30 Research Methods That Work on a Small Business Budget

Focus groups, massive surveys, pricey reports… who has cash for that? Luckily, you don’t need a six-figure research budget to learn what your clients want. 

You just need a handful of scrappy, affordable methods that give you the insight to make better decisions. Here are 30 market research ideas that deliver clarity without draining your budget: 

1. Customer Interviews

Ten-minute phone calls with five customers will teach you more than a 40-page report. Ask open-ended questions like, “What almost stopped you from buying?”

2. Social Media Polls

Instagram Stories, LinkedIn polls, and even X votes are fast, free, and surprisingly revealing.

3. Email Surveys

Use a free survey tool and send a short (3–5 question) survey to your list. Incentivize responses with a discount or freebie.

4. Review Mining

Read your own reviews and your competitors’. Look for repeated praise or complaints.

5. Sales Team Insights

Ask your salespeople what questions they answer most often and what objections they hear repeatedly.

6. Support Ticket Analysis

Go through support requests and categorize them. The top three issues will tell you where clients are stuck.

7. Google Analytics

Free, powerful, and often underused. Look at which pages get traffic, where people drop off, and what they search for on your site.

8. Heatmaps

Tools like Hotjar have free plans that show where people click, scroll, and stop reading.

9. Win/Loss Interviews

Reach out to people who said yes and no. Learn why they chose you or didn’t.

10. Competitor Website Reviews

Spend an afternoon going through competitor sites. Note what they highlight, what they hide, and where they’re weak.

11. Industry Forums

Reddit, Facebook Groups, and niche forums are full of unfiltered client opinions.

12. Social Listening

Track relevant hashtags or keywords with free tools like TweetDeck.

13. Free Industry Reports

Trade associations and government sites often publish free or low-cost data.

14. Client Advisory Calls

Invite a handful of loyal clients to a quarterly Zoom call. Give them early previews and collect feedback.

15. Exit-Intent Popups

Ask one question when someone’s about to leave your site: “What stopped you from signing up?”

16. Post-Purchase Surveys

Right after someone buys, ask what made them choose you.

17. Abandoned Cart Follow-Ups

Send an email asking why they didn’t complete checkout. You’ll get answers (and sometimes recover sales).

18. Free Tools for Keyword Research

Google Keyword Planner and AnswerThePublic show what people are searching for right now.

19. Website Session Recordings

Even a handful of recordings can show where users get lost or confused.

20. Chatbot Logs

If you have a chatbot, read through conversations. They reveal common pain points.

21. Observation

If you run a physical space, watch how customers move through it. Where do they hesitate or ask for help?

22. Informal Focus Groups

Gather a few clients (or friends in your target market) and buy them coffee. Keep it casual, but ask pointed questions.

23. Poll Stickers at Checkout

Put a “Which option do you prefer?” sign with a jar for tokens at checkout. Low-tech, instant data.

24. Competitor Email Subscriptions

Sign up for competitor newsletters and watch what they’re promoting and testing.

25. Social Media Comments

Read the comments on competitor posts. They’re full of honest reactions.

26. Test Offers on Social

Post two different offers and see which one gets more clicks or engagement before you launch a campaign.

27. DIY NPS

Send a one-question email: “How likely are you to recommend us?” Track over time.

28. Trend Watching

Use free tools like Google Trends to see what’s rising in popularity in your industry.

29. Low-Cost Mystery Shopping

Buy from competitors. Pay attention to their onboarding, emails, and follow-up process.

30. Ask Your Network

Sometimes the simplest method works: post in your network, “What’s your biggest challenge. 

Market research doesn’t have to be expensive. It just has to be strategic. Pick three to five of these methods, build them into your monthly workflow, and you’ll have a steady stream of insight guiding your marketing, sales, and product decisions.

At Borrowed Pen, we turn scrappy research into smart strategy. Work with us, and we’ll help you turn these low-cost insights into campaigns that hit exactly where your clients need them most.