The primary qualitative web-based research approach is online focus groups.
Disadvantages
- restricted internet access can make it difficult to get a broad cross section of respondents.
- Controlling who’s in the online sample is difficult.
- Consumer privacy is a major issue.
Sampling plan
A sample is a segment of the population selected for marketing research to represent the population as a whole.
Designing the sample requires three decisions.
1. who is to be surveyed (what sampling unit)?
2. How many people should be surveyed (what sample size)?
3. How should the people in the sample be chosen (what sampling procedure)?
The two types of samples are
- probability samples
- nonprobability samples
Research instruments
The questionnaire is the most common data collection instrument.
Closed-end questions include all the possible answers, and subjects make choices among them.
Open-end questions allow respondents to answer in their own words.
Care should be given to the wording and ordering of questions.
Researchers also use mechanical instruments to monitor consumer behavior.
People meter and checkout scanners are examples.