Successful products don't happen by accident. Behind every product people love is countless hours of research that shaped its development. Let's dive into how product research works and how you can use it to build better products.
What is product research?
The best product research definition goes beyond collecting user feedback - it's a systematic process of understanding user needs, market opportunities, and competitive landscapes before building products. When asking "what is product research," think of it as the foundation that guides every product decision, from initial concept to final launch.
What is the importance of product research?
Products research prevents expensive mistakes. Take Google Glass - despite groundbreaking technology, it failed because Google didn't fully understand how people would use and perceive the product in real life. The right product research methods could have identified the social and privacy concerns that led to its downfall.
What is considered a research product?
When exploring what should one research before creating a product, several key outputs emerge:
- Market Analysis Reports: These document market size, trends, and competitive landscapes. For example, a startup might analyze the project management software market to identify underserved segments.
- User Need Assessments: These reveal pain points and unmet needs. Slack's early research showed how teams struggled with communication across different tools, leading to their integrated platform approach.
- Concept Validation Studies: These test product ideas with potential users. Dropbox famously validated their concept with just a video demo before building the actual product.
- Feature Priority Reports: These help teams decide what to build first by understanding which features deliver the most value.
What is an example of product research?
Consider how Airbnb conducts product research. When they noticed declining bookings in certain cities, they combined multiple research approaches:
- Analyzed booking data to identify patterns
- Interviewed hosts about their challenges
- Studied guest booking behaviors
- Tested different pricing strategies
This research revealed that pricing uncertainty made hosts hesitant to accept bookings. The result? Airbnb's Smart Pricing feature, which helps hosts set competitive rates based on market data.
Another example comes from Spotify's Discover Weekly feature. Their research showed users struggled to find new music they liked, despite having access to millions of songs. Through analyzing listening patterns and interviewing users, they developed a personalized playlist solution that became one of their most popular features.
How to conduct product research
1. Define Research Questions
Good product research begins with specific questions, not vague goals. Instead of "we need to research our market," ask focused questions like "how do small business owners currently handle expense tracking?" or "what frustrates people most about current solutions?"
These questions guide your entire research process. They help you choose the right methods, find the right participants, and gather insights that actually drive decisions.
2. Choose Research Methods
Different questions need different product research methods. Say you're building a new task management app. Surveys might tell you how many people are unhappy with current tools, but interviews will reveal why. Watching people use existing tools shows you problems they don't even realize they have.
The best research often combines methods:
- Interviews uncover deep insights about user needs
- Surveys validate findings across larger groups
- Analytics reveal actual usage patterns
- Usability tests catch problems early
Using quantitative and qualitative product research
Combine both approaches for deeper insights.
Qualitative methods help you understand the "why" behind user behavior. For example, watching users struggle with a checkout process reveals more than just looking at abandonment rates.
Quantitative methods help validate findings across larger groups and measure the size of opportunities. Think of Netflix using viewing data to inform content decisions.
3. Select Participants
Define clear criteria for research participants based on your target users. Different products research requires different participant profiles. A B2B software study needs actual business users, not just anyone who's used similar tools.
If you're building a tool for freelance designers, talking to in-house designers at large companies won't give you accurate insights.
Screen participants carefully and make sure they match your target user profile. It's better to have fewer interviews with the right people than many interviews with the wrong ones.
4. Gather and Analyze Data
The difference between good and great product research often lies in analysis. Don't just collect data – look for patterns and unexpected insights. When multiple users mention similar problems in different ways, you've probably found an important need.
Document everything and use actual user quotes to support your findings. Tools like Looppanel can help organize interview data and identify themes across conversations.
5. Validate Findings
Test your conclusions through different methods. If interviews suggest users want a particular feature, verify this through surveys or prototype testing before committing to development.
What are the four types of product research?
- Exploratory Research: Focuses on understanding the problem space and user needs. This research happens early, before solutions are defined, and helps teams identify opportunities worth pursuing.
- Concept Testing: Validates product ideas and features before development begins. Teams test concepts through prototypes, mockups, or simple descriptions to gauge user interest and potential success.
- Usability Research: Ensures products are intuitive and easy to use. This research identifies friction points in the user experience and guides interface improvements.
