100+ Market Research Survey Questions with Examples

Survey questionnaire design covers how to structure these 100+ questions into an instrument that produces reliable data, and it is the place to start before you build.

The difference between a market research survey that produces findings and one that produces data is almost always in the questions, not just whether they are well-worded, but whether each question is tied to a specific research objective and whether the set of questions together answers the decision the survey was commissioned to inform. The 100+ questions below are organised by the seven most common market research objectives. Each section contains the questions most commonly used in that type of study, the format each question should use, and a note on what the question is actually trying to measure. Pick the section that matches your current research objective, select the 15-20 questions most relevant to your specific brief, and customise the bracketed fields for your category and brand.

Market research survey questions are structured prompts designed to collect specific, decision-relevant information from a defined sample of consumers, organised by research objective to ensure each question directly contributes to the finding the research is commissioned to produce.

How to Use This Question Bank

Step 1. Identify which of the seven research objectives below matches your current brief.

Step 2. Select 15-20 questions from that section. Do not exceed 25 questions total, completion rates fall sharply beyond this and data quality deteriorates in later sections.

Step 3. Add the five universal questions from the final section to every survey regardless of objective.

Step 4. Customise all bracketed fields [like this] for your specific category, brand, and product.

Step 5. Sequence screening questions first, unaided awareness questions before any brand is named, and demographics last. For the complete sequencing guide, how to create a survey questionnaire: step-by-step guide covers the full guide.

Section 1: Brand Research Questions

Use this section for: brand awareness tracking, brand health studies, brand imagery and perception, and brand tracking across waves.

Screener (always first): Q1. Have you purchased or used [product category] in the last 12 months? (Single select: Yes / No, exit if No)

Unaided awareness (always before any brand is named): Q2. When you think of [product category], which brands come to mind? (Open-ended, record all mentions. Do not prompt with brand names.)

Aided awareness: Q3. Which of the following [category] brands are you aware of? (Multi-select, include your brand and 4-6 competitors. Only after Q2.)

Brand funnel: Q4. Which of these brands have you ever purchased? (Multi-select) Q5. Which have you purchased in the last 3 months? (Multi-select) Q6. Which would you consider purchasing in the next 3 months? (Multi-select) Q7. If you were purchasing [category] today, which brand would be your first choice? (Single select)

Brand imagery (repeat for each brand in consideration set): Q8. How would you rate [brand] on quality? (1-5: Very poor to Excellent) Q9. How would you rate [brand] on value for money? (1-5) Q10. How would you rate [brand] on innovation? (1-5) Q11. How would you rate [brand] on trustworthiness? (1-5) Q12. How strongly do you associate [brand] with each of the following? (Rate each attribute 1-5: innovative / reliable / affordable / premium / modern / trusted)

Brand personality: Q13. If [brand] were a person, how would you describe their personality? (Open-ended, surfaces emotional associations not captured by attribute ratings)

Brand NPS: Q14. On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [brand] to a friend or colleague? (Standard NPS, do not modify wording) Q15. What is the primary reason for your score? (Open-ended)

Competitive positioning: Q16. Which brand in [category] do you see as most innovative? (Single select) Q17. Which brand in [category] offers the best value for money? (Single select) Q18. Is there anything you wish a brand in [category] offered that no current brand provides? (Open-ended, the white space question)

Section 2: Product Research Questions

Use this section for: product satisfaction studies, feature priority research, product improvement briefs, and usage pattern analysis.

Product usage: Q19. How often do you use [product]? (Single select: Daily / Several times a week / Weekly / Monthly / Less often) Q20. On which occasions do you most commonly use [product]? (Multi-select: Morning routine / After exercise / With meals / During work / Social occasions / Other) Q21. For what primary purpose do you use [product]? (Open-ended)

Product satisfaction: Q22. How satisfied are you with [product] overall? (1-5: Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied) Q23. How satisfied are you with [specific product attribute]? (1-5, repeat for each key attribute: quality / packaging / fragrance / texture / efficacy / value) Q24. What do you like most about [product]? (Open-ended) Q25. What do you like least about [product]? (Open-ended)

Feature priority: Q26. How important is each of the following features to you when choosing a [category] product? (Rate each 1-5: list 6-8 product attributes) Q27. If you could change one thing about [product], what would it be? (Open-ended) Q28. Which of the following potential new features would most improve [product] for you? (Rank top 3 from list of 6-8 options)

Product gaps: Q29. Is there a version of [product] that doesn't currently exist that you would buy immediately if it did? (Open-ended, the product imagination question) Q30. What problem does [product] solve better than anything else you've tried? (Open-ended) Q31. What problem does [product] fail to solve that you wish it could? (Open-ended)

Section 3: Pricing Research Questions

Use this section for: price sensitivity studies, value perception research, willingness-to-pay testing, and price architecture decisions.

