DIY Research Toolkit
Overview
Research doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and you don’t need to be an expert to benefit from it.
This DIY Research Toolkit is designed for small business leaders, product creators, and marketers who want to better understand their customers—whether they’re exploring research for the first time or building on what they already do. Each activity helps you gather valuable customer insights—on your own terms.
Just like wayfinding in the outdoors, research works best when you start where you are, adjust based on what you learn, and build on your progress.
This toolkit helps you find your best starting point and navigate toward deeper insights over time—turning early data points into waypoints that guide your business forward.
Use the Research Readiness Self-Assessment to see where you are today.
Explore the full 3-Level DIY Research Framework to find your starting point.
Choose a DIY research activity. Build your skills and track what you learn.
Take your research to the next level with a structured Research Project.
Not sure where to start or ready to take the next step?
Whether you want to refine your DIY approach or move to a more advanced research strategy, I’d love to help. Let’s chat about the best path forward for your business.
Research Readiness Self-Assessment
No judgment here. We all start somewhere. Just grab a scrap of paper, answer as honestly as you can, and add up the total points at the end.
How does your business currently make decisions about products or services?
a) Based on personal experience or internal discussions. (1 pt)
b) Occasionally gathering informal customer feedback. (2 pts)
c) Conducting structured research, but not consistently. (3 pts)
d) Regularly incorporating customer insights into decision-making. (4 pts)
e) Research is an ongoing and integral part of strategy. (5 pts)
What types of customer research do you conduct?
a) None at this time. (1 pt)
b) Social media comments, customer reviews, or informal feedback. (2 pts)
c) Surveys, product testing, or gathering feedback at events. (3 pts)
d) A mix of in-depth customer conversations, field testing, and tracking key data trends. (4 pts)
e) A comprehensive, ongoing research program. (5 pts)
How frequently do you incorporate research findings into business decisions?
a) Rarely, if ever. (1 pt)
b) Occasionally, when specific issues arise. (2 pts)
c) When launching new products or making significant changes. (3 pts)
d) Regularly, as part of an established process. (4 pts)
e) Continuously, with research guiding long-term strategy. (5 pts)
What resources are allocated to research?
a) None, due to budget or time constraints. (1 pt)
b) Some ad-hoc research efforts but no dedicated budget. (2 pts)
c) A small budget and some structured research activities. (3 pts)
d) A dedicated budget or research personnel. (4 pts)
e) Significant investment in research, with dedicated staff or partnerships. (5 pts)
How does your team share and act on research insights?
a) Research findings are not formally shared. (1 pt)
b) Insights are shared informally but not consistently. (2 pts)
c) Research findings are documented but not widely referenced. (3 pts)
d) Research findings are shared across teams and influence decisions. (4 pts)
e) Research insights are systematically tracked and drive strategic decisions. (5 pts)
How do you measure the impact of research on your business?
a) We don’t currently track research impact. (1 pt)
b) Research is used occasionally, but impact is not measured. (2 pts)
c) Some research impact is measured, but not consistently. (3 pts)
d) We track research impact and use it to inform decisions. (4 pts)
e) Research impact is regularly analyzed and informs key strategies. (5 pts)
Scoring & Next Steps
Use your score as a rough guide to find the best place to start—no need to overthink it! Start where it feels right, and adjust as you go.
Below, you'll find activities designed to help you start small, build confidence, and gain valuable customer insights.
Score Range
6-15
16-25
25+
These quick, low-effort activities will help you gather meaningful customer insights without formal research studies.
Level 1: Quick Start
These multistep activities build on Quick Start methods, introducing more process and consistency into research.
Level 2: Building Research Habits
These activities introduce structured, hands-on research techniques that build toward more advanced research practices.
Level 3: Conducting Research
3-Level DIY Research Framework
This table organizes the DIY research activities into four key themes:
Customer Feedback – Understanding what customers think and need.
Product Interaction & Usability – Seeing how people use and experience your products.
Post-Purchase Insights – Learning from customers after they buy.
Social Listening & Trends – Keeping up with market changes and competitor activity.
Each theme includes the three levels of DIY research:
Quick Start Research – Fast, low-effort ways to gather insights.
Building Research Habits – More structured activities that build consistency.
Conducting Research – Advanced, hands-on techniques for deeper understanding.
Each level builds upon the previous one, making research progressive and scalable.
Use this table to choose research methods that align with your goals:
Customer Feedback
Quick Start Research
Choose a key question and ask customers via email, social media, or in person.
