Marketing research is the process of gathering and analysing information about a target market, competition, and customers to inform marketing decisions. The goal of marketing research is to help companies understand the needs, wants, and behaviours of their target audience, and to use this information to develop effective marketing strategies. Marketing research can be qualitative or quantitative, and may involve surveys, focus groups, interviews, observation, and secondary data analysis.

Here are the basic steps to conduct marketing research:
1. Define the research problem: Clearly articulate the information you need to gather and the questions you want to answer.
2. Determine the research design: Choose the type of research that best fits your research problem and goals. This may include surveys, focus groups, interviews, observation, or secondary data analysis.
3. Develop the research plan: Outline the methods, tools, and timeline for conducting the research.
4. Collect data: Gather data through the methods chosen in the research plan. This may involve administering surveys, conducting focus groups, interviewing customers, observing behaviour, or analysing existing data.
5. Analyse data: Use statistical methods to analyse the data collected. This may involve calculating averages, percentages, and other summary statistics, and conducting inferential analysis to test hypotheses.
6. Present findings: Communicate the results of the research in a clear and concise manner. This may involve creating graphs, charts, and tables, and writing a report summarizing the findings.
7. Use findings to inform marketing decisions: Use the information gathered from the marketing research to inform marketing decisions, such as product development, pricing, promotion, and distribution.

Marketing research is an important tool for informing marketing decisions and ensuring that resources are being allocated in the most effective way possible. It requires careful planning and execution, and a commitment to using the findings to continuously improve marketing efforts.