Price sensitivity (Van Westendorp method): Q32. At what price would [product] be so cheap that you would question its quality? (Numeric, Rs) Q33. At what price would [product] be a bargain, good value for money? (Numeric, Rs) Q34. At what price would [product] start to feel expensive, though you might still consider purchasing? (Numeric, Rs) Q35. At what price would [product] be so expensive that you would not consider purchasing? (Numeric, Rs)

Price point testing: Q36. At [specific price], how likely would you be to purchase [product]? (Single select: Definitely would buy / Probably would buy / Might or might not / Probably would not / Definitely would not) Q37. At [higher price], how likely would you be to purchase? (Repeat for 2-3 price points)

Value perception: Q38. Thinking about what [product] offers you, how would you rate its value for money at its current price? (1-5: Very poor value to Excellent value) Q39. Compared to alternatives you have considered, how does [product]'s price feel? (Single select: Much cheaper / Somewhat cheaper / About right / Somewhat more expensive / Much more expensive)

Price elasticity: Q40. If [product]'s price increased by 20%, what would you do? (Single select: Still buy it / Reconsider but probably continue / Probably switch / Definitely switch) Q41. If [product]'s price decreased by 20%, would you purchase more of it? (Single select: Yes, significantly more / Yes, somewhat more / No change / I don't currently buy it)

Willingness to pay for specific attributes: Q42. Would you pay more for [product] if it were [sustainable packaging / stronger efficacy / premium ingredients / other specific attribute]? (Single select: Definitely yes / Probably yes / No difference / Probably not / Definitely not)

For the complete methodology on Van Westendorp and Gabor-Granger pricing research methods that structure these questions into a defensible price sensitivity study, market research questionnaire: right questions, every goal covers the full guide.

Section 4: Competitive Intelligence Questions

Use this section for: competitive positioning studies, share of wallet analysis, switching reason research, and competitive landscape mapping.

Category usage and switching: Q43. Which [category] brands have you purchased in the last 6 months? (Multi-select) Q44. Which is your primary brand? (Single select) Q45. Have you switched your primary [category] brand in the last 12 months? (Yes / No) Q46. If yes, which brand did you switch from, and what was the primary reason? (Open-ended)

Competitive perception: Q47. How do you think [your brand] compares to [competitor] overall? (1-5: Much worse to Much better) Q48. In which areas does [competitor] perform better than [your brand]? (Multi-select from attribute list) Q49. In which areas does [your brand] perform better than [competitor]? (Multi-select)

Share of wallet: Q50. Across all the [category] products you purchase, approximately what percentage is [your brand]? (Numeric: 0-100%) Q51. What would need to change for [your brand] to become a larger part of your [category] purchases? (Open-ended)

Switching barriers: Q52. What, if anything, prevents you from switching to [your brand] from your current primary brand? (Open-ended) Q53. What is the one thing [your brand] could do that would most likely make you switch from your current brand? (Open-ended)

Competitive awareness: Q54. Are you aware of [specific competitor product/campaign/feature]? (Yes / No) Q55. How has your perception of [competitor] changed in the last 12 months? (Much more positive / Somewhat more positive / No change / Somewhat more negative / Much more negative)

Section 5: Concept and Product Launch Testing Questions

Use this section for: new product concept tests, campaign concept tests, packaging tests, naming tests, and innovation pipeline research.

Concept exposure (show concept stimulus before these questions): Q56. How would you describe your overall interest in this product? (Single select: Very interested / Somewhat interested / Neither / Somewhat uninterested / Not at all interested) Q57. What do you find most appealing about this product? (Open-ended) Q58. What concerns, if any, do you have about this product? (Open-ended)

Purchase intent (always at a specific named price): Q59. If this product were available at [Rs X], how likely would you be to purchase it? (Single select: Definitely would buy / Probably would buy / Might or might not / Probably would not / Definitely would not) Q60. What, if anything, would need to be true about this product for you to purchase it? (Open-ended, the barrier question, most valuable on this form)

Concept diagnostics: Q61. How unique does this product seem compared to other products currently available? (1-5: Not at all unique to Completely unique) Q62. How believable are the claims made about this product? (1-5: Not at all believable to Completely believable) Q63. Which of the following words best describe this product? (Multi-select from list of 10-12 adjectives including both positive and negative options) Q64. Compared to products you currently use in [category], how would you describe this product? (Single select: Much better / Somewhat better / About the same / Somewhat worse / Much worse)

Naming and packaging (add only if testing multiple variants): Q65. Which of these product names do you prefer? (Single select from 3-4 options) Q66. What does [name A] communicate to you about this product? (Open-ended) Q67. Which of these packaging designs best fits the product you just read about? (Single select from 3-4 visual options)

For the complete six-template guide on structuring a concept test survey instrument from screening through to demographics, survey questionnaire templates: 6 ready-to-use structures for every research goal covers the full guide.

