The market research process is a key part of running a successful business. A report on the market research plan shows that the global market research industry is expected to grow by about 5% each year until 2024. The best market research tools help businesses learn about their competitors, analyze consumer trends and preferences, and keep track of customer satisfaction and product quality.
As a business owner, your goal is to make decisions based on data that will increase revenue. You need access to accurate, up-to-date market research to do this. But where can you find reliable information about the people you want to reach? There are a lot of tools you can use to do market research, which is good news.
Choosing the right market research tool is very important for your business. From primary research to surveys and polls, the best market research tool can help you reach your goals. In this blog, we ranked and reviewed the 8 best market research tools so that you can choose the best one for you.
What are market research tools?
Market research tools are technological resources businesses and researchers use to gather, analyze, and interpret data about consumers, competitors, and the overall market environment.
Market research tools help you get information from your customers, but you also need to know how to make sense of the information and present it in a meaningful way to make good decisions.
There are many different tools for conducting market research, but they all have one thing in common: they help you learn about your target market and audience to improve your customer experience.
You can use a market research tool to look at any part of your business, from its products and services to its marketing strategies and customer service policies, and figure out what works best for your target audience.
We encourage you to check it out to explore more ideas on this topic.
Types of market research tools
Different types of market research software are available, but it’s important to pick the ones that will help you get the information you need to make the decisions that will make your projects successful.
So, today we’ll talk about some tools that can help you to conduct market research quickly:
1. Online and offline surveys
Online surveys have become a popular market research tool because they enable businesses to collect data quickly, saving time and labor.
The correct online market research survey platform can help you conduct successful research and make smarter business decisions. QuestionPro market research surveys and tools can be ideal for your research process.
Some apps let you do market research surveys without an internet connection. So, you can collect data from any mobile device in any situation.
If you’re interested in learning more about these tools, we recommend checking out our guides on both options:
Online Surveys
- Enable businesses to collect data, saving time and effort quickly.
- Allow for real-time updates and seamless data integration.
- Offer customizable templates and advanced analytics for deeper insights.
- It is perfect for reaching a broad audience with minimal logistical challenges.
Offline Surveys
- Helpful in collecting data in remote or internet-restricted locations.
- Allow surveyors to gather responses using mobile devices without connectivity.
- Ensure data is securely stored and synced once an internet connection is restored.
- Suitable for field research, in-person interviews, and on-the-go data collection.
2. In-depth interviews
In-depth interviews are an excellent way to get detailed information from market research survey respondents. Because of how it works, doing them over the phone, in person, or through a video call is possible. Businesses can obtain qualitative data on important topics using in-depth interviews.
3. Online communities
Online communities are a powerful tool for marketing research. The process is complete because people who are more familiar with the brand can take part and are willing to help improve what needs to be improved to ensure its success.
Market researchers can conduct surveys and opinion polls or participate in an online discussion forum to gain brand market insights. You can conduct QuestionPro survey software for this. To do this, you can use QuestionPro market research survey software.
4. Field tests
Field Research is another tool that is often used in market research. For these, scientists use a marketing strategy that lets them test specific variables and hypotheses. The researcher controls the independent variable and looks at how it affects the dependent variable to see if there is a link between them. This kind of research is usually done in a lab or the real world.
5. Sales Analysis
This is undoubtedly one of the most important market research tools because it lets you know what the customer wants, how they buy things, and current market trends. Sales analysis lets companies see the whole marketing process and determine what they need to change.
If you want to know more, we have a blog about Top 5 AI Tools for Business and Uses for Research
15 Free Market Research Tools for Business Success
There are many tools you can use to do market research. These help you collect and analyze the information you need to make smart business decisions. Here are the 15 best market research tools we chose:
01. QuestionPro Research Suite (Best for Market Research)
If you’re worried about market research, QuestionPro can help. QuestionPro Research Suite is one of your business’s best market research tools. With QuestionPro Research Suite, you can easily create market research surveys that give you detailed and immediate information. You can customize your questions, use advanced question types, and connect with other tools to create complex research projects.
This is especially helpful for understanding people’s choices and consumer behavior, among other things.
You can also choose from up to 88 templates that you can change to do surveys that fit your needs. You will be able to get consumer insights that you can use to help your business and your customers.
Best features:
- Skip logic branching allows you to personalize survey responses. This feature is helpful for more complicated surveys.
- The integration of Google Sheets lets you quickly export your survey data into a Google Sheet for analysis.
- The customizable thank you page lets you end the survey experience with your logo and message.
- Multilingual surveys reach respondents in their native language. You may achieve a worldwide audience and obtain global consumer insights with QuestionPro.
Pricing
QuestionPro premium pricing plan begins at $99.00 per month.
02. SurveyMonkey (In-depth Online Surveys)
SurveyMonkey is a market research tool that lets you do quick surveys to determine how your target market reacts.
Using this tool, you can easily do advanced surveys, run online opinion polls, and do in-depth marketing research. It even gives you a lot of pre-built survey templates and cool features that help speed up the whole process.
Best features:
- Ability to do surveys quickly
- Easy to integrate with other software
- More than 200 customizable survey templates
- Helps with complex logic functions
Pricing
The basic plan is free. A standard plan begins at $99.00 per month.
03. Social Mention (Researching Real-time Social Media)
Social Mention is a real-time, social media-focused search engine. You can use the tool to find out what your current and potential customers are talking about online.
Using Social Mention, you can learn a lot about what people do on different websites involving social media platforms. Just type in a search term, a hashtag, or a website URL, and you’ll see every mention of that brand or product on a social media monitoring platform.
The unique benefit of this tool is that you can use it to get actionable insights for a brand from multiple social media sites.
Best features:
- Brand monitoring in real-time
- Online reputation management
- Covers all popular social media sites
- The sentiment analysis, keyword, and hashtag analysis feature
Pricing
Pricing plans start from $99 per month.
04. Google Trends (Keyword Research)
Google Trends is a tool for researching keywords that you can use to make your content more search engine-friendly. The tool gives SEOs and marketers a lot of information about what people worldwide are looking for.
Using this, you can get a lot of information about what people are searching for the most. You can divide the results by region, time, and even the type of search network. It is the best way to find out what keywords are popular during a certain season.
Best features:
- Comparative keyword research
- Identify trends by category, region, time, period, and more.
- Allows you to see market trends and areas where customers are interested
Pricing
- Google Trends is free to use. Its full potential does not require a subscription. You don’t even need to log in to Google. You can start your research right away by going to the website.
05. Qualtrics (Experience Management Based on AI)
Qualtrics is an AI-based experience management platform that helps more than 11,000 brands around the world manage their customer experience. It is one of the top market research tools. Using the tool, you can do high-quality market research quickly.
With this platform, you can get detailed information on all aspects of market research. It uses advanced statistical methods to find out details about your target audience.
Best features:
- Market trends analysis
- Online panel management
- A/B testing for change management
- All screen sizes are fully optimized
- Conjoint analysis to improve the customer experience
Pricing
- Qualtrics pricing plan is complex. But you can request a demo from the official website.
06. Statista (Statistical Data Analysis)
The Statista Global Consumer Survey is a unique way to get consumer information. It gives you the latest information on retail sales so you can figure out which industries are growing the most.
Here, you can find market research data that you can use to make buyer personas, build online questionnaires, and even use for content marketing. If you are a marketer seeking credible statistics supported by research, Statista is the platform for you.
Best features:
- Global surveys
- Provides infographics
- Marketing outlook tools
- Digital trend and market research reports for important brands and businesses
Pricing
- The basic account is free. A premium account charges $59.00 per month.
07. Typeform (Creating Feedback Forms)
Typeform is a cloud-based tool for making feedback forms and surveys. With it, you can quickly and easily do surveys to gather data in a fun, engaging, and useful way.
The user interface of Typeform is simple and easy to use, and you can make custom surveys by dragging and dropping. It also has detailed analytics and reporting tools, letting you see survey responses in real-time.
Best features:
- Live online training
- Form creation without coding
- Market analysis tools
- Integration is simple with more than 500 business apps.
- Full documentation
Pricing
- There are limited free plans available. Premium plans start at $25 per month, billed annually.
08. Tableau (Visual Data Analysis)
Tableau is a business intelligence suite that helps small, medium, and large businesses visualize data. It lets users look at data and make interactive charts, stories, dashboards, and other types of data visualization.
The tool lets you collect and organize data from multiple sources, like Google Analytics, Excel sheets, and relational databases. You can then combine all of these pieces of data to make datasets that give a complete picture of the market.
Best features:
- Programming-free data collection
- Dashboards are easy to add to programs like SharePoint and Salesforce.
- An unlimited number of data connectors (both on-site and cloud)
- Multiple levels of market analysis detail
Pricing
- Tableau premium plan starts at $42.00
09. Glimpse (Real-time Website Analytics and User Behavior Insights)
Glimpse is a powerful tool designed for real-time website analytics and in-depth insights into user behavior. It allows businesses to track user interactions on their websites, helping them understand how visitors engage with content, navigate through pages, and make decisions.
Best features:
- Real-time website analytics for immediate insights
- Heatmaps to visualize user interactions on web pages
- Session recordings for a detailed view of user behavior
- Funnel analysis to optimize conversion paths
- Integration with other tools for a comprehensive research approach
Pricing:
- Custom enterprise plans are available for larger organizations.
10. Qualaroo (Real-time Website User Feedback)
Qualaroo is a versatile market research tool that specializes in gathering real-time feedback from website users. It helps businesses understand user behavior and preferences through AI-based techniques, making it an essential tool for improving the overall user experience.
Best features:
- Real-time website user feedback
- AI-driven insights for enhanced understanding
- Customizable surveys for specific user segments
- Advanced analytics for data-driven decision-making
- Seamless integration with other tools for a comprehensive approach
Pricing:
- Pricing details can be obtained by visiting the official Qualaroo website or requesting a demo.
