtain information about buyers’ purchasing motivations and consumption patterns is through surveys. In the survey, people answer questions about how often they use the product, under what circumstances, and for what purposes. In addition, online focus group interviews can also be used to understand people’s consumption. This format gives users more freedom to discuss what the products mean to them, how they use them, and the problems they encounter.
(5) Buyers’ brand loyalty
Brand loyalty in a broad sense refers to the degree to which consumers buy the same brand. In a market with high brand loyalty, special deals or promotions will not easily attract consumers from other brands. If a fixed sample is established and continuously tracked (such as registered users’ online purchase history), then the fixed sample data can be used to analyze buyers’ brand loyalty.