- Market Research: Studies the competitive landscape, market size, and industry trends. This helps teams understand where their product fits in the market and how to differentiate it from competitors.
Each type serves a different purpose and works best at different stages of product development. While exploratory research shapes initial direction, concept testing validates specific solutions, usability research refines the experience, and market research ensures business viability.
Product research surveys
Product research surveys gather structured feedback at scale. Effective surveys:
- Focus on specific questions rather than trying to learn everything at once
- Mix quantitative and qualitative questions
- Keep questions neutral to avoid biasing responses
- Target the right participants
When to perform product research
The best product research happens continuously, but certain moments are crucial.
Before Development: Validate ideas before investing resources.
During Design: Test concepts early to catch problems.
After Launch: Monitor usage and gather feedback.
During Growth: Identify new opportunities and pain points.
How do I know if a product will sell?
Product success depends on understanding the intersection of user needs, market dynamics, and business viability. While users might express interest in a product, their actual buying behavior often differs from stated intentions. Strong product opportunities emerge when you find clear evidence of both user need and market readiness.
Evaluating your product research ideas
Success signals emerge when you systematically analyze both user behavior and market conditions. Look for evidence that users actively try to solve the problem, even if their current solutions are clunky or inefficient. Study whether they have both the budget and authority to purchase solutions. Most importantly, verify that the market size and competition levels support your business goals.
Market validation indicators
Watch how users currently solve their problems. The strongest validation comes from seeing people cobble together solutions or pay for inferior alternatives. Study whether similar products have succeeded in adjacent markets or with different user groups - this can indicate untapped opportunities in your target market. Pay attention to both what users say and what they actually do - behavior often reveals more than words alone.
Product Research Tools
Product research tools help teams gather and analyze data to make informed product decisions. Here's a roundup of essential tools.
Looppanel: Records and transcribes user interviews with AI-powered notes and analysis. Includes features for repository search, report-generation, collaboration and insight sharing.
Pricing: Starts at $30/month
Best for: User interviews and qualitative research analysis
Google Trends: Tracks search term popularity and regional interests over time. Perfect for understanding market trends and consumer interest.
Pricing: Free
Best for: Early market research and trend validation
SimilarWeb: Analyzes website traffic and market share, helping teams understand competitor performance and market dynamics.
Pricing: Starts at $125/month
Best for: Competitive analysis and market research
Productboard: Centralizes user feedback from multiple channels and helps prioritize features using AI-powered insights.
Pricing: Starts at $19/user/month, free plan available
Best for: Voice of customer research and feature prioritization
Make My Persona (HubSpot): Creates detailed user personas through a guided process, helping teams understand target users.
Pricing: Free
Best for: User persona development
Semrush: Provides comprehensive keyword research and competitor analysis tools for digital marketing insights.
Pricing: Starts at $139.95/month
Best for: SEO research and competitor analysis
Notion: Versatile workspace for organizing research data and collaborating with teams.
Pricing: Free plan; Team plans from $10/user/month
Best for: Research documentation and team collaboration
Figma: Collaborative design tool for creating and testing product prototypes.
Pricing: Free plan; Professional from $15/editor/month
Best for: Prototyping and design testing
Optimizely: Robust platform for A/B testing and feature experimentation.
Pricing: Custom pricing
Best for: Product optimization and A/B testing
Top product research tips
- Start research early before investing in development. Understanding user needs thoroughly can prevent expensive mistakes later.
- Use multiple research methods. Surveys alone might miss crucial insights that interviews would reveal. Similarly, analytics data might show what users do, but not why they do it.
- Document everything systematically. Good product research tips include recording all sessions and organizing insights in a central location.
- Share findings effectively. The best research only matters if teams can act on it.
How to run product research with Looppanel
Looppanel is a research analysis and repository tool designed to streamline user interviews. It records conversations and generates accurate transcripts along with AI-powered notes within minutes.
Here’s why Looppanel stands out for user research.
- Effortless Recording & Transcription: Automatically record and transcribe interviews with over 90% accuracy, supporting 17+ languages and diverse accents. Looppanel also generates AI-driven notes organized by interview questions, letting you stay focused on the discussion.
- Powerful Search & AI Summaries: Quickly locate specific quotes or snippets—just type a term like "confusing navigation" and it’s done. Plus, the AI summary feature answers your project-related questions using real insights from your data.