11. Zoho Survey (Customizable Surveys for Every Business)
Zoho Survey is an intuitive online survey platform that supports businesses of all sizes. Additionally, Zoho Survey offers seamless integrations with popular apps like Zoho CRM and Google Workspace.
Best features:
- Skip logic and branching for personalized surveys
- Real-time reporting with advanced analytics
- Offline survey collection with the mobile app
- Multilingual survey support for global outreach
Pricing:
Plans start at free.
12. HubSpot Feedback Surveys (Integrated Customer Feedback)
HubSpot offers a feedback survey tool as part of its CRM suite, focusing on improving customer relationships. This tool integrates customer feedback with marketing, sales, and service operations, enabling holistic insights into consumer needs.
Best features:
- NPS (Net Promoter Score), customer satisfaction, and custom surveys
- Seamless integration with HubSpot CRM and marketing tools
- Automated workflows based on feedback results
- Comprehensive customer insights from a single platform
Pricing:
Available as part of HubSpot’s Service Hub.
13. Alchemer (Enterprise-grade Feedback Collection)
Alchemer (formerly SurveyGizmo) specializes in gathering actionable insights through enterprise-grade feedback tools. Its flexibility makes it suitable for businesses looking to streamline workflows and improve decision-making.
Best features:
- Advanced reporting with real-time data visualization
- Workflow automation for better efficiency
- Secure data collection for compliance needs
Pricing:
Request a demo from the website.
14. UserTesting (Understanding User Experience)
UserTesting is a market research platform designed to capture insights about user experiences with websites, apps, and products. It helps businesses refine their offerings by understanding how real users interact with their platforms.
Best features:
- Live interviews for real-time feedback
- Recorded sessions of user interactions
- User insights on mobile apps, websites, and prototypes
- Integration with design and analytics tools
Pricing:
Custom pricing is available based on requirements.
15. BuzzSumo (Content and Social Media Insights)
BuzzSumo is a market research tool that analyzes content performance and social media trends. It helps businesses discover what topics resonate with their audience, enabling data-driven content creation strategies.
Best features:
- Content performance tracking across multiple platforms
- Real-time social media insights and trend analysis
- Influencer identification for targeted campaigns
- Keyword and backlink analysis for SEO optimization
Pricing:
Plans start at $199 per month.
We recently published a blog about the 12 Best Tools for Researchers. You can visit to explore more!
Why choose QuestionPro Research Suite for your market research needs?
While QuestionPro offers various features and capabilities, it’s essential to consider whether they align with your research objectives, budget, and other requirements. Here are some potential reasons why QuestionPro Research Suite might be considered one of the best market research tools:
1. Survey customization
QuestionPro provides extensive survey customization options, including access to a selection of 88 templates. This allows you to customize surveys to fit your specific requirements and branding, making data collection more relevant to your business.
2. Personalization
You can take advantage of the skip logic branching feature to personalize survey responses. This is particularly useful for complex surveys, ensuring that respondents receive questions based on their previous responses, resulting in a more efficient and relevant survey experience for them.
3. Data export and analysis
The integration with Google Sheets simplifies the process of exporting survey data for in-depth analysis. This feature is important if you want to make data-driven decisions based on your market research findings.
4. Global reach
QuestionPro enables you to conduct surveys in respondents’ native languages, making it an excellent choice if you want to reach a global audience and gain valuable insights from diverse markets.
5. Professional presentation
The customizable thank-you page feature allows you to end the survey experience with your branding and message, creating a professional and consistent image for your brand.
6. Pricing
While pricing is an important consideration, you’ll find that QuestionPro offers competitive pricing starting at $99.00 per month for its premium plan, making it an affordable option suitable for businesses of various sizes.
We’ve just released a blog discussing market research trends. Feel free to take a look for additional inspiration!
Conclusion
Using a valuable market research tool is an excellent way to determine what your target audience is thinking. Whether you use a free market research tool or a paid one, you can find a lot of information that can change your business.
Price and features are important things to consider when looking at the best tools for market research. Even though free market research tools are great, they may not be helpful when you are on a tight schedule or need key information about a competitor, market, or product. So it’s important to make a good choice.
If you are considering utilizing QuestionPro or just learning about their market research tool for the first time, then you are in the right place! QuestionPro makes it easier for businesses to win in the digital world.
QuestionPro’s market research plans help companies beat their competitors. Ask for a demo right now and try it out for yourself today!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
QuestionPro offers a premium pricing plan, but users can start with a free account, gaining access to basic features for market research.
Market research tools help businesses gather and analyze data to understand market trends, consumer behavior, and industry dynamics.
These tools provide valuable insights for informed decision-making, product development, and strategic planning, leading to increased competitiveness.
Depends on your needs, but QuestionPro offers a robust dashboard and advanced analytics tools. It supports customizable surveys, real-time data collection, and detailed reporting, making it a versatile choice for market research.