Customer research doesn't end as you launch your business. It's a constant and consistent task to help you understand the latest trends and know you are one step ahead of your competitors. That said, you need the right people and tools by your side to get this task done with a hitch. Without further ado, here's our list of the BEST customer research tools of 2024.
1. Answer The Public
Know what the general public is searching about your niche by using Answer The Public. You can select from various search engines or social media sites to get keywords. It's a great customer research tool because you need to understand your customers and how they search. You can develop content based on these keywords or target these keywords to get more exposure on search engines and other relevant sites.
You can use Answer The Public for free, but it has daily search limits (up to 3). Additionally, Answer The Public lets users pay for lifetime use of the platform.
Pricing:
- Individual - $5/mo
- Pro - $49/mo
- Expert - $99/mo
2. GWI
One well-known customer research tool for many businesses is GWI. This platform provides in-depth information about your audience. One advantage of GWI over other customer research tools is that it conducts surveys to get actual insights about your customers. You can build audiences, custom and instant charts, and custom dashboards!
You need to book a demo schedule and can get bespoke pricing.
3. SurveyMonkey
Another popular customer research tool is SurveyMonkey. This is ideal if you have established customers and get a pulse of their interests. You can make custom surveys. Plus, you can choose an audience to survey and leverage its AI tool to accelerate your survey process from start to finish. Finally, SurveyMonkey ensures data accuracy and follows standards that prove they're one of the best customer research tools.
Pricing:
- Team - from $25
- Individual - from $39
- Enterprise - Custom
4. Typeform
An alternative to SurveyMonkey is Typeform. Like SuveryMonkey, you can build custom forms and customize branding. Additionally, you can collect various data types and get the most valuable insights on your customers. Plus, you can also integrate your apps for seamless work.
Pricing:
- Basic - $29/mo
- Plus - $59/mo
- Business - $99/mo
- Enterprise
5. Userlytics
Another way of understanding your customers better is through user testing. Userlytics is one of the premier user experience tools. First, you need to talk to an expert to get testing solutions based on your requirements. Qualtrics conducts user testing via moderated and unmoderated sessions. Then, there are research approaches like accessibility and quantitative testing. Plus, there is cross-platform testing, such as prototype, website usability, mobile, and multi-channel testing. Finally, Qualtrics offers custom testing solutions!
Pricing:
- Custom - $99/session
- Enterprise - as low as $34/session
- Limitless - custom quote
- Premium DIY Plan - $499/mo
- Advanced DIY Plan - $999/mo
6. Temper
Do you want to know what your website visitors think about your website? Temper can be considered the alternative to Userlytics. You can integrate Temper’s software via a code or in your emails. From there, you’ll receive user ratings and know where you’re excelling, and you need more improvement! You can use its tools as widgets and visualize data through graphs, streams, and variables.
Pricing:
- White Label - $12/mo (100 ratings/mo)
- Pro - $49/mo (1,000 ratings/mo)
- Business - $89/mo (5,000 ratings/mo)
- White Label - $199/mo (20,000 ratings/mo)
7. Qualaroo
Here's another way to get customer feedback on your website. Qualaroo lets you survey website visitors to improve your website's user experience and interface. This platform is jampacked with tools. Here' are the top tools:
- AI Sentiment Analysis - Powered by IBM Watson, get sentiment analysis, identify keywords, and understand emotion scores.
- Question Branching - Build a logic flow depending on your customer’s responses. This way, you can understand your customers better.
- Advanced User Targeting - Control who sees your surveys and how they appear on your audience’s side.
- Exit Intent Survey - Know your customers’ experience when they leave the site
Pricing:
8. Google Trends
One free customer research tool is Google Trends. One benefit of using Google Trends is getting real-time updates of what's trending. Plus, know what the audience is searching for at any given time. You can switch between different countries, so you'll know what's happening around the world.
Pricing: Free
9. BrandMentions
Social listening is another way to research your customers. After all, you want to know what they say about your brand and your competitors. One of these tools is BrandMentions. You can monitor every mention of your brand on social media. Here are its tools:
- Social Mention
- Hashtag Tracker
- Brand Tracker
- Social Media Tracker
Additionally, this tool will give you alerts in real-time. Plus, you’ll get a pulse on what your audience is talking about regarding your brand, you can learn how to improve and become the go-to brand. Aside from these, you can also spy on competitors and know where they lack, understand their weakness, and learn about their strategies.
Pricing:
- Growing Business - $99/mo
- Company - $299/mo
- Enterprise/Agency - $499/mo
10. BuzzSumo
Another tool to use for customer research is BuzzSumo. Although this tool is known for content discovery and research, you can track mentions and updates. You can use keywords to track everything about your brand. Plus, get updated alerts. You can also track journalists and influencers to see what they're saying about your brand. Finally, keep track of all backlinks, too. Once you get notified of new backlinks, you can contact businesses, brands, or blogs that link to your site and know the link's performance.
Pricing:
- Content Creation - $199/mo
- PR & Comms - $299/mo
- Suite - $499/mo
- Enterprise - $999/mo
Final Thoughts
Free and paid customer research tools help businesses understand their audiences better before launching the business and as it grows. It’s important to leverage these tools to gain an advantage over your competitors. Plus, you can improve your service or product to ensure that your customers are benefiting more from you than your competitors!