Building Research Habits
Track responses, identify trends, and act on feedback.
Conducting Research
Spend an hour watching how customers interact with products in-store, on your website, or at an event. Look for usability challenges and decision-making behaviors.
Product Interaction & Usability
Quick Start Research
Watch how customers interact with products in-store or online.
Building Research Habits
Test how easy it is to navigate and purchase on your website.
Test your product in real conditions (e.g., hiking, biking, paddling) with a small group and document observations.
Conducting Research
Post-Purchase Insights
Quick Start Research
Ask recent customers about their experience via email or a quick survey.
Building Research Habits
Track responses and identify common issues or praises.
Conducting Research
Use sticky notes or a whiteboard to map a typical customer’s experience. Identify key touchpoints where feedback could help.
Social Listening & Trends
Quick Start Research
Scan social media and reviews to identify trends and customer sentiment.
Building Research Habits
Track industry trends and compare competitor activity.
Conducting Research
Analyze competitor strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning.
Level 1: Quick Start Research Activities
1. Ask One Question
Task: Choose one key question and ask customers in person, via social media, or email.
Examples:
“What’s one thing that would make our product/service even better for you?”
“How did you hear about us, and what made you choose us?”
“What almost stopped you from making a purchase today?”
Why? Identifies quick wins and recurring themes.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with 5-Minute Observation—a quick way to see firsthand how customers interact with your product or service in real time.
Advance:
Want to refine your approach?
Try the Quick Customer Feedback Checklist to track responses, identify trends, and act on what you learn.
2. 5-Minute Observation
Task: Watch customers interact with your product in-store, on your website, or at an event.
Examples:
Are they confused when selecting a product?
Do they hesitate at checkout or abandon their cart?
Do they struggle to find product information?
Why? Identifies usability issues without formal usability testing.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with Post-Purchase Check-In—a direct way to follow up and understand the customer’s experience after using your product.
Advance:
Want to go beyond surface-level usability insights?
Try the 5-Minute Website & Checkout Experience Review to see how real customers navigate your website and complete a purchase.
3. Post-Purchase Check-In
Task: Follow up with customers after they buy/use your product via email, call, or a simple survey.
Examples:
“What’s one thing you loved? One thing that could be better?”
“Did our product/service meet your expectations?”
“Would you recommend us to a friend? Why or why not?”
Why? Helps improve retention and collects real-time feedback.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with Social Listening—a quick way to gather broader insights from customer conversations happening online.
Advance:
Looking for a more structured way to track customer feedback over time?
Try the Post-Purchase Customer Check-In to collect and analyze responses more systematically.
4. Social Listening
Task: Scan social media, online reviews, or forums to see what people are saying about your business or competitors.
Examples:
What common complaints or praises do customers mention?
Are competitors offering something you don’t?
What trends or new expectations are emerging in your industry?
Why? Fast, free way to understand sentiment and spot improvement areas.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with Ask One Question—a direct way to confirm if online discussions align with real customer feedback.
Advance:
Want to track broader industry trends?
Try the Social Media Listening & Trends Snapshot to analyze ongoing discussions and competitor activity.
Level 2: Building Research Habits Activities
1. Quick Customer Feedback Checklist
Task: Track responses, identify trends, and act on feedback.
Steps:
Ask one key question and collect responses.
Write down common themes and insights.
Identify trends: Do multiple customers mention the same issue or request?
Take action: Use the feedback to improve offerings or update messaging.
Why? Helps make customer feedback more structured and actionable.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with 5-Minute Website & Checkout Experience Review—a simple way to evaluate if customers can easily navigate your website and complete purchases.
Advance:
Need a more detailed approach?
Take the next step with Observation Studies to see firsthand how customers interact with your product in real-time.
2. 5-Minute Website & Checkout Experience Review
Task: Test how easy it is to navigate and purchase on your website.
Steps:
Open your website as if you're a new visitor.
Click through to checkout: Is it easy to navigate? Does it load quickly?
Identify friction points: Are product descriptions clear? Are any steps confusing?
Ask one person to try it and note where they struggle.
Why? Identifies usability issues that may prevent conversions.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with Post-Purchase Customer Check-In—a structured way to track feedback trends and improve customer retention.
Advance:
Want to go beyond the basics?
Try Field Testing: Real-World Product Evaluation to observe how users engage with your product in real conditions.
