Published: 08 February 2006
On-line Focus Groups – Pushing the Boundaries of Public Sector Research
The value of focus groups in exploring the opinions, attitudes and motivations of audiences is well known. This is especially so in consumer research and political polling. However, in many business-to-business and public sector markets its use has been constrained by the difficulties and cost of finding a panel of experts in a particular topic and bringing them together in one place at a specific time.
Matthew Harrison of business research specialist B2B International has overcome these problems by pioneering on-line focus groups, discovering numerous benefits in this method.
The group, the brief and the process
The starting point for any focus group is a clear brief that specifies the issues to be explored and the profile of the target audience. The research agency must recruit the panel, provide a forum for the discussion and an experienced moderator to introduce ideas, record responses & control the process. The qualification and enrolment process is the same if the group meets in real time at a specified venue, or in cyberspace.
On-line focus groups are based on a similar technology to internet message boards. Participants are given a user name and a password that gives access to a secure web site where questions are posted for their response.
Discussions are typically held over two days and in the open, so that all panel members can see other responses and add further comment.
A dynamic dialogue develops, much like a brainstorm, where one contribution stimulates others. This may lead to a consensus on a given issue or reveal a diversity of opinion. Depending on the brief, the moderator may then qualify the questions or explore the emerging issues to develop a deeper understanding.
As there are no time or geographical restraints, the panel can be drawn from a national or international expert community. In particular, recruiting panels of senior executives or people with technical expertise is far easier for an on-line group than for one meeting in real time.
Conventional wisdom in the research industry is that the opinions of these rare individuals can usually only be polled by in depth interview.
This is still a very valid technique for executives at the highest level, but can be expensive and time consuming. Individual interviews of this sort also do not lend themselves to spot testing opinion, which is made possible with e-focus groups.
Experience suggests that many executives will find time for peer-to-peer focus group discussions, because they can participate at a time convenient for them. Often they find the dialogue rewarding and willingly give more time than they would, or could, to a face-to-face forum.
The advantages of going on line
The cost of researching and recruiting a focus group panel will be similar for real-time and on-line focus groups. The cost of operating the group will be slightly lower for on-line groups, especially in the case of executive and expert groups.
Surprisingly perhaps, on-line groups do in many cases produce a far greater depth of information than face-to-face groups. One reasons for this it that the group is convened over a longer period. Also, participants enter the discussion at times convenient to them and they are less constrained than in a conventional group where participants must fit meetings into their busy lives.
B2B director Matthew Harrison explained why e-focus groups give deeper insights: “In a typical focus group with eight participants, conducted over 90 minutes each participant may contribute ten minutes in total to the discussion.
On-line group participants typically log in two to three times and may participate for up to two hours. This depth of information gives a far more profound understanding of the issues.”
There is also evidence that the anonymity of the web allows participants to express themselves more freely.
Matthew explained: “On line focus groups are not linear discussions or subject to the same group dynamics as conventional groups. Even if the leading edge of discussion has moved to another topic, participants can still record their views on earlier issues.
There is equality in the group that allows quieter individuals to speak up without being intimidated by the environment or more knowledgeable group members. Opinions can be expressed in a very frank and open manner”
Conventional groups are often monitored via a two-way mirror. This often allows the client to monitor the discussion and, through the moderator, to guide the discussion and explore emerging issues. On-line focus groups allow clients to view the discussion as it evolves over a longer period and give greater scope to ask additional questions and explore specific issues that arise.
Potential disadvantages
Nothing is perfect and the on-line medium does have a few restrictions. For example, you cannot show the group a product or introduce any physical stimulus into the discussion. However, it is possible to use visual and audible stimulus such as pictures, video, music or voice.
Another obvious difficulty is that this technique is only applicable to relatively web-savvy audiences. Office-based employees, for example, tend to be more receptive than those in more manual employment. These constraints need to be considered at the briefing stage and may require the use of a mix of techniques to obtain a full picture.
In conclusion
On-line focus groups are a useful addition to the qualitative research toolkit. They do not replace conventional focus groups or the in-depth interview, but in many cases they provide market intelligence that is both greater in depth and broader in scope.
Most importantly, the technique allows interactive qualitative research to be conducted with a whole new audience, overcoming the limitations set by geographical boundaries and the seniority of some target audiences.
Further information
Matthew Harrison, B2B International Ltd, Tel. 0161 440 6000 Fax. 0161 440 6006
E-mail: info@b2binternational.com Web: www.b2binternational.com
A white paper by Matthew Harrison is available that explores these issues in greater depth.
To find a business you can trust, click on the related categories below: