e - Survey

Abstract

Understanding market is necessary for producer. The needs, requirements, behavior, cost effectiveness, quality, reviews, improvements, appreciation, problems, loyalty, complaints and schemes of consumers should be known by producer and marketer. The best solution to know about consumers is to ask them directly or indirectly. ‘Survey’ is a tool used by marketer to understand market better.

Introduction

Market research is an activity to find information regarding relationship between consumers, products, marketing tools and marketer in order to explore marketing opportunities.

Before any marketing plan or business plan to survey is necessary. One needs data and information both qualitative and quantitative to explore market.

Market Research Instruments

Generally questionnaire – a series of related questions to ask is prepared. Questions should be logical and related to research requirements.

Researcher needs two kinds of data to interpret market.

Primary data
Secondary data

Primary data is first hand and original data collected direct from market for researcher’s purpose. Secondary data is to use data collected by other for similar or relative purpose.

Till today industry followed personal interview through questionnaire, in depth interview, sending questionnaire by mail, telephonic interviews etc in primary research (primary data collection).

Basic purpose of these methods to meet consumers or decision-makers and ask them.

Internet & Market

Dell does its 40 % of sale on Internet. Internet is being competitive virtual market that is directly connected to physical market. Amazon.com is an another example. For auction and sale of everything one may log on eBay.com

Now a marketer has so many respondents on line to guide about marketing conditions. Market researcher needs to enter in web space.

On line Market Research

Internet provides an efficient channel for fast, cheap and reliable collection and processing of marketing information. Internet based marketing research is termed again on line market research on which nearly $ 3 million was spent in United States in 1996.

Basic methods used on net are one to one emails, chat rooms and surveys placed on web sites.

Comparing offline and online research

1. Online research is cheaper than offline research as offline research is labor intensive.
2. If questionnaire is designed with care data quality is high in online research.
3. Geographical coverage is unlimited in online research.
4. As it is automated online research has low interviewer bias in compare to offline research.
5. Ethical issues are highly maintained in online research.
6. Time for data entry or data arrangement is reduced in online research.

Sampling is accurate and controllable in offline research.
Researcher has high control over interviewee. E.g. interviewer can clarify doubts on the spot and make easy to understand questions for interviewee in offline research.

Types of Online research

1. Online survey research
2. Online qualitative research
3. Web site analysis study

Online survey research

It is generally done through web pages and emails. Web surveys can incorporate radio buttons, data entry fields and check boxes, which helps researcher to take response from respondents easily and according to requirement.

E.g. Selection of multiple choices generally supported by list boxes where as one choice can be selected from combo box list. Thus drop down boxes increase speed of answering from respondent side, as he needs to select only.

For options which can not be treated well in drop down boxes can be presented by radio buttons or check boxes.

For open-ended answers text boxes or text areas are preferred.

Benefits

1. Responses can be validated on the spot.
2. Data entry error can be reduced or eliminated.
3. Statistical analysis can be done quickly as everything is in data form.
4. Participant has freedom of time to appear for surveys according to their own convenience.
5. It is cheaper and accurate.

Above format can be sent through email also.

Online qualitative research

On line focus group and discussion can be done through chat rooms.
Such group discussion is timed and according to geographical boundary affects either of participants some time. But online bulletin boards allow respondent to provide input on their own schedules.

Typing speeds and writing skill of participants affects quality of group discussion. Once a discussion is over research easily get electronic transcript as contents.

Using different technology like multimedia researcher can make it more interesting.

Web site analysis

It is niche field of Internet itself. Navigation observation, data transfer, mostly reviewed page, time invested on page and clicks can be tracked. Log file analysis gives in depth review of web site moments done by web surfer. It is widely used in e - malls or auction sites.

Limitation of Online research

Who is available online? Mostly baby boomers that are wealthy, employed and well educated.
It is not suitable for every clients or product. Even in developing countries there are limited participants in Internet. Demographic and geographic factors widely affect such kinds of surveys.

Even sometimes we are afraid to get wrong answers or answer by non-target customers in online surveys and made great sampling errors.

Conclusion

As Internet is being fast and wide spread market, online research can help marketer and researcher to certain extend. New technology and security reasons will help to track respondents and return excellent views in controlled manner through online research.

Happy Questioning & Surveying!