The data provider for your market research is a core element when it comes to getting good results. Your clients’ satisfaction will largely depend on the quality of the data you deliver to them.
It is no secret that, for all research agencies, the most important thing is to ensure that satisfaction by developing appropriate proposals that properly meet their clients’ needs. That’s why choosing a good partner for fieldwork is vital.
Below, we share five keys to selecting a good data provider, so that you can make good decisions, keep your clients satisfied, and protect your company’s reputation. Keep in mind that this selection encompasses several aspects, which go well beyond costs.
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Don’t just choose a data provider, choose a partner
The market offers various data provider options. The important thing is to choose not just a provider, but a true partner for your project. This means a subject matter expert who supports you from start to finish and whose support is based on good service. Remember that your choice will directly influence proper field research.
One of the most important characteristics of a good provider or partner is the understanding they demonstrate about your project. You should feel that they understand your company’s needs and that their proposed methodology aligns with what you’re looking for.
Once the probing stage is carried out, this partner must show you they clearly understand the situation motivating the project. This means they have the ability to play a key role in your client’s decision-making and development in the market.
When you have a true partner, you feel like they are an extension of your work team. From the beginning, you sense that they are a transparent provider that understands the project and will work side by side with you to drive it forward.
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Price isn’t the only factor when making a decision
Sometimes, we are tempted to choose the most inexpensive proposal. However, following this impulse is usually not the best advice. To successfully carry out a project and maximize your budget, many factors beyond price must be considered.
Aspects such as your partner’s expertise or the quality of the information you will get are the foundation of good results. This has a direct impact on data analysis, the quality of insights, and the client’s impression of your company. It’s clear that continued business is based on satisfaction and good results.
What do you gain from a low-cost proposal that doesn’t bring the project to fruition? You might lose a client. High-quality data is the main input in good market research. If your data provider does not ensure high-quality data, rather than maximizing your budget, you are undermining your agency’s reputation.
Therefore, a low-cost provider does not necessarily translate into a good partner. When you need to analyze your providers’ proposals, assess the results you are expecting. Compare these with your provider’s experience, quality, and transparency—not just the price.
With this in mind, always convey to your client the idea that market research and data collection are an investment. Supporting your client to connect with their audiences in the best way possible is more than an expense: It is taking them to the next level. The knowledge that you can provide them about their customers is highly valuable.
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Quality: The key to choosing your data provider
It might sound like a common phrase, but you shouldn’t dismiss it: Quality must be the hallmark of your provider. Make sure you know how your partner recruits study participants. Ask them what their sampling methods and quality controls are. Understand how they will ensure the accuracy of the information.
Their answers to these questions will give you a good idea of their quality. All this will dictate the efficiency of fieldwork and avoid reprocessing and additional costs. Simply put, a high-quality provider guarantees you high-quality information.
Beyond the data itself, your partner’s quality will be reflected in the entire process. A high-quality provider can expand your horizons from the start. As an expert, they can suggest a scope that you may not have considered or variations that will suit your initial idea. They can even help you resolve concerns or confirm the challenges laid out.
Once the sample is completed, you can expect optimal information from a good partner. Having bias-free data collection and information that is useful to you facilitates analysis and gleaning of insights.
Finally, assess whether your data provider is properly certified. With a panel that is ISO 20252-certified, you will avoid surprises. This certification is a sign of assurance when it comes to collecting and analyzing information: Responses are more organic and respondents’ professionalization biases are avoided.
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The data provider’s capacity and experience
Always choose a reputable provider with proven experience in projects of varying sizes. No matter the size of your project, these characteristics will give you peace of mind. Whether it’s a straightforward exploratory project or a complex project, you’ll know that you have an experienced view that will complement yours.
Your partner’s capacity, demonstrated in the projects they have managed, makes the entire process flow more smoothly. Project implementation and management, as well as data collection, will be carried out in a high-quality and efficient manner.
On another note, if it is about “thinking outside the box” and designing new challenges, your partner must have a proven track record. Their market knowledge and experience in delivering results are the foundation for the two of you to ensure the research’s success.
Your partner’s ability to demonstrate their involvement in research across different markets speaks of their brand’s sustainability and their practices. Remember that your clients always demand the best and trying out an inexperienced partner is leaving a lot to chance.
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Innovation must be in your data provider’s DNA
In the digital age, a good data provider is called upon to make the best use of technology. Today, implementing a study goes far beyond an online survey. Your partner should present you with data collection proposals that are based on the best available tools. This will give you the best possible results.
Innovation is essential amid today’s frenzied pace, in which everything evolves quickly. A good provider always explores new ways to collect data (especially using online methods, which offer a faster alternative to traditional/offline methods). This practice will always favor gleaning enlightening and disruptive insights that enable your clients to create winning strategies.
Also, remember that innovation is not only related to technology: It is about leveraging creativity to reach objectives and looking for different ways to achieve good results. Look for a partner that explores alternative and efficient options to address your challenges.
A comprehensive choice
Have you assessed all the aspects involved in choosing a good data provider? As you have seen, this is a sensitive choice, which will carry over into the quality of your final deliverable to the client. With that in mind, it is a comprehensive selection process.
Choose a high-quality partner with experience, who puts their characteristic innovation at your service. Weigh all these aspects, not just the cost. In the end, a low-cost provider with an unsuitable process will have negative budget implications. Never lose sight of the fact that, sometimes, “cheap is expensive.”
At Netquest, we deliver genuine and trusted data for the market research industry, putting innovation and cutting-edge technology at the service of your projects. We have extensive experience in research projects across different fields.
We give you confidence, based on the transparent way we handle fieldwork and care for our clients. The data you will obtain comes from a panel that is dedicated to building panelists’ loyalty and that has ISO 20252 certification. Contact us and let us become your partner!
