What can go wrong in market research? Five pitfalls you need to know

Market research always sounds so straightforward, right? Jot down a few questions, run a survey, chat to some people and watch the insights roll in. Pftt, it’s a piece of cake, right?

Right?!

If you’ve ever done market research, you’ll know it’s usually quite the opposite. A lot can (and does) wrong. And when it does, the results aren’t just unhelpful. They can mislead you and give you a false sense of confidence.

The good news? With the right planning and perspective, most of these challenges can be avoided.

Here are five common mistakes we see in research projects and how to sidestep them:

Asking the wrong research questions

If your survey starts with “How excited are you about our new product?”...congratulations, your leading question has already assumed excitement. Spoiler: not everyone’s excited.

Well-designed research starts with well-designed questions. Too often, we see survey questions or discussion guides that unintentionally lead participants toward positive responses, shutting out neutral or negative feedback.

The result? You think everyone shares your excitement, until the product launches and reality disagrees.

If your questions are leading, confusing or full of jargon, the answers won’t mean much.

How to avoid it: The right market research questions are clear, neutral, and free of jargon to gather honest feedback. At Acumen, we pilot test materials to make sure respondents interpret questions consistently, giving clients data they can trust.

Talking to the wrong people

Imagine a doctor’s surgery wanting to improve its online appointment booking system but only emailing the survey to patients. The results from digitally savvy patients will roll in and suggest everything’s fine, yet the very people struggling with the system remain unheard.

How to avoid it: Recruitment matters. Good fieldwork ensures that the right mix of voices are represented. We use rigorous screening and recruitment checks to make sure every study reaches the people who matter most to the question at hand.

People don’t always tell the truth

Human behaviour is complex. Ask someone if recycling is good, they’ll say yes. Ask if they’d pay extra for a recycling bin…they’ll probably still say yes. But will they actually? They might only be saying yes because it feels like the ‘right’ answer. Good market research isn’t about just listening to the answers.

How to avoid it: Combine what people say with what they actually do. Observation, task-based exercises, and usability testing provide richer insight than words alone. Our research designs often integrate multiple methods, so clients see the full picture.

Confirmation bias creeps in

It can be tempting to hear a lukewarm comment like “that could be interesting,” and the mind translates it as glowing endorsement.

That’s confirmation bias. It’s human. It’s natural. And it’s deadly for data collection. If you only see what supports your hunch and ignore the awkward truths, you’ll walk away with a very rosy, but very inaccurate picture.

How to avoid it: Build in independent checks. At Acumen, we work with clients to establish clear criteria before fieldwork begins, so findings are assessed objectively, not filtered through wishful thinking.

Getting stuck in analysis paralysis

Drowning in charts, debating tiny percentage differences, and delaying decisions. Sound familiar? Research should move you forward, not hold you back.

How to avoid it: Start with the “so what?” Every project should be designed to answer a decision-making question. By focusing on clarity over volume, we help clients turn data into actionable insights rather than expensive trivia.

The truth about market research

Conducting market research isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, honesty, and relevance. By asking better open-ended questions, reaching the right participants, balancing words with behaviour, keeping bias in check, and focusing on outcomes, market research becomes what it’s meant to be: a reliable compass for smarter decisions.

At Acumen, we partner with clients to design and deliver fieldwork that avoids these pitfalls, turning messy realities and pain points into insights that genuinely drive progress.

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