We are strong advocates of online research and encourage clients to consider internet options alongside more traditional methodologies.
Internet and Email Surveys
There are a number of ways of conducting research with your key audiences such as: customers, B2B clients, employees etc. A website 'popup' survey , for example can be a great way of gaining insight to visitor profiles (who is using your site and why?). Moreover, if all your employees have an email account and access to a pc, an email based survey can often be a cost effective and quick way of evaluating satisfaction.
We have conducted numerous successful research studies using electronic based questionnaires and believe that new media methodologies will be the future of research.
Website Usability and Beta Testing
There are many designers who believe that they can construct an appealing and user-friendly website but how can you evaluate whether you are meeting the needs and wants of your online audiences? After all, the majority of internet users have little patience. If they cannot find what they want quickly, or buy what they need in a few clicks, being search dependent they soon turn to another site, and rarely return to ones with a poor user experience.
One way to test the simplicity and intuitive navigation of a site is to conduct usability testing among key users. We have conducted usability exercises among many consumer portal and content driven information sites. Research of this nature 'fine tunes' the skeleton of a website and ensures that the user experience of your key audiences is a pleasurable one and will return repeatedly.
Online groups
Since the growth of internet usage, researchers have been experimenting with applying qualitative research methods to this new medium, for example by conducting online real-time group discussions using web-based chat-room technology (also known as E-groups).
Harnessing technology to replicate traditional face-to-face methods has met with limited success, although its value for certain groups, especially geographically dispersed populations, has been proved. Researchers are also exploring quite new ways of researching offered by this medium. These include the use of electronic bulletin boards and of moderated email groups, and new combinations of qualitative and quantitative approaches.
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