50 market research survey questions for any new product or market
This bank contains 50 market research survey questions in seven sections: market sizing and demand, customer needs and problems, pricing and willingness to pay, competitors and alternatives, buying behavior, demographics and firmographics, and open-ended discovery. Strong market research surveys are narrow — pick the two or three sections that match your decision (sizing a market, validating a need, or testing a price), keep it to 8–15 questions, and screen for the right respondents before you ask anything else.
How do you use this question bank?
Decide what the survey has to prove before you pick questions. If you're sizing demand, lead with the market sizing and buying behavior sections. If you're validating a product idea, use customer needs and open-ended discovery. If you're setting a price, the pricing section plus a competitor question or two is usually enough. Don't try to answer every question in one survey — a focused instrument gives cleaner data and higher completion.
Always screen first. One or two qualifying questions at the top ("Have you bought [category] in the last 12 months?") keep irrelevant respondents out of your results, which matters far more in market research than in customer feedback. Mix question types: multiple choice for facts and behavior, scales for attitudes, and a few open-text questions for the language and motivations you didn't anticipate. A free tool with unlimited responses like Formkii handles screening logic, scales, and CSV export so you can cut the data afterward.
| Goal | Sections to use | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Size a market or estimate demand | Market sizing + buying behavior + demographics | 10–15 questions |
| Validate a problem or idea | Customer needs + open-ended discovery | 8–12 questions |
| Set or test a price | Pricing + competitors | 6–10 questions |
| Map the competitive landscape | Competitors + buying behavior | 8–12 questions |
| Profile your audience | Demographics + customer needs | 8–10 questions |
Market sizing and demand questions
- Have you purchased [product category] in the last 12 months?
- How often do you buy products in the [category] space?
- Roughly how much do you spend on [category] in a typical year?
- Is your spending on [category] increasing, staying the same, or decreasing?
- How many people in your household (or company) use products in this category?
- How would you describe your need for [category] right now: urgent, growing, occasional, or none?
- If a better [category] product existed, how likely would you be to switch to it? (0–10)
Customer needs and problems questions
- What's the biggest challenge you face when it comes to [problem area]?
- How are you solving that problem today?
- What do you like about your current solution?
- What frustrates you most about your current solution?
- Which of these outcomes matters most to you? (list the jobs your product could do)
- How important is solving [specific problem] to you? (Not at all / Slightly / Moderately / Very / Extremely important)
- How much time or money does this problem cost you in a typical month?
- If this problem disappeared tomorrow, what would change for you?
Pricing and willingness-to-pay questions
The four questions below are the classic Van Westendorp price-sensitivity set. Asked together, they reveal a range of acceptable prices rather than a single number.
- At what price would this product be so expensive you wouldn't consider buying it?
- At what price would you consider it expensive but still worth considering?
- At what price would you consider it a bargain — great value for the money?
- At what price would it be so cheap you'd question its quality?
- How do you usually prefer to pay for products like this: one-time, monthly, or annual?
- What's the maximum you'd pay for a product that solved [problem] completely?
- Which pricing factor matters most to you: lowest price, best features, or best support?
Competitors and alternatives questions
- Which brands or products do you consider when buying in this category? (open or list)
- Which one do you use most often, and why?
- How satisfied are you with your current provider? (Very dissatisfied → Very satisfied)
- What would make you switch away from your current provider?
- Is there anything no product in this category does well today?
- How did you first hear about the product you use now?
- How would you rate the value for money of your current solution?
Buying behavior questions
- Who is typically involved in the decision to buy [category]? (just me / partner / team / manager / procurement)
- Where do you usually research products like this? (search, reviews, social, word of mouth, ads)
- What's the single most important factor in your buying decision?
- How long does a typical purchase decision take you?
- What would stop you from buying, even if you liked the product?
- How likely are you to read reviews before buying? (Very unlikely → Very likely)
- Have you ever started buying in this category and abandoned the purchase? Why?
Demographics and firmographics questions
Keep demographic questions to the few you'll actually segment on, place them at the end, and offer a "Prefer not to say" option. See the demographic survey questions guide for inclusive wording.
- What is your age range?
- Where are you located? (country/region)
- Which best describes your role or occupation?
- What is your household (or company) size?
- Which income (or company revenue) band are you in? Prefer not to say is fine.
- How would you describe your familiarity with [category]: beginner, intermediate, or expert?
- What industry do you work in? (for B2B research)
Open-ended discovery questions
- Describe the last time you looked for a solution like this — what triggered the search?
- If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about [category], what would it be?
- What words would you use to describe the ideal product in this category to a friend?
- What almost stopped you from buying a [category] product in the past?
- What do you wish brands in this category understood about customers like you?
- Is there anything we didn't ask that you think we should know?
- What would make you a loyal, repeat customer of a product like this?
Pair every "would you buy this?" question with a behavioral one. Stated purchase intent is famously inflated — people overestimate how much they'd buy. "Have you bought something like this in the last year?" and "What did you spend?" are far more predictive than "Would you buy this?"
Tips for using these questions
- Screen before you ask. A qualifying question at the top keeps non-buyers from polluting your sample.
- Randomize brand and option lists to remove order bias in competitor and feature questions.
- Use the Van Westendorp set for pricing rather than a single "what would you pay?" — ranges beat point estimates.
- Keep demographics at the end and minimal; only ask what you'll segment on.
- Watch for acquiescence bias in attitude questions and balance positive and negative phrasing.
- Sense-check sample size before you read too much into small segment differences.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should a market research survey ask?
Anchor it to one decision. To size demand, ask about purchase history, frequency, and spend. To validate a need, ask about current problems and how people solve them today. To set a price, use the four Van Westendorp price-sensitivity questions. Keep most surveys to 8–15 questions and screen for qualified respondents first.
How do you ask about price in a survey?
Avoid a single "What would you pay?" question, which produces inflated, unreliable numbers. Use the Van Westendorp method: ask the price at which the product is too expensive, expensive-but-acceptable, a bargain, and too cheap to trust. Together those four answers map a realistic acceptable price range.
How many people should answer a market research survey?
It depends on how precise you need to be and how many segments you'll analyze. As a directional rule, a few hundred qualified responses supports reasonable confidence for a single market, and you need a usable base size within each segment you plan to compare. Check a sample-size calculation before relying on small subgroup differences.
Should I screen respondents in a market research survey?
Yes. One or two screening questions at the top remove people outside your target market, which protects the quality of every later answer. Screening matters more in market research than in customer feedback, because you're often surveying a broad audience to find a specific buyer.