Focus Groups | Research | Market Research | Online

Focus Groups

 

 

online focus groups

 

Online focus groups are a relatively new form of qualitative research, their introduction prompted by the increasing availability and quality of broadband.

One of the primary benefits of online is the fact that you can involve respondents anywhere in the country or world, since all they need is access to a computer to take part. This clearly has cost and time advantages, and clients are able to 'observe' the group from their own office or home.

Most online qual is carried out using text-based systems, where the moderator uploads a question on to the screen and respondents type their answers and opinions.

Mindspace Online takes this concept a stage further, to include a greater level of human interaction. Rather than use the screen to hold the 'conversation' respondents talk on the phone and the screen is used to show words and images as prompts for discussion.

 

 

 
  focus groups  
 

 

Focus groups are used by businesses and organisations to hear first-hand what their customers, staff, suppliers or other parties think, using a range of methods to encourage conversation and debate.

As in any market research survey, this could involve exploring opinions around a new product, service, logo, packaging, advertising campaign or marketing idea - really anything that will help the business or initiative develop more proficiently as a result of knowing what the customer thinks.

Different moderators prefer different size sessions, but a focus group may comprise anywhere between 6 to 10 people.

Respondents (as they are known) are invited to take part on the basis that they meet certain critiera - eg fit a particular demographic, buy certain products, hold certain attitudes etc.

They are interviewed by a professional qualitative research moderator who records the conversation and then analyses the feedback, and the results are presented to their client in powerpoint presentation and/or written report form.

A normal focus group lasts up to an hour and a half. Longer sessions are known as extended focus groups and can take a more creative workshop style making full use of projective and teamwork techniques.


 

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