What is primary research?

Primary research is research you conduct firsthand: customer interviews, surveys, usability tests, win/loss calls, and field observation. Because you design the questions, it can answer exactly what you need — at the cost of time and effort.

In competitive work, primary research means talking to buyers who evaluated the alternatives: prospects who chose a rival, customers who switched to you, and churned users. It captures the “why” that no amount of website analysis can.