QualitativeMind.com – inspiration without perspiration

10 reasons to use online focus groupsHere’s 5 that are not so obvious

1. Less groupthink, if you want to make it harder for someone to dominate a group; need to get individual responses from everybody, but don’t have time or money to do individual depth interviews. OFG’s allow you to get individual responses before you discuss as a group, so are really good for developing products and comms materials.

2. OFGs give spontaneously expressed reactions as respondents have to reply immediately. BBFGs will give you more considered responses.

3. If you want to even out social inequalities use a chat based platform and avoid asking questions that will give away respondents backgrounds. You can’t hear accents in chat rooms.

4. You can have several client observers and the group don’t see the notes the clients send

5. They are good for sensitive topics as the extra anonymity of not being seen helps people be more candid. Useful for subjects such as obesity. There is also some psychological safety from being in their own environment.

Focus groups, held in a virtual room with 6-8

participants simultaneously.

Replicate many of the procedures of F2F focus groups. Are

mostly chat based as webcam groups are technologically more

complex.

1. You get an instant transcript (from chat groups)

2. It’s a good first step into online research as the basic processes are all familiar (recruitment, waiting room, topic guide, introduction etc. And you can show stimulus material, do projectives, etc.

3. They are green – nobody has to travel; unaffected by volcanic ash clouds. Convenient for respondents too. Useful for scattered samples and international projects

4. For products and services that are bought or used in an online environment

5. Great for teenagers, who are in their own medium and expect instant replies to their chat

And the ones you might expect...

QualitativeMind.com – inspiration without perspiration

It’s a good idea……

to screen respondents for

some familiarity with email or

social media and an ability to

type. Send them some

information on what to

expect before the group.

To get some tech support

during the group in case

connections weaken or the

software doesn’t work as

expected.

.

When not to use online focus groups

1. If your sample are not online, are uncomfortable online or their identities are unclear. (When recruiting respondents get an address and phone number and contact them offline to confirm identities.)

2. If there are possible technical problems e.g. areas with poor broadband infrastructure, old computers.

3. If you want to observe live group dynamics and personal social interaction, really feel that you have gotten to know people. You like to see the ‘golden threads’ developing and intertwining.

4. If you use paralinguistics and nonverbals a lot in sensing emotions in the group and base your probes on that.

5. If you need to do groups that are longer than 2 hours. 90 mins is the best length for an online group.

6. If the study is highly confidential. Its hard to stop respondents taking screen shots if they should want to.

7. If you need physical testing of products ( although there is no reason why you can’t combine the two)

8. If you want to know why they don’t do something online and suspect the barrier is online!

9. If you suspect respondents may not be very good at typing

10. If you need detailed and considered responses (use a BBFG instead). OFGs will typically cover about one third less material because of the need to type responses.

Things not to worry about……

Too much typing. You pre-

load the discussion guide.

Too verbal – most platform

shave whiteboards for visual

exercises

Respondents loafing. Most

platforms can let you see who

is not contributing.

Spelling. Tell respindotns

splelling dusnt matter as the

brayn makes sence of words

anyway.

.