3. Post-Purchase Customer Check-In
Task: Follow up with customers after a purchase to understand their experience.
Steps:
Send a short follow-up email or text.
Track common responses: Note repeated praise or concerns.
Offer a simple incentive: A discount or small reward for feedback.
Make small changes based on frequent issues.
Why? Improves customer retention and identifies recurring issues.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with Social Media Listening & Trends Snapshot—a way to expand your understanding of customer sentiment and industry trends beyond direct feedback.
Advance:
Looking for a more complete picture?
Move up to the Customer Journey Mapping Workshop to map out the full customer experience and pinpoint key improvement areas.
4. Social Media Listening & Trends Snapshot
Task: Track industry trends and compare competitor activity.
Steps:
Check social media mentions and comments: What are people saying about your brand?
Review competitor activity: What are they doing that customers love?
Look for emerging trends: Are there new expectations around sustainability, accessibility, or features?
Take notes and adjust your approach accordingly.
Why? Helps businesses stay informed and competitive.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Keep things simple with Quick Customer Feedback Checklist—a structured way to track responses and identify key trends in customer feedback.
Advance:
Ready for deeper competitive insights?
Take it further with Competitive Benchmarking to analyze market trends, competitor positioning, and industry opportunities.
Level 3: Conducting Research Activities
1. Observation Studies
Task: Spend an hour watching how customers interact with products in-store, on your website, or at an event.
Steps:
Observe how customers navigate and use your product.
Look for points of confusion or hesitation.
Take notes on common behaviors and interactions.
Identify potential areas for improvement.
Why? Helps identify usability challenges and decision-making behaviors in a real-world setting.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Try Field Testing: Real-World Product Evaluation—an opportunity to assess how customers engage with your product in real conditions.
Broaden Your Insights:
Want to explore how research methods work together?
Review the 3-Level DIY Research Framework to see how observation connects with other DIY research activities.
2. Field Testing: Real-World Product Evaluation
Task: Test your product in real conditions (e.g., hiking, biking, paddling) with a small group and document observations.
Steps:
Define what you want to test (durability, ease of use, performance, etc.).
Recruit real users (customers, staff, ambassadors) to test in natural environments.
Ask testers simple questions: “What worked well?” “What was frustrating?”
Gather observations and refine your product based on feedback.
Why? Ensures products perform well in real conditions before wider launch.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Try Customer Journey Mapping Workshop—document customer behaviors and pinpoint key interactions that influence decision-making.
Broaden Your Insights:
Wondering how your product compares to competitors?
Use the 3-Level DIY Research Framework to see where Field Testing fits into a broader DIY research strategy.
3. Customer Journey Mapping Workshop
Task: Use sticky notes or a whiteboard to map a typical customer’s experience. Identify key touchpoints where feedback could help.
Steps:
Gather a small team, including sales, support, and marketing staff.
Define major steps a customer takes from discovery to post-purchase.
Map out key interactions and possible friction points.
Prioritize 2–3 areas to improve based on insights.
Why? Helps visualize and optimize the full customer experience.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Try Competitive Benchmarking—analyzing your competitors to see how your customer experience compares and where you can differentiate.
Broaden Your Insights:
Want to validate your insights?
The 3-Level DIY Research Framework can help you understand how journey mapping complements other DIY research efforts.
4. Competitive Benchmarking
Task: Analyze competitor strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning.
Steps:
Identify 3–5 key competitors in your industry.
Compare offerings, pricing, and customer experience.
Read online reviews to see what customers praise or complain about.
Use insights to refine your own business strategy.
Why? Helps identify opportunities to differentiate and improve.
Your Next Research Step:
Explore:
Try Observation Studies—gain deeper insights by directly watching how customers interact with your product and competitors' offerings in real-world settings.
Broaden Your Insights:
Curious how to take competitive insights even further?
Check the 3-Level DIY Research Framework to see where benchmarking fits into an overall DIY research approach.
Take Research to the Next Level
DIY research can uncover valuable insights—but a structured Research Project delivers deeper, data-driven strategies for action.
If you’re experiencing any of the following, it may be time to go further:
➡️ Patterns are emerging, but you're unsure what to do next
➡️ Conflicting feedback is making decisions harder, not easier
➡️ Time or tools are limiting how deep you can go
➡️ You’re launching something new and need real data to back it up
Whether refining your DIY approach or moving to a more advanced strategy, I’d love to help.
Let’s find the best path forward for your business.