Common market research tasks
- Compare localized offers and messaging across regions.
- Sample public sentiment and content availability by location.
- Validate assumptions about regional pricing and promotions.
- See which results, ads and local listings appear for a query in each market.
Each task depends on seeing a page from the right place. A study run from one office can only describe that office.
Getting accurate regional views
Because content varies by location, an accurate study needs requests that originate from the target region. Nefo residential proxies let you choose the country, and in most countries the state, city or ISP, with tokens in the username such as -country-de or -city-losangeles.
Large markets such as the US, UK and Germany have dedicated location pages that list the options.
A study workflow
- Write down the question, the markets to compare and the pages or queries that answer it.
- Create credentials and fix the market for each sample with a targeting token.
- Fetch the pages with a browser tool or HTTP client and store the raw HTML or a screenshot with the market and date.
- Repeat for every market using the same pages, so differences come from location and not from the method.
- Compare the results and note where offers, pricing or wording diverge.
Playwright and Python Requests both accept a proxy URL, so a sample run can be scripted in a few lines.
Proxy type and session mode
| Need | Proxy type | Session mode |
|---|---|---|
| Wide sampling of many public pages | Rotating residential | Rotating |
| Multi-step task from one consistent location | Rotating residential | Sticky up to 24 hours |
| Mobile-first content as a phone on a carrier sees it | Rotating mobile, 110 countries | Rotating or sticky up to 2 hours |
Targeting tips
- Use country targeting first. Add state or city only when the question is about a local market.
- Keep the page list identical across markets and run each market in one batch.
- Record the exit country and time of each sample, so findings can be reproduced.
Cost and compliance
Start with 5 GB for $4.50 ($0.90/GB). Unused bandwidth stays on your balance, so a small study does not expire. Respect each site's terms, robots directives and applicable law, keep request rates reasonable and avoid personal data you are not permitted to process. See the acceptable use policy.
Keeping samples comparable
The value of a regional study is in the comparison, so the method must be the same everywhere. Write the method down before you start and keep it fixed.
- Use the same list of pages or queries in every market.
- Run each market in one batch, close in time, so that daily changes do not look like regional differences.
- Use the same tool and browser settings for every sample. A different language setting or window size can change what a page shows.
- Save the market, the exit location and the time with each sample.
If a result looks surprising, repeat it from a new session id in the same market before you draw a conclusion. One repeat usually shows whether it was a real regional difference or a one-off page variation.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sampling from one office location and calling it a market view.
- Drilling down to cities for every question. Country level is enough for national comparisons, and city targeting is best kept for local markets.
- Changing the IP during a multi-step task. Hold a sticky session so that the site sees a single visitor from start to finish.
- Forgetting compliance. Collect only public data and follow each site's terms.
When a study grows into continuous tracking, move to the workflow described in market intelligence or price monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on how many pages you sample. Because the minimum is 5 GB for $4.50 and bandwidth never expires, you can scope a study first and scale later. Larger packages cost less per GB, down to $0.53/GB at 10 TB.
Yes. Use a sticky session to hold the same regional IP for a multi-step task, from 1 minute up to 24 hours, set with a -session-<id> token in the username.
Research is often a one-off study; intelligence is ongoing monitoring. Both need accurate localized views. For continuous tracking see market intelligence.
Yes. Residential proxies cover 227 countries and territories, with state, city and ISP targeting in most of them. See the locations list for what each country offers.
Collecting publicly available data is fine when you follow each site's terms and applicable law. Prohibited or abusive activity is not allowed; read the acceptable use policy.