Market research survey questions
Use these questions to validate a business idea before you invest: who your potential customers are, what problem they have, what they use today and how much they would pay. Don’t use them all: pick 8 to 12, start with the profile and end by asking interested people for a contact. Replace the text in brackets with your product or problem.
Profile
- 1.
What is your age range?
Single choiceUnder 18 · 18 to 24 · 25 to 34 · 35 to 44 · 45 to 54 · 55 or more - 2.
What city do you live in?
Open-ended - 3.
What is your employment status?
Single choiceEmployed · Self-employed · Business owner · Student · Other - 4.
How many people live in your household?
Number - 5.
Who decides on buying [type of product] in your household or company?
Single choiceI do · Someone else · Several of us decide together
Current habits
- 6.
Do you currently use or buy any [type of product or service]?
Yes / No - 7.
How often do you use or buy it?
Single choiceEvery week · Every month · Every few months · Once a year or less · Never - 8.
What do you use today to solve [describe the problem]?
Open-ended - 9.
About how much do you spend per month on [type of product]?
Number - 10.
How satisfied are you with what you use today?
1 to 5 scale
Problems and needs
- 11.
How big a problem is [describe the problem] for you?
1 to 5 scale - 12.
What bothers you most about the options available today?
Multiple choiceThe price · The quality · Hard to use · Takes too long · Poor service · Hard to find - 13.
I am actively looking for a better solution to this problem.
Agreement scale - 14.
When was the last time you had this problem?
Single choiceThis week · This month · A few months ago · More than a year ago - 15.
Tell us about the last time it happened. What did you do?
Open-ended
Purchase criteria
- 16.
What matters most to you when choosing a [type of product]?
Multiple choicePrice · Quality · Speed · Ease of use · Service · Recommendations from others - 17.
If you had to pick just one, what would be your main reason to buy?
Single choicePrice · Quality · Speed · Ease of use · Service · Recommendations from others - 18.
Before buying something new, I compare several options.
Agreement scale - 19.
What would make you distrust a new product?
Open-ended
Willingness to pay and channels
- 20.
How interested would you be in a product that [describe your idea in one sentence]?
1 to 5 scale - 21.
How much would you pay for a solution like this?
Single choiceNothing · Less than [amount] · Between [amount] and [amount] · More than [amount] - 22.
Which way of paying do you prefer?
Single choiceOne-time payment · Monthly subscription · Pay per use - 23.
Where do you prefer to buy this kind of product?
Single choicePhysical store · Website · WhatsApp · Social media · Delivery app · Other - 24.
Where do you look for information before buying something new?
Multiple choiceGoogle · Social media · Recommendations from people I know · Online reviews · In the store · Other
Open-ended questions
- 25.
What would an ideal solution need to have for you?
Open-ended - 26.
What would make you switch from what you use today to something new?
Open-ended - 27.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about this?
Open-ended - 28.
Leave your email if you want us to tell you when it is ready.
Open-ended
Tips for your survey
- Share it in groups and communities where your ideal customer already is, not just with friends and family.
- Ask about what people do today, not what they would do in the future. Real habits say more than intentions.
- Put the questions about your idea at the end, so they don’t influence the answers about the problem.
- Ask for an email at the end. The people who leave one are your first candidates for an interview or a trial.
- Use price ranges that make sense in your market and adjust the amounts in brackets.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people should answer a market research survey?
- It depends on what you want to decide. To validate an early idea, a few dozen answers from your ideal customer already show patterns. To compare groups or estimate percentages more precisely, you need quite a lot more.
- Do people tell the truth about how much they would pay?
- Not always. People often say they would pay more than they actually do. Use these answers as a signal and compare them with what they already spend today on similar solutions.
- How is this different from a concept test?
- Market research focuses on the problem, the habits and the customer. A concept test shows a specific idea and measures whether people understand it and would buy it. Usually you do market research first.
- How do I get responses?
- With SurvIQ you can share it by link, WhatsApp, email or a QR code. People answer from their phone without creating an account, and you see the results in charts in real time.
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