- Highlight & Share Insights: Tag key moments in interviews to uncover patterns and insights. Create and share video clips in seconds to communicate findings effectively.
- Real-time Collaboration: Take notes collaboratively with your team during interviews, ensuring no detail is missed.
- Speedy Analysis: Looppanel’s AI categorizes data by sentiment, themes, and issues, which you can edit and refine. It then generates visual affinity maps, cutting analysis time by 10x.
Book a free demo here and see how it works.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What do you mean by product research?
Product research is a systematic process of understanding user needs, market opportunities, and competitive landscapes before and during product development. A comprehensive product research definition includes both discovering what users need and validating potential solutions.
This type of research helps teams avoid building products that users don't want or won't pay for. When asking what is product research, think of it as the foundation that guides every product decision - from initial concept through development and even after launch.
What do you call a research with products?
Products research encompasses several different types of investigation, from market analysis to user testing. It can include competitive analysis, user behavior studies, pricing research, and feature validation.
What should one research before creating a product? The focus areas typically include user needs, market size, competitive landscape, and technical feasibility. Good product research combines multiple methods to build a complete picture of the opportunity.
What is a product research method?
Product research methods range from qualitative techniques like user interviews to quantitative approaches like market sizing and data analysis. How to do product research effectively depends on your specific goals and constraints.
Successful researchers often combine multiple methods to validate findings. For example, they might start with interviews to understand user needs, then use surveys to validate findings at scale, and finally test prototypes with users to refine solutions. Following established product research tips helps teams choose the right methods for their specific situation.
How is product research done?
The best product research combines multiple approaches to gather comprehensive insights. Types of product research typically include both primary research (direct user interaction) and secondary research (analyzing existing data and market reports).
Researchers start by defining clear objectives and choosing appropriate methods. They might analyze competitor products, interview potential users, study market trends, and test prototypes. The key is maintaining systematic documentation throughout the process and validating findings through multiple sources.
What are the 4 methods of market research?
Primary research methods include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observational studies. Each method serves different research goals and can reveal unique insights about user needs and behaviors.
Successful researchers use a mix of these approaches depending on their objectives. For example, surveys help validate findings at scale, while interviews provide deeper understanding of user motivations. Market analysis adds context about business viability and competitive dynamics.
How do you research a product before buying?
Before purchasing products, thorough research helps ensure you're making the right choice. Start by understanding your specific needs and budget constraints. Then research available options through user reviews, expert opinions, and comparison shopping.
What should one research before creating a product applies equally to purchasing decisions. Look at factors like features, pricing, reliability, and user feedback. Consider both immediate needs and long-term value to make informed decisions.
How to do competitive product research?
Competitive product research involves systematically analyzing competing solutions in your market. Study their features, pricing, marketing strategies, and user feedback. Look for gaps in their offerings that could represent opportunities for your product.
Effective competitor analysis goes beyond feature comparison. Understanding their business models, target users, and market positioning helps identify ways to differentiate your product successfully.
What is the difference between consumer research and product research?
Consumer research focuses on understanding buyer behavior, preferences, and purchasing decisions. In contrast, product research takes a broader view, examining both user needs and market opportunities. While consumer research might study how people choose between existing products, product research methods explore whether new products should exist at all.
Product research encompasses the entire development cycle, from identifying opportunities to validating solutions. It combines user insights with technical feasibility and business viability to guide product decisions.
What are the 4 types of products in product development?
Product development typically involves convenience products (everyday items), shopping products (items requiring comparison), specialty products (unique or luxury items), and unsought products (innovations users don't yet know they need).
Understanding these categories helps teams apply the right types of product research for each. Different product types require different research approaches and validation methods to ensure market success.
What is a product research job?
A product research job involves investigating user needs, market opportunities, and potential solutions to guide product development. Researchers use various product research methods to gather and analyze data, then translate findings into actionable recommendations.
The role requires both analytical skills and business acumen. Product researchers need to understand how to do product research effectively while also considering business goals and technical constraints. They often work closely with product managers, designers, and development teams to ensure research insights influence product decisions.
These professionals play a crucial role in reducing product development risks by validating ideas early and ensuring solutions align with real user needs and market opportunities.
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