OVERVIEW
Online focus groups are an effective way of leading select groups into
in-depth discussion about specific topics. All (client and respondent
participants) can participate from the comfort of their own home or office.
This enables the geographic scope of participants, in any one group, to
be world wide.
METHODOLOGY
Clients are able to observe the focus group as it is in session. They
are able to communicate with the moderator and influence which direction
the discussion leads without interrupting the session. Since participants
type their own responses, there is no room for transcriber interpretation
error.
Online Focus Groups are conducted in the following step-by-step process:
Develop screener and discussion guide.
Program screener into HTML/CGI format. (if neccessary)
Screen/recruit participants for desired qualifications. (if neccessary)
Moderate the Online Focus Group session with client observers.
Provide transcript. (normally within 24 hours after group session)
Provide topline report. (normally within one week after closing
survey)
Compile final written or oral presentation.
ADVANTAGES
Conducting focus groups online hold many advantages over traditional
methods.
Responses are more objective Respondents participating
in online focus groups tend to be more objective and straight to the
point when they are not communicating face to face. They can remain
a bit more anonymous and do not tend to "beat around the bush" since
they are typing their responses rather than speaking them.
Cost effective In most cases, online focus groups are
more cost effective than traditional methods because they eliminate
phone expenses, facility rental expenses, and transcriber expenses.
Further, it is considerably more expensive to incentivize people to
come to a central location for a focus group than to ask them to join
us virtually.
Can recruit from a wider geographic scope It can be
very difficult to find enough qualifying respondents for a select
group inside a 25 mile radius. During an online focus group, participants
can join us simultaneously from multiple locations around the globe.
Also, some hard to find groups such as web masters, MIS, network administrators,
etc. are much easier to contact online than via other means.
Less intrusive Inviting someone to participate in an
online focus group via email or web methodologies is much less intrusive
than contacting them via telephone or mall-intercept.
Faster turn around Online focus groups can be turned
around much faster than traditional methods mainly because the recruiting
process is shorter and there is no need to record and transcribe the
sessions.
Quality control Unlike traditional focus groups, the
client can observe the groups sessions without an intimidating one
way mirror. They are also able to communicate with the moderator without
interrupting the session.
DISADVANTAGES
Online focus groups are great for certain topics such as customer satisfaction,
web site evaluation, etc.; however, they are not recommended for all types
of focus groups. The main disadvantage is that you cannot view facial
expressions and body language which sometimes yield important information.
For this reason, online focus groups are not suitable for testing physical
objects such as a new can opener. In this case, the respondents must be
seen using the product.
COST ESTIMATE
For a cost estimate or more specific information about conducting online
focus groups email us.
