25 Tools To Supercharge Your Market Research and Outperform Competitors

Introduction

As a marketer, I’ve always been fascinated by the power of data in shaping our understanding of the market and informing our decisions.

But I’ve also seen firsthand how a lack of data can hinder even the most well-intentioned marketing efforts.

Large brands often have comprehensive data at their disposal, while smaller brands often struggle to gather even the most basic information.

As someone who’s worked with AI-powered tools, I’ve learned that the quality of your solutions is directly tied to the quality of your brief.

And your brief is only as sharp as the data you’ve fed into it.

I’ve seen it time and time again – even when the prompts are the same, the solutions can vary wildly depending on the quality of the data.

That’s why I’m excited to share with you a curated list of 25 essential tools designed to streamline your data collection, analysis, and insights.

You don’t need to use all of these tools. The ideas here will trigger possibilities for you.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these tools will help you uncover valuable market trends, understand your audience better, and make data-driven decisions that leave your competitors in the dust.

Let’s get started on this journey.

What should you do when you have limited data?

There are few things you can do. Please don’t scrimp on any of these.

If you do, then your strategy and your campaigns will be off the mark.

1. Run a quick survey amongst current/ or potential customers with an incentive for answering [Use tools like Google Forms, Typeform, or SurveyMonkey for this]
2. Do secondary research on the web. Use Reddit forums, Quora, discussion groups to gather data on the pains, problems that folks express in the category, or on your competition, or for your product. Analyze conversations for pains, gains, and customer vocabulary.
3. Search for information on Review sites: Gartner, G2 for software, Yelp, TrustPilot, Mouthshut, etc, for gleaning customer reviews, and/or competitor reviews. Analyze this for pains, gains, and customer vocabulary.
4. Use AHREFs, or SEMRush to gather data: These tools offer a wealth of data from visitors, pages viewed per visit, total traffic, top pages, top backlinks, SEO Audit, keywords tanked on, etc, which is a lot of grist for competitive analysis.
5. Ask the client for details using a brief that covers pains, gains, product information, product USPs, etc.
6. Interview Salespeople or Department Heads, directly if possible, after asking the client to set it up for you. Use Google Meet, or Zoom to conduct these interviews.
7. Look for industry white papers and reports: Search on Google for [Keyword + filetype:PDF] to uncover hidden pdf reports. These may offer you a wealth of information on customer segments, habits, behaviour, demographics, etc, that you can use.

Remember AI tools need data to give you correct outputs. It’s not as simple as using a prompt and getting an answer.

Before you use the prompt, ensure that your research and data is in place.

AI tools also can sift through more data and make sense of it, than you and I can. So don’t fret over the volume of data.

For instance, Google’s Gemini Pro comes with a context window of 700,000 words. That’s a lot of data that an AI tool can handle.

Industry Reports

Besides the ideas listed above, here are some more.

Statista: Offers comprehensive data on markets and industries, including market overviews, revenues, and the latest information about the state of various industries. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

IBISWorld: Provides detailed industry reports covering over 700 U.S. industries and includes specialized reports for other countries. Price: £15,000 to £250,000 per license per year.

BMI – Fitch Solutions: Available through ABI/Inform and other databases, offering reports for industries in various countries. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

MarketLine: Accessible via Business Source Premier and other databases, providing industry profiles and market research reports with detailed analysis. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

ProQuest: Contains Just-Series Market Research Reports and other industry and market information. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.  

Fitch Solutions.: Offers industry analysis and forecasts, available through various databases. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

EIU Viewpoint: Provides industry analysis and insights from The Economist Intelligence Unit, covering major industries in over 200 countries. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

Mergent Online: Features ICB (Industry Classification Benchmarks) reports and other industry analysis tools. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

Vertical IQ: Provides industry intelligence, including overviews, forecasts, and recent developments for a wide range of industries. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

Global Market Insights: Offers market research and industry analysis reports, with the ability to create custom reports for specific needs. Price: Varies based on report and subscription level.

These industry reports provide valuable insights and data for various markets and industries, helping businesses make informed decisions.

Primary Research: Surveys, Forms

QuestionPro: Offers a comprehensive suite for creating and distributing surveys, including email management and QR codes. Besides surveys, it offers tools for gathering primary data through various distribution methods. Price: Starting at $99.00/month. Site: 

SurveyMonkey: Popular for its ease of use and extensive template library, suitable for creating and analyzing surveys. Price: Starting at $25.00/month.

