We use a combination of sources for our research: customers, industry participants, experts, your company’s own documents and data, and third-party material. Alone, each source has its own biases and flaws. When used together, these sources create a rich and accurate picture for decision making.
Hart guides clients through a painless process that ensures your money and time are well spent.
Surveys
We produce data-rich, idea-inspiring, cost-effective, and reliable surveys. When we design surveys, we think first about the information you want and problems and opportunities your company faces — then design a survey to deliver that information and idea material. Our surveys are cost-effective because we use small yet reliable sample sizes, elicit high response rates, and work well with your own in-house resources. Our training in statistics and survey design enables us to ensure each survey is statistically reliable and valid.
Social Media Observation
Sometimes the “real world” delivers more accurate data than a survey can. If you want to know what your online customers are thinking and doing, observing a social media Web site can tell you. Hart looks at what creative people are making, selling, buying, reading, and talking about online.
Individual Interviews and Group Discussions
Every company, because of its priorities and assumptions, has difficulty listening objectively to customers. We are your neutral third-party interviewers — we listen to customers, industry participants, and experts. We learn about customer needs, desires, feelings, motivations, lifestyle, activities, and product impressions. We often use this qualitative data as the basis for a survey.
Information Searches and Analysis
Give us an information challenge, and we’ll find the answer. We conduct research using search engines (Google and others), government databases including those of the SEC, Commerce Department, and US Census, proprietary magazine and newspaper article archives, current publications, association data and publications, national yellow pages, and your company’s own information.
Usability Studies
We conduct usability studies in as real-life situations as possible, to generate feedback that reflects actual use. Usability testing will help you identify product improvements and competitor weaknesses in a vivid way. We can test with mockups, prototypes, or actual products.
Research Process
Hart works with each client to establish a written plan for the project so clients get exactly what they need. The plan includes the following:
- Business goals
- Information needed
- Research methods
- Deliverables
- Fixed costs
- Schedule
