Best examples of market research methodology examples for business plans

Examples of market research methodology examples for business plans

Let’s start where investors start: the examples of market research methodology examples for business plans that show up in the market analysis section. You don’t need fancy jargon. You do need clear, concrete methods tied to real decisions.

Strong business plans usually mix three types of research:

• Primary research: You collect the data yourself (surveys, interviews, tests).
• Secondary research: You pull data from existing sources (industry reports, government data, academic studies).
• Behavioral/analytics research: You analyze what people actually do (clicks, sign-ups, purchase data).

The best examples combine all three so your story isn’t built on one shaky source.

Example of survey-based market validation for a SaaS startup

Surveys are one of the most common examples of market research methodology examples for business plans because they scale quickly and give you quantifiable data.

Imagine a B2B SaaS startup building workflow software for small accounting firms. In the market research section of the business plan, you might describe your methodology like this:

• Target respondents: Owners and managers at small accounting firms (1–25 employees) in the U.S.
• Recruitment channels: LinkedIn outreach, industry Facebook groups, and email lists from local CPA associations.
• Sample size goal: 200 completed responses to get directional but usable statistics.
• Survey focus:
  • Current tools and pain points
  • Time spent on manual workflows
  • Interest in automation
  • Willingness to pay (price sensitivity)

You could then tie this to your findings:

• 72% of respondents report spending more than 5 hours per week on manual data entry.
• 64% say they would “likely” or “very likely” adopt a tool that cuts this time in half.
• 48% indicate a willingness to pay \(50–\)99 per user per month.

This is a textbook example of a primary research methodology that directly supports your pricing, positioning, and revenue projections. It’s not just “we did a survey”; it explains who, how, and what you learned.

If you want to ground your approach, you can reference established survey guidance, such as the U.S. Census Bureau’s materials on survey design and sampling: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sipp/guidance/survey-design.html

Real examples of interview-based market research for a consumer app

Surveys are great for breadth. Interviews give you depth. Many of the best examples of market research methodology examples for business plans use in-depth interviews to uncover motivations, language, and objections you’d never see in a multiple-choice form.

Picture a consumer wellness app targeting women aged 25–45 with high stress levels. Your methodology section might describe:

• Recruitment: 25 participants recruited via Instagram ads and local coworking spaces.
• Profile: Women 25–45, full-time employment, self-reported high stress, living in urban areas.
• Format: 45–60 minute semi-structured video interviews.
• Topics covered:
  • Daily routines and stress triggers
  • Previous attempts at stress management (apps, therapy, fitness, etc.)
  • Barriers to using wellness tools (time, cost, stigma)
  • Reactions to early wireframes or concept descriptions

You might then summarize patterns:

• Many participants described feeling “too tired to think” at the end of the day, suggesting ultra-simple onboarding.
• Several mentioned guilt about “not doing enough,” guiding your messaging away from productivity and toward self-compassion.
• Interviewees consistently rejected long-form meditation but responded well to 3–5 minute micro-practices.

This kind of qualitative research is one of the best examples of methodology that shapes product features, onboarding flows, and messaging. It also shows investors you’re listening to the market, not just building what you personally like.

For additional rigor, you can align your approach with qualitative research standards used in public health and social science, such as those discussed by the National Institutes of Health: https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you

Examples include secondary data and industry reports in 2024–2025

No investor wants a business plan that ignores existing data. The strongest examples of market research methodology examples for business plans combine your own research with credible third-party sources.

Secondary research examples include:

• Industry market size and growth: Using reports from sources like IBISWorld, Statista, or trade associations to estimate total addressable market (TAM) and growth rates.
• Government data: Pulling population, income, and demographic trends from sources like the U.S. Census Bureau (https://www.census.gov/) or the Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/).
• Academic and nonprofit research: Leveraging studies from universities or organizations (for example, Harvard Business School working papers on consumer behavior, or Pew Research Center for digital adoption trends).