Hotjar: Provides tools for creating on-page surveys and user interviews, with customizable templates. You can use this on the brand website to get more information on customer behaviour on the site. Price: Starting at €48/month (approximately $52/month). Site: 

SmartSurvey: Allows for detailed survey creation and distribution, with a focus on data collection and analysis. Price: Starting at £45.00/month (approximately $57/month).

Google Forms: A free tool for creating simple surveys and forms, integrated with Google Sheets for data analysis. Price: Free; G Suite starts at $6/user/month. 

These tools provide a range of options for conducting primary research through surveys and forms, catering to different needs and budgets.

Data Analytics Tools

SEMrush: Comprehensive SEO tool offering keyword research, site audits, traffic analytics, and competitive analysis. Price: Pro: $129.95/month | Guru: $249.95/month | Business: $499.95/month.  

Ahrefs: Known for its extensive backlink database, keyword research, and competitive analysis features. Price: Lite: $99/month | Standard: $199/month | Advanced: $399/month | Enterprise: $999/month.

SimilarWeb: Provides insights into website traffic, sources, and competitor analysis. Price: Starter: $125/month (billed annually) | Professional: $333/month (billed annually) | Team: Custom pricing | Enterprise: Custom pricing.

Moz Pro: Offers keyword research, site audits, and backlink analysis, similar to SEMrush and Ahrefs. Price: Standard: $99/month | Medium: $179/month | Large: $299/month | Premium: $599/month.

SpyFu: Focuses on competitor analysis, revealing successful keywords and ads used by competitors. Price: Basic: $39/month (or $16/month if paid annually) | Professional: $79/month (or $36/month if paid annually) | Team: $299/month (or $149/month if paid annually) 

These tools provide a range of options for conducting data analytics, catering to different needs and budgets.

Audit Tools

Ahrefs SEO Site Audit: Inspects keywords, link building quality, and overall site health. Price: Lite: $99/month | Standard: $199/month | Advanced: $399/month | Enterprise: $999/month

SEMrush Site Audit Tool: Identifies and fixes over 140 potential SEO issues, with detailed thematic reports. Price: Pro: $129.95/month | Guru: $249.95/month | Business: $499.95/month

DYNO Mapper: Monitors website health, providing weekly content audit reports and notifications. Price: Standard: $40/month | Premium: $80/month | Enterprise: Custom pricing

Screaming Frog: A desktop program that offers detailed analysis of technical SEO issues. Price: Free: Up to 500 URLs | Paid: £149/year (approximately $200/year)

ContentKing: Provides real-time 24/7 auditing with a user-friendly interface and detailed performance metrics. Price: Starter: $39/month | Pro: $79/month | Enterprise: Custom pricing

These tools provide a range of options for conducting comprehensive website audits, catering to different needs and budgets.

Secondary Web Research Tools

Reddit: A platform for finding honest conversations and common questions related to various topics. Price: Free

Quora: A Q&A platform where users can find detailed answers and discussions on a wide range of topics. Price: Free

AnswerThePublic: Visualizes search queries and questions people are asking about specific topics. Price: Monthly: $99/month | Annual: $79/month (billed annually) | Lifetime: $499 (one-time payment)

QuestionPro: Offers a comprehensive suite for creating and distributing surveys, including email management and QR codes. Besides surveys, it offers tools for gathering primary data through various distribution methods. Price: Starting at $99.00/month

Hotjar: In addition to surveys, it provides tools for observational research and user feedback. Price: Starting at €48/month (approximately $52/month)

These tools provide a range of options for conducting secondary web research, catering to different needs and budgets.

Review Sites

Gartner: Provides in-depth reviews and ratings of software and technology products.Price: Varies based on subscription and services. Access is free.

TrustPilot: A widely used platform for customer reviews and ratings of businesses and services. Price: Free for basic use; premium plans available.

Yelp: Focuses on local business reviews, including restaurants, shops, and services.
Price: Free for basic use; advertising options available at custom pricing.

Mouthshut: An Indian review platform covering a wide range of products and services. Price: Free

Amazon: Offers customer reviews and ratings for a vast array of products sold on its platform. Price: Free

These tools are essential for conducting comprehensive market research, each serving different aspects of data collection, analysis, and competitive insights.

Next Steps

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