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The Limitations of Online Focus Groups

Why The Web is No Substitute For Face to Face Interaction

© Elizabeth Harrington

Aug 3, 2009
Online Focus Group, jdurham
The internet is becoming increasingly popular as a qualitative research tool. But online groups employ a different methodology, and lack benefits of traditional groups.

One of the many changes that have come about due to the internet, are online focus groups, which are used by some in place of traditional, in-person focus groups.

However, the two methodologies are so different, the name focus group has even been called a misnomer for online groups. On the other hand, it's not hard to understand why they are seen as attractive.

The Appeal of Conducting Focus Groups Online

  • They are cost effective. Recruitment by means of email is considerably cheaper than by telephone or other means. This is especially important when the target market is hard to reach for any reason, including low incidence, or location in less accessible geographical areas.
  • No travel is required. This means less strain on the budget and the likelihood of more clients being able to "attend" who may not otherwise be able to (and do so without the cost of such services as FocusVision that offer remote viewing for traditional groups).
  • Turn-around time is faster, thanks to the greater ease of recruiting online and the ready availability of transcripts for analysis and reporting.
  • More respondents can participate at a time.

But in some cases, these advantages may be offset by what is sacrificed as a result. When all is said and done, there is no substitute for in-person focus groups. Those who opt for online focus groups should be aware of what they are missing.

What Traditional Focus Groups Have That Online Groups Don't

  • The extent of the moderator's influence . It's generally believed that the moderator is one of the most important aspects of conducting focus groups. In a live environment, a good moderator is able to monitor the flow of conversation, follow unexpected and meaningful tangents, and push to deeper levels of understanding through innovative and creative techniques in ways that are not possible online. See this link for elements of traditional focus groups.
  • Nonverbal expression. Are respondents bored when you show them a new concept? Do they appear anxious or sit with their arms folded? Body language and facial expressions are an important means of communication. Combined with what respondents say, it offers much richer feedback than text alone. It's particularly helpful when reactions to a new product idea or concept are borderline or hard to read. At times there may be a mismatch between body language and what respondents are saying, which can be informative and also lead to additional probing.
  • Hands-on involvement. Being able to touch, smell, and otherwise be in contact with products or other objects is critical to some research and allows for reactions to be revealed not just verbally but through the expressions on respondents' faces.
  • Group dynamics, also unspoken, are a powerful element of group interaction that comes from having participants put their heads together to come up with insights or solutions. The group is more than the sum of its parts. At its best, group synergy stimulates thinking that may lead to creative problem-solving, new product ideas, and other findings that go beyond more superficial learning. Role play, having teams take opposite sides of an argument, or other such techniques help encourage interaction.
  • Being able to plumb emotional depths. Respondents who have like concerns or share the same embarrassments such as wearing dentures or suffering from psoriasis, often reveal a great deal in a group of their peers. Online respondents may feel free to talk, too, given their anonymity. But in-person focus groups uniquely allow respondents to build on each other's "stories," which often access deeper emotions. For products that are emotionally as well as functionally driven, this type of learning is essential.
  • Quality control. In online research, it's harder to screen out "bogus" or unqualified respondents who would be obvious if they appeared in person. Nor is it possible to know whether participants are really attending to the group, since they have the option of multitasking while participating online. Finally, although the number of households is high and increasing, there are still people who are not captured through internet recruiting; it's possible that this could skew results for certain targets or types of research.

Online research provides a new way of conducting research, one which has a place in market research and will most likely continue to evolve. However, its very nature means that it is no substitute for traditional focus groups. Specifically, it lacks the dynamism, participant interaction, nonverbal feedback, and skill and role of the moderator that continue to define "live" focus groups. Traditional groups are not only tried and true, but offer unique benefits as well.


The copyright of the article The Limitations of Online Focus Groups in Marketing/PR is owned by Elizabeth Harrington. Permission to republish The Limitations of Online Focus Groups in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


Online Focus Group, jdurham
Group Dynamics, Clarita
      


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Comments
Aug 12, 2009 3:37 AM
Guest :
I agree that there are arguments for and against online focus groups, but there is a very interesting area of middle ground which is Online Audio Focus groups (see http://www.q-mindspace.co.uk/mindspace_online.htm). This approach combines the best of both methods in that people talk together on a conference call while viewing the moderator's screen, so you have all the depth and discussion opportunities of a face-to-face session with the clarity and flexibility of online. Clare Wade www.q-mindspace.co.uk
Sep 9, 2009 5:39 AM
Guest :
All of these points are valid and should be considered by any researcher who is considering online focus groups. I assume that you are talking about online "chat" focus groups. I think the chat groups are very limited in their usefulness and often do not provide a strong value for the client. However, online qualitative is growing and providing capabilities that were not available or were difficult before. For instance, some people call bulletin boards "online bulletin board focus groups." This methodology injects the ability to do longitudinal qualitative into our tool belt that was very difficult in the past. There are also "online focus groups" that are webcam based. These groups have limitations to be sure but they also negate some of the disadvantages of "not being in the room." For me, as a qual researcher, online is an exciting new development that does not replace face to face but provides new tools that can be effectively used for specific applications.
Jim Bryson, 20/20 Research
2 Comments
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