Let’s say you’re opening a physical therapy clinic focused on older adults. Your methodology might state:

“We used U.S. Census Bureau population projections for adults 65+ in our metro area, combined with CDC data on fall-related injuries, to estimate the potential patient base over the next 10 years.”

Then you’d link to sources like:

• CDC falls and injury data: https://www.cdc.gov/falls/index.html
• Census population projections: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popproj.html

This is a clear example of secondary market research methodology that backs up your demand assumptions with public data.

Competitor and positioning analysis: real examples for business plans

Competitor research is where many founders get lazy: they list names but never explain how they analyzed them. Strong examples of market research methodology examples for business plans spell out a repeatable process.

For an e-commerce brand selling eco-friendly cleaning products, your methodology section might include:

• Competitor identification:
  • Search Amazon, Walmart.com, and Target.com for “eco-friendly cleaner,” “non-toxic cleaner,” and related keywords.
  • Identify the top 20 products by rating count and review volume.
• Data collected:
  • Price per ounce
  • Review count and average rating
  • Common complaints and praises from reviews
  • Claims (plant-based, fragrance-free, refillable packaging, etc.)
• Analysis approach:
  • Compare price positioning vs. conventional and premium brands.
  • Code reviews into themes (smell, effectiveness, packaging, skin sensitivity).
  • Identify gaps, such as lack of fragrance-free options for allergy sufferers.

By explaining your competitor research this way, you’re providing a concrete example of methodology that informs your pricing, product features, and brand promise.

In 2024–2025, founders increasingly add social listening to this mix: monitoring Reddit threads, TikTok comments, and niche Facebook groups to see unfiltered opinions about competitors. This behavioral data has become one of the best examples of modern market research methodology for digital-first brands.

Behavioral and analytics-based examples of market research methodology

Talking about what people say is good. Showing what they actually do is better. Digital analytics is now a standard example of market research methodology examples for business plans, especially for software and online businesses.

Consider a pre-launch fintech app that offers savings “round-ups” and automated budgeting. Before fully launching, the team might:

• Run a landing page test:
  • Create two landing pages: one focused on “automated savings,” the other on “debt reduction.”
  • Drive 2,000 visitors via targeted Google and Instagram ads.
  • Measure click-through rate (CTR) on the “Join waitlist” button.
• Analyze behavior:
  • Segment results by age and income.
  • Discover that 25–34 year olds respond more to “automated savings,” while 35–44 year olds respond more to “debt reduction.”

In the business plan, the methodology might read:

“We conducted A/B tests on two value propositions with 2,000 ad-driven visitors. The ‘automated savings’ concept generated a 5.2% waitlist conversion rate among 25–34 year olds, vs. 2.8% for ‘debt reduction’ in the same cohort. This supports our decision to lead with automated savings for younger users.”

This kind of experiment is a modern example of market research that blends marketing and product strategy. It shows you’re using data, not ego, to choose a direction.

Real examples of local market research for brick-and-mortar businesses

Service and retail businesses still need data, even if they’re not running A/B tests. Some of the best examples of market research methodology examples for business plans in local businesses are surprisingly simple.

Take a fast-casual restaurant concept in a mid-sized U.S. city. Your methodology might include:

• Foot traffic counts:
  • Manually counting pedestrians at your proposed location during peak hours over two weeks.
  • Comparing weekday vs. weekend traffic and lunch vs. dinner flows.
• Intercept surveys:
  • Short, in-person questions with people in the area: where they currently eat, price expectations, cuisine preferences.
• Menu testing:
  • Pop-up events or farmer’s market booths to test menu items and price points.

You could write in your plan:

“We conducted 10 days of foot traffic counts at our proposed location, averaging 220 pedestrians per hour between 11am–2pm on weekdays. Intercept surveys with 120 individuals showed strong interest in fast, healthier options under $15, with 68% indicating they would try our concept at least once per week.”

This is a grounded example of primary research methodology that makes your revenue forecast feel less like wishful thinking.

