(I) The concept of observation method
Observation method refers to a method of obtaining various data on people’s behavior in social life with the help of certain equipment and tools based on certain research purposes and research outlines. Market observation method refers to corporate investigators observing the behavior and manners of the subjects in a market environment (including supermarkets, service centers, etc.). It is often used for consumer environment observation, product use observation, user demand observation, user purchasing habits observation, and competitor observation.
(II) Classification of observation method
Observation is divided into manual observation method and non-manual observation method. Observation method is often used to obtain information in market research. For example: corporate investigators can determine brand preferences and promotional effects by observing the behavior of the subjects. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, people use instruments to observe the behavior of the subjects and analyze the behavior of the subjects through data.
(III) Application of observation method
When observing cross-border e-commerce product development, enterprise investigators generally obtain information by reading media information, browsing cross-border e-commerce platform product information, on-site discussions or directly observing relevant objects in the industrial chain. Enterprise investigators often use various modern instruments and means, such as mobile phone camera function, recording function, video function, screenshot function, etc. to assist observation.
Before developing products, cross-border e-commerce companies should understand the consumer environment, consumer habits and consumer preferences of users in different countries to improve the adaptability of products. For example: European and American consumers are keen on outdoor barbecues in their own gardens, so outdoor grills are very popular in European and American countries.
“Festa” is an important festival in some Spanish-speaking countries. During the festival, there are not only traditional celebrations, but also dance hall celebrations every weekend. Therefore, dresses, exaggerated jewelry, gorgeous high heels, carnival decorations, etc. are all hot-selling products in these countries. my country’s clothing and accessories industry chain is complete, and enterprises can innovate and upgrade and develop products according to market demand.
Westerners like individual beauty, and wigs have become a must-have accessory for attending parties or dates. Wigs are important holiday decoration items, and Westerners have a hobby of celebrating holidays by dressing themselves up with wigs. Therefore, the wig market is an important target market. Xuchang City, Henan Province is a wig production cluster in my country, with a complete industrial chain.
(IV) Advantages of the observation method
(1) Authenticity. The information obtained by the observation method is a true reflection of the consumer behavior and psychological activities of the survey subjects. Through observation, some inexpressible information can be directly obtained, so the data is objective and credible.
(2) Timeliness. The information obtained by the observation method is vivid data that is happening and at the moment, so the data is timely and reliable.
(V) Requirements of the observation method
During the observation process, the enterprise investigators carry out the observation according to the plan, list the observation content, start and end time, observation location and observation object, etc., make detailed records, and finally organize, analyze and summarize the observation results to draw objective conclusions. When observing, we must abide by legal and moral principles and pay attention to the privacy rights of the survey subjects.