A hot topic has come up recently on Consumer Search's internal forum, which is about the pros and cons of online market research in Hong Kong and China.

 

The online market research mania is sweeping the industry nowadays. Discussion about the pros and cons has been running persistently. Here summarizes a couple of points of this popular research method in aspects of research design, sampling, data collection, cost and security.

 

Regarding research design, skipping / logic check can be added to the online survey program to ensure accurate logic. However open-ended questions have to be kept to minimum due to lack of probing / clarification by interviewers.

 

Online sampling can reach wide geographical population worldwide, and also large sample size can be targeted. Yet, respondents' identity and demography cannot be verified online and therefore, pre-recruitment / reliable online panel is needed for demography verification.

 

The advantage of online data collection is quite obvious; it is fast, real-time raw data / response is available if appropriate tools are developed. However there are some other cons to talk about. For example, double response for general consumer surveys (not targeted at pre-qualified respondents) cannot be totally avoided because respondents' identity can be forged. Also, quality of response cannot be assured compared with traditional methodologies, because all responses are made "behind the screen"; we do not know who is actually answering the questions. There would be high-risk of half-way drop out at online in-depth interview / focus group.

 

Cost is saved on fieldwork (for self-administered online surveys) and data entry manpower if doing online research. Nevertheless, there are extra cost on developing reliable online research program, verifying respondents' identity and manual follow up / clarification as part of quality control measures (while this can be done during the interview if taken in traditional methodologies).

 

Concerning the security factor, link and password of surveys can be sent to pre-qualified respondents in separate emails to assure security. The con is that security of data / respondents' privacy might not be assured where the security level of respondents' network is highly uncertain, and that if hackers intrude in their network, both senders' and receivers' confidential information will easily be disclosed to the hackers. There is also risk of leaking survey information because links to surveys can easily be disclosed over the Internet.

 

Online market research should be employed together with expertise and experienced analysis, and stringent quality control measures provided by reliable research provider so as to secure good quality assurance.