Online Focus Groups

Our approach to online groups is to keep them as parallel to face to face groups as possible in size, interactivity and insights. Each project is different, but here are some of our key learnings:

(Click on a question to learn more, or scroll down to read all answers.)

What are advantages versus live groups? What kinds of situations are online groups most useful for?
How many people typically attend an online group? What is the typical duration? Are respondents as attentive as they are in a live group?
What about B2B? Can online work there, too?
What should I expect to pay versus a live group, for example of eight participants? How long does it take?
Who participates? Are online participants different from those in the ‘real world’?
Who moderates? How does that work?

What are advantages versus live groups? What kinds of situations are online groups most useful for?

• You can run national groups, with participants from around the country, without having to travel.
• There is an immediate, complete record of everything said, without having to listen to and transcribe video/audio tape.
• Everyone can participate at once, so it is less likely that any one person dominates.

How many people typically attend an online group? What is the typical duration? Are respondents as attentive as they are in a live group?

• We prefer 8-12 participants, and groups that last 90 minutes. Groups of 100 participants should be called surveys, not focus groups.
• Participants are at least as attentive as in live groups, and many participate more--the shy can type without fear of dismissal. Anonymity makes participants open up, especially when the questions are fun and involving, like role playing or story telling.
• Brand Amplitude has successfully recruited and studied concession stand volunteers, band directors, heavy Internet shoppers, frequent movie goers, flavored rum users and owners of high end exercise equipment with online groups.

What about B2B? Can online work there, too?

Absolutely. We have executed dozens of projects with B2B audiences including doctors, franchisees, and and small business owners. They like interacting with peers. The key is to keep the groups homogeneous, small and fast moving. $100-$150 ensures they show up.

What should I expect to pay versus a live group, for example of eight participants? How long does it take?

Expect to pay the same for moderating, recruiting and incentives as for a live group. The savings are in the facility charges and travel costs (and refreshments…and weight gain). We use gotomeeting.com so there is no charge for software. You also save productivity since everyone stays at their desk or watches from home. Projects can be turned around faster, with the typical project lasting just 2 weeks from initiation to report.

Who participates? Are online participants different from those in the ‘real world’?

What’s the real world anymore? The question now is not whether your target is online but whether he/she has time to go to an office park facility. If your product or service is researched, talked about, accessed or purchased online, online research should be a natural place to talk about it with customers. You can screen very precisely, on a variety of dimensions, just like with in person groups, but the chances of that person showing up are much greater. So there is less waste.

We have had great success working with online panels, telephone recruiters (especially effective for B2B and teens) and internal customer lists.

Who moderates? How does that work?

BrandAmplitude was among the first brand strategy consulting firms to embrace online groups, back in 2002. We have conducted well over 500 online groups since then. We have five trained moderators, each specializing in a different kind of research or audience. We've learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. Our goal is to replicate the best aspects of face-to-face groups as much as possible, with good interaction among respondents as well as with the moderator.

Observers feel they can almost hear respondent voices, even though the entire conversation takes place via text. Most of our clients come back for more. We use text-only conferencing software, and only occasionally include a phone bridge. We find this optimal for letting everyone participate.

The discussion guide is a power point presentation that allows lots of room for additional probing and discussion. Clients typically sit in on the groups and can have a private chat with the moderator, so spur-of-the-moment questions are addressed real-time.