Section 6: Customer Profiling Questions

Use this section for: building customer personas, understanding the actual buyer versus the assumed buyer, segmentation studies, and market entry profiling.

Purchase behaviour: Q68. How long have you been purchasing [brand/category]? (Single select: Less than 3 months / 3-12 months / 1-3 years / More than 3 years) Q69. Where do you most often purchase [category]? (Single select: Online / Modern trade / General trade / Brand website / Quick commerce / Other) Q70. How often do you purchase [category]? (Single select: Weekly / Monthly / Every 2-3 months / Every 6 months / Less often) Q71. How many units do you typically purchase at once? (Numeric)

Purchase triggers: Q72. What triggered your most recent purchase of [brand/category]? (Open-ended, do not use a pre-coded list) Q73. How long did you consider purchasing before actually buying? (Single select: Instant / Less than a day / 1-3 days / 1-2 weeks / More than 2 weeks) Q74. What almost stopped you from making your most recent purchase? (Open-ended, the unconverted barrier)

Decision process: Q75. What do you typically do before purchasing a new brand in [category]? (Multi-select: Nothing / Read reviews / Ask a friend / Search online / Compare prices / Watch a video / Visit a store) Q76. Did you consider alternative brands before your most recent purchase? (Yes / No) Q77. If yes, what made you choose [brand] over the alternatives? (Open-ended)

Loyalty and advocacy: Q78. If [brand] were unavailable for 3 months, what would you do? (Single select: Wait / Switch to a specific brand / Try something new / It would be very difficult) Q79. Have you recommended [brand] to a friend or family member in the last 6 months? (Yes / No) Q80. What did you tell them about it? (Open-ended, only if Yes)

For the complete 50-question customer understanding bank organised across all six understanding dimensions from demographics through future intent, customer survey questions: the questions that turn buyers into data you can actually use covers the full guide.

Section 7: Market Sizing Questions

Use this section for: TAM/SAM/SOM validation, category penetration studies, demand estimation, and new market entry sizing.

Category penetration: Q81. Have you purchased [category] in the last 12 months? (Yes / No, track for penetration rate) Q82. Have you ever purchased [category]? (Yes, but not recently / No, never, for non-purchasers) Q83. Which of the following [category] products have you purchased in the last 12 months? (Multi-select, map category sub-segments)

Purchase frequency and spend: Q84. How many times have you purchased [category] in the last 12 months? (Numeric) Q85. How much do you typically spend per purchase of [category]? (Numeric or Rs range) Q86. What is your approximate total annual spend on [category]? (Numeric or Rs range)

Future demand: Q87. How likely are you to purchase [category] in the next 6 months? (Single select: Definitely will / Probably will / Might or might not / Probably will not / Definitely will not) Q88. How likely are you to increase your spending on [category] in the next 12 months? (Single select: Increase significantly / Increase somewhat / Stay the same / Decrease somewhat / Decrease significantly)

Non-buyer intent: Q89. What is the main reason you have not purchased [category]? (Open-ended, for non-purchasers only) Q90. What would most likely trigger you to start purchasing [category]? (Open-ended) Q91. At what price would you consider purchasing [category] for the first time? (Numeric)

Geographic and channel sizing: Q92. In which city or town do you currently live? (Open-ended or select from list) Q93. Which tier best describes where you live? (Single select: Metro / Tier-2 / Tier-3) Q94. Which channel would you most likely purchase [category] through for the first time? (Single select: Online / Modern trade / General trade / Quick commerce / Other)

For the complete guide on how to use these market sizing survey responses to calculate TAM, SAM, and SOM using both top-down and bottom-up methods, how to calculate TAM SAM SOM: step-by-step with examples covers the full guide.

The 5 Universal Questions: Add These to Every Market Research Survey

Regardless of which objective section above you are drawing from, these five questions belong in every market research survey.

1. The unaided awareness question (always first, before any brand is named): Q95. When you think of [product category], which brands come to mind? (Open-ended)

2. The purchase recency qualifier: Q96. Have you purchased [category] in the last [3/6/12] months? (Yes / No, use for screening and segmentation)

3. The open-ended highlight: Q97. What is the one thing [brand / category / product] does better than anything else you've tried? (Open-ended, what to protect and scale)

4. The open-ended barrier: Q98. What is the one thing that would most improve your experience with [brand / category / product]? (Open-ended, constrained to one thing to force prioritisation)

5. The geographic tier classifier: Q99. Which tier best describes where you live? (Single select: Metro / Tier-2 / Tier-3)

This last question is non-negotiable for Indian market research. The tier cross-tabulation is frequently the most decision-relevant finding in the entire survey and is only available if the question is in the instrument.

Market Research Survey Question Checklist

Before finalising any market research survey:

Every question is tied to a specific research objective (not just a topic) The unaided awareness question appears before any brand name is mentioned No question is double-barrelled (one construct per question, not two) Every scale question has an open-ended follow-up to capture the why The geographic tier classifier is in the demographics section Purchase intent questions name a specific price point, not a vague availability condition Demographics appear at the end, not the beginning The total question count does not exceed 25 The survey has been piloted with 5-10 respondents before full launch

For the complete pre-fieldwork quality checklist that catches measurement errors before they reach 500 respondents, survey response bias: what people say vs what's true covers the full guide.

Quick Takeaways

• This question bank covers seven market research objectives: brand research (Q1-Q18), product research (Q19-Q31), pricing research (Q32-Q42), competitive intelligence (Q43-Q55), concept testing (Q56-Q67), customer profiling (Q68-Q80), and market sizing (Q81-Q94).
• The five universal questions that belong in every market research survey regardless of objective are: unaided awareness before any brand is named, purchase recency qualifier, open-ended highlight, open-ended barrier constrained to one thing, and geographic tier classifier.
• Do not use all 100+ questions in a single survey. Select the 15-20 most relevant to your specific research objective, add the five universals, and keep total length under 25 questions. Data quality deteriorates rapidly beyond this length.
• The most valuable questions in most market research surveys are the open-ended ones: what triggered the purchase, what almost prevented it, what no current brand offers, and what the respondent would tell the brand if they knew someone was listening.
• For Indian market research, the geographic tier cross-tabulation is the single most frequently decision-relevant output. Always include Q99 and always plan sample sizes that produce adequate cell counts at the tier level.

FAQ

What are the best market research survey questions?

The best market research survey questions are specific to your research objective, neutrally worded without leading language, followed by open-ended probes that explain the why behind each rating, and sequenced with unaided awareness before any brand is named and demographics at the end. The questions with the highest decision value are almost always the open-ended ones: what triggered the purchase, what almost prevented it, what no current brand offers, and what the respondent would change if they could change one thing.

How many questions should a market research survey have?

15-20 questions for a focused single-objective study (brand tracking, concept test, pricing study), targeting 10-12 minutes. No more than 25 questions for a comprehensive multi-objective study, targeting 15-20 minutes. Completion rates fall sharply beyond 25 questions, and the respondents who drop out before completion are systematically different from those who complete, biasing the data toward more engaged, more satisfied respondents.

What questions should I ask in a market research questionnaire?

It depends on the objective. Brand research: unaided awareness, brand funnel, imagery ratings, NPS. Product research: usage occasions, satisfaction by attribute, feature priority, open-ended improvement. Pricing research: Van Westendorp four-question battery, purchase intent at specific price points. Concept testing: interest level, appeal, purchase intent at price, barrier to purchase. Customer profiling: purchase trigger, decision process, loyalty test. Market sizing: category penetration, purchase frequency, annual spend, future intent.

What is the difference between market research survey questions and customer survey questions?

Customer survey questions focus on understanding the individual customer relationship: who they are, what drives their purchase decisions, how loyal they are, and what they want next. Market research survey questions cover a broader scope including brand health across a competitive set, pricing sensitivity, new concept viability, competitive positioning, and market sizing, research objectives that require understanding the category and the competitive landscape, not just the customer relationship.

Conclusion

A market research survey that produces findings rather than data is not the result of asking more questions. It is the result of asking the right questions for the specific research objective, in the right order, with the right format, and with open-ended probes that capture the why behind every rating. The 100+ questions above are a bank to draw from, not a list to deploy in full. Identify the objective, select the 15-20 most relevant questions, add the five universals, customise the bracketed fields, and build a survey that produces the specific finding your next decision needs.

PulseAI Research designs and fields market research surveys for Indian brand teams across verified metro, Tier-2, and Tier-3 consumer panels, with AI-accelerated analysis that turns survey responses into decision-ready findings in as little as 72 hours.