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What you need to know about online sampling and panels
Written by Chantal Cloete
So you have decided to do your next piece of research digitally. With quick turnaround times, lower costs and fast results this seems to be an obvious choice. While that’s all true, there are some carefully chosen questions you need to ask your research supplier. Their importance is underlined by the panel management guidelines recently released by ESOMAR, advising researchers and research buyers on best practise within this field (https://www.esomar.org/knowledge-and-standards/codes-and-guidelines/guideline-on-online-sample-quality.php). Here are some of the hard questions you need to get answers on.
- Where do you get your sample from?
It is very easy to interact with consumers online, but getting a reliable, trustworthy and representative sample of consumers is not as simple. With the increase of digital research, there has been a spike in professional survey completers. These respondents are unlikely to complete surveys fully and openly. They are motivated by quantity rather than quality. A very important question to ask is how respondents are recruited onto the panel you are using. It is necessary that digital recruitment methods are coupled with offline, more traditional methods. The more diverse the recruitment plan the better balanced the panel will be and the more accurate your results.
- How is the research panel managed?
You have established that the panel is recruited in a reliable way, but how is the panel managed thereafter? What is the incentive provided? Does this create any biases in the type of respondent who will be answering your survey? Are panellists managed to make sure that the same members are not answering every survey. This manages professional survey completers. Is there constant communication and an engagement strategy in place? You want this to be regular but not overwhelming. How does the company keep the panel engaged through survey gamification and other methods? The basic rule is that a happy panellist equates with better response quality for your survey.
- Is your survey platform responsive?
The growth of mobile access and application in marketing and market research is an uncontested trend. A recent Answered Insights study reveals that 94% of those who are digitally active use a smartphone for their personal use. In a recent report, it was shown that of those accessing the internet, 68% are using either their Smart Phone or Tablet to view pages (Stat Counter, Q1, 2015). It is therefore important that your platform is adaptable to the ever growing mobile market. The most effective way of maximising survey reach is to ensure that the survey site is responsive. What this means is that the site will automatically adjust to ensure ease of use and access on a PC, Tablet or Smartphone.
- Do you have feature phone capabilities?
While smartphone usage is on the rise, we cannot ignore the large proportion of the market who are still reliant on feature phones for personal use (Answered Insights Mobile research). Feature phones have not died especially in the mass market. If this is your target market or a segment of your market this is an important question to be asking. There are various ways to reach the feature phone market. The most popular and , in our experience, is through USSD. Using USSD for research presents its own set of challenges. This is a linear platform and does not allow for complex question types and long questionnaires. Nonetheless, it remains useful for shorter, less complex survey designs. Choosing a panel research service provider can be a little confusing and knowing what to check can help make your decision a little easier. As a buyer you are supported by industry guidelines such as ESOMAR’s which demand full transparency in all aspects of panel management (https://www.esomar.org/knowledge-and-standards/codes-and-guidelines/guideline-on-online-sample-quality.php). At Answered Insights we take our lead in excellence from globally accepted standards such as this, constantly adjusting and evaluating our approach to panel management. The end point we all want is accuracy, validity and actionable insights. Answered, provider of digital market research and insights solutions. We combine unique technology platforms with pre-profiled panels of South African consumers to provide marketers and business owners with swift and accurate answers. www.answeredinsight.co.za
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