Oil prices set record highs this week and many analysts see this trend continuing, with gas prices breaking $4 a gallon and higher — and permanently staying there. This type of impact on the cost of energy could mean a permanent change in spending patterns for your customers and consumers. All but the most wealthy [...]

http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/NewsletArch/newsletter05_22_08.htm Hello Folks - While the US economy is not officially in a recession, most customers are becoming more cost-conscious as prices in key areas increase. Their needs are changing, but as a marketer how do you know what, exactly, has changed? My “Marketing Strategy for a Tough Economy” explains a method for projecting and integrating [...]

by Bobette Kyle http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/marketing_management/market_research.htm If you need a refresher on the difference between qualitative and quantitative research — or primary versus secondary — take a look at this article from a few years back. There are more ways for small businesses to get customer input today (so the examples are no longer comprehensive), but the basic [...]

by Mark Goodin http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/techniques/qualitative-research.htm Similar to the classic marketing mix for products and services, getting quality respondents for your qualitative market research has a mix of ingredients, too. They are who, why, what and where. WHO is being targeted, WHY should respondents care, WHAT’S in it for respondents and WHERE will the respondents come from? Here’s [...]