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Market research is the collection and analysis of data about our customers and our competition．We use this data to determine which products we should sell，how much we should charge for them，how we should package them，and how we should interact with our customers．Figure 1 describes how different departments in an online business can use the result of market research to improve a Web site，focus on customer needs，and increase sales．

A first priority of market research is to develop a customer profile．Who buys our products?Where do they live?How much do they earn?Where do they work?How long have they surfed the Web?What makes them happy?Do they use the Internet at work? Answers to these questions help companies develop effective customer profiles．

Most customer profiles contain demographic information such as age，gender，income level，occupation，and education．

Information related to a customer's Internet experience，is referred to as Webographics．By analyzing the surfing habits and computer literacy levels of customers，we can determine if they are able and willing to buy online，if we need to educate them about the benefits of buying online，or if we need to find ways to attract them with a Web site that offers something new．

Business Applications

If we are involved in B2B e-Business，we need to find as much information as possible about our customers'corporate climate．The term corpographics refers to the gathering of data about corporate structure，purchasing history，and personnel．In addition，we can focus our market research on determining the profitability of a company's clients，and on whether a potential B2B partner has in place，or can easily budget for，the technology needed to do business on the Web．

Psychological Profiling

Psychographics，the study of how people think and feel with relation to what they buy，is in itself becoming a big business．

We can divide our target market into several segments，and then develop marketing efforts tailored to each segment's particular needs．For example，if our company sells body-building equipment，we can use one method to market our products to professional body builders and another method to market to amateur enthusiasts．Although both groups buy our products，they might not respond equally to the same marketing approach．Professional body builders might want to see the quality of the equipment stressed，while amateurs might want to be reassured that the equipment helps them improve their fitness level．

We can test a new Web marketing campaign by monitoring the responses of various small groups of individuals．For example，we can see how a group—sometimes called a focus group—responds to an online contest．We can also determine what factors contribute to the group's participation．Do more customers respond to the contest information if it is placed in the upper-right corner of the Web page，or if it dominates the page with brightly colored animated text and graphics?

1．demographics:The characteristics of human populations and population segments，especially when used to identify consumer markets人口统计状况，尤其用作标识消费者市场的状况

2．psychographics:The use of demographics to study and measure attitudes，values，lifestyles，and opinions，as for marketing purposes消费心态学

According to an article published on Jupiter Communications，“the biggest Internet adoption gap in the US exists between rich and poor，not between ethnic groups．”