Using AI and social data: 2024–2025 examples include new tools

Market research in 2024–2025 looks different than it did five years ago. Many of the best examples of market research methodology examples for business plans now mention:

• AI-assisted survey analysis: Using AI tools to quickly code open-ended survey responses into themes.
• Social media sentiment analysis: Tracking brand and keyword mentions across platforms to spot trends and pain points.
• Review mining at scale: Scraping thousands of product reviews from marketplaces and app stores to identify unmet needs.

For instance, a DTC skincare brand might describe their methodology as:

“We analyzed 5,000+ reviews across Amazon and Sephora for competing products, using AI tools to categorize complaints by theme (irritation, fragrance, packaging, results). This analysis highlighted demand for fragrance-free products for sensitive skin, which informed our initial product line and messaging.”

This becomes a concrete example of research methodology that justifies your product roadmap.

If you operate in health or wellness, it’s also smart to cross-check consumer trends with medically reliable sources like Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/) or MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine (https://medlineplus.gov/). That combination of consumer insight and authoritative health information strengthens your market claims.

How to combine these examples of market research methodology in your plan

The strongest business plans don’t rely on just one method. They stack multiple examples of market research methodology examples for business plans to tell a coherent story.

A typical sequence might look like this:

• Start with secondary research to size the market and understand macro trends.
• Use surveys to quantify demand and willingness to pay.
• Run interviews to understand motivations, language, and objections.
• Conduct competitor analysis to identify gaps and positioning.
• Add behavioral tests (landing pages, pilots, pop-ups) to validate real-world behavior.

In your business plan, you’re not just name-dropping methods. You’re explaining:

• What you did
• Who you studied
• Why you chose that method
• What decisions the findings influenced

That’s what separates generic market analysis from the best examples that investors actually respect.

FAQ: examples of market research methodology for business plans

Q: What are some simple examples of market research methodology I can use if I’m on a tight budget?
Even with limited funds, you can run short online surveys using free tools, conduct 10–20 customer interviews over video, analyze competitor reviews on marketplaces, and do basic landing page tests with small ad budgets. These are all realistic examples of market research methodology examples for business plans that don’t require big agency fees.

Q: Can you give an example of combining qualitative and quantitative research in a business plan?
One practical example of this mix: a founder runs a 150-person online survey to gauge interest and pricing, then follows up with 15 in-depth interviews to understand why respondents answered the way they did. The survey shapes the pricing model; the interviews shape messaging and feature prioritization. Describing both in your plan shows you’re using multiple lenses, not relying on a single data point.

Q: How many respondents do I need for my examples of market research methodology to look credible?
There’s no magic number, but investors generally like to see at least 100–200 survey responses for directional insights and 10–30 interviews for qualitative depth. For local businesses, smaller samples can still work if they’re clearly targeted (for example, 80–100 intercept surveys near your proposed location). The key is to explain your choices and avoid pretending that small, biased samples represent an entire market.

Q: Are secondary sources alone enough, or do I need primary research examples too?
Relying only on secondary sources (industry reports, government data) makes your plan feel theoretical. Investors increasingly expect at least some primary research: surveys, interviews, pilot tests, or analytics from early experiments. The strongest examples of market research methodology examples for business plans blend both, using secondary data for context and primary data to validate your specific concept.

Q: What’s an example of market research methodology for a health-related startup?
A health-focused startup might combine CDC or NIH data on prevalence of a condition with consumer surveys about current treatment behaviors, plus interviews with clinicians or health coaches. For instance, a diabetes management app could reference CDC diabetes statistics, survey 300 patients about app usage and barriers, and interview 15 endocrinologists about what actually helps patients stick to treatment. That layered approach is a strong example of market research methodology for a health business plan.

If you treat your market research section as a place to showcase real methods and real findings, not just buzzwords, your business plan instantly becomes more believable. Use these examples of market research methodology examples for business plans as a menu, pick the ones that fit your stage and budget, and make your decisions traceable back to data rather than wishful thinking.