Looking for some advice on when to conduct online research, what factors to consider and how to ensure a smooth research process?

We ask Yuwadee Aiamsontisup (Ree), Research Director, Interactive Research for Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa at TNS, for her expert opinion.

Q: What’s behind the growth of online research?

“The growth of online research is unavoidable when the Internet penetration in many countries keeps on growing. By March 2009, there was 1.6 billion Internet users worldwide, from 360 million in 2000. User growth rate between 2000 and 2008 was 342%, according to Internet World Stats. Imagine the online coverage in the near future!

Another aspect is the rise of user-generated media, such as blogs, social networking sites, micro-sites, etc. The Technorati Blogsphere 2008 report shows that there were 133 million blogs indexed by Technorati since 2002, 7.4 million blog posts in the last 120 days, 1.5 million blog posts in the last 7 days and 900,000 blog posts in the last 24 hours. According to ComScore, a total of 691 million people visited social network sites in November 2008.

If we look at digital marketing, it is forecast to grow as well, as predicted by  Marketing & Media Ecosystem 2010 survey and Booz & Company.

The Internet no longer belongs to just the technologically savvy. It is made up of ordinary people using the Internet everyday. All these factors allow Internet Research to gradually mature and increase its share of market research spending.”

Q: What are the pros and cons of online research?

“As with any other data collection methods, there are advantages and disadvantages to beware of. To choose the right method, it is important to evaluate the specific research objectives for each study.

Advantages of online research

1. Often faster turnaround time compared to other research methods
2. Ability to show multimedia stimuli easily
3. Allow respondents to answer the survey at their convenience, so answers tend to be more considered
4. Good for sensitive subjects, since respondents complete the surveys themselves and tend to respond more honestly
5. Unfiltered responses due to no interviewer bias
6. Real-time data during fieldwork

Disadvantages of online research

1. Difficult to manage for some specific types of studies where the sense of sniff, taste or touch is required
2. Sample representative could be impossible to achieve in markets where Internet penetration is low
3. Not feasible in studies where facial expressions need to be observed

When choosing whether to use online research, it is essential to consider many aspects about the study itself, but the two key ones are:

• Who are the target respondents? Can we reach them through the Internet? There is no point using online research in the majority of your target respondents are not Internet users.
• What are the requirements of the research? Does it need respondents to touch or taste test products?  Does it require observation of the physical reactions of respondents?”

Q: What are some best practices in managing online research?

“Besides those factors covered earlier, online researchers need to consider the nature of online research.

An online survey is a self-completion questionnaire. How the questions are asked is important. Make sure it’s clear, easy to understand and precise. Don’t forget this will be read and answered by respondents themselves and there will be no interviewers to clarify any unclear questions.

Managing the fieldwork will need a higher level of attention as things will move faster.  Fieldwork monitoring can usually be done online, so you just need to check the progress often in order to understand the field situation.  Therefore, you can decide to act on certain cues - sending reminders to those who haven’t completed the survey or looking for new samples, for example.”

Q: What businesses are using online research most effectively?

“Online research can be used by all business sectors. It just depends on the type of study that’s being conducted and the target respondents.

These days, you can conduct online opinion surveys (Usage & Attitudes, Brand study, etc), concept tests, advertising tests, and the list goes on! The current web 2.0 technology allows studies to be done in a qualitative manner and to gain more in-depth insights. There are several online qualitative tools available currently.

In fact, you can even monitor blogs and forums but that requires an entirely different set of principles.

In my personal opinion, we need to adapt ourselves to the new environment.

Consumers are no longer on the receiving end of marketing communications. They talk about their product experiences, brand experiences, opinions of brands and products with their friends on the Internet etc. The way we ask questions during online research should follow this trend. Allow collaboration, conversation and co-creation!”

Planning to conduct some online desk research? See our blog entry on Q&A: Secondary research – tips and warnings

For more information, please contact Manifesto

Image from Fox News.