How to use your Quick Search results

Read the answer with your question in mind

Open View Quick Search result and read the whole answer. If you asked for several possible directions, look through all of them before settling on the first one that sounds interesting. The answer can take different forms depending on what you asked.

As you read, ask whether it is talking about the customers you had in mind. A problem faced by a large retail chain may have little to do with a store run by one person.

“Store owners spend time answering delivery questions” points to work you can ask them about. If the answer only says “stores need better efficiency,” you still need to find out which part of their day is causing trouble.

Pay attention to where the answer moves from describing a problem to suggesting a product. For example, repeated delivery questions might lead to a suggestion for a tracking tool. Before taking that suggestion further, find out what tracking information the store already gives its customers.

Open the sources behind important claims

If a claim makes you think “this could be worth building,” follow its source link. Read the relevant part of the original page rather than relying only on the summary.

• Does the source actually say what the answer says? An article about inventory software may not show how often stores experience stock errors.
• Look at when it was published and when the events or survey took place. A newly published article can still quote older data.
• Notice who the information is about. Country, business size and customer group can change how relevant it is to your idea.
• For a statistic, find out who was surveyed and what was measured. A percentage needs that context to mean anything useful.

For example, research about large US retailers may help explain the wider market. You would still need evidence about small stores in the country you plan to serve.

If a link does not open, or the page does not support the claim, keep that point on your list of things to check. Do not use it as the main reason for choosing an idea.

Compare the directions before choosing one

Read each option and consider how often the problem happens, what it costs the customer and how they handle it now. Also think about whether you can reach those customers and ask them about their experience.

In the online-store example, inventory mismatches were one of five findings. That gives you a starting point, but “inventory problems for online stores” still covers a lot. You could focus on small Shopify stores that also sell through another channel.

When stock counts differ between channels, how much time do these stores spend correcting them? Do they lose orders, and what have they already tried to fix it?

Those questions help you look beyond an appealing product description. You may find that existing tools handle the problem well, or that a particular group of stores still has trouble despite using them. Either answer helps you decide where to spend your time.

Work out what you still need to know

You do not need every answer before taking another step. You do need to know which missing information could change your decision. For the direction you are considering, ask:

• Is this something customers deal with every week, or an occasional inconvenience?
• How much time or money does it cost them? Does it lead to missed work or lost orders?
• What do they use now, including spreadsheets or manual work?
• What would make switching to another solution worth the effort?
• Have they spent money trying to fix it, or are they willing to pay for a test?

A competitor’s pricing page can show you what they charge. It cannot tell you whether your intended customers would buy your version. Ask customers about the last time the problem happened and what they did. If you later offer a paid test, their response gives you stronger evidence than a general “that sounds useful.”

Choose what deserves Deep Research

When you are looking for business opportunities, Quick Search gives you several directions to explore. Once you have read the findings and checked the important sources, decide which search you want to investigate more thoroughly.

You will find your searches in Recent searches. Open the three-dot menu beside the search you have chosen and select Deep Research.

Deep Research adds a more detailed assessment, including risks and a recommended next test. Use that recommendation to decide what to check with customers before committing to building the product.

If your original search covers several very different ideas, you can first run a new Quick Search about the direction you prefer. For example, move from “problems for online stores” to stock mismatches for small Shopify stores selling through multiple channels. Read that answer before starting Deep Research on the new search.

If you need help wording that follow-up, see How to write a Quick Search question.