Passion + Focus

Do you have what it takes to work less?

There’s a great story that almost sounds like a fable: a man decides to work less and his life improves. The End. While we’re left with more questions than answers, the tall tale continues through time, giving working people everywhere just an ounce of hope that someday work life will be better.

Well, fable this. There’s a real man named Josh Epperson who succeeded at what seems impossible: he worked fewer hours, his productivity increased, and his happiness soared. WTH? It’s a story worth reading in the Atlantic.

Are you willing to give Epperson’s experiment a try? Tell us all about it, please – inquiring minds!

More Tips & Joy

Why are Some Marketing Research Studies Doomed to Fail?

Regardless how you intend to get your data, the first few steps to achieving success are often brushed over or pushed aside on the way to the finish line. Before identifying the best means of engagement, it’s critical to clearly define both the research objective and the target audience.

  • Where you’re going and why
  • Who you need to interview and why.

Like a beacon of light, a well considered objective propels a project purposely forward to the finish line. Without it, findings flail and resulting recommendations are at risk.

Knowing who to interview to achieve the objective must also be clearly defined. Recruiting appropriate participants starts with a client conversation to identify  demographic, lifestyle, and behavioral attributes of prospective participants. Well designed, unbiased screening questionnaires and extensive identity verification procedures ensure accurate and effective recruiting.

Despite the simplicity of this secret sauce, InsideHeads surveyed research buyers on LinkedIn and discovered “actionable insights” to be “most desired”, yet also “rarely achieved”.

InsideHeads clients always receive pointed recommendations. Born from a deep understanding of both data collection and strategic direction, InsideHeads delivers intelligent insights that will move your unique initiatives forward.

Which Online Qual Research Method Has the Lowest CPI?

Calculating cost-per-interview (CPI) of different qualitative research methods can be an eye-opening exercise. Excluding recruiting and incentives, which vary, we can estimate typical costs of different methods.

CPI estimates below assume:

  • 4 focus groups
  • focus facility & support
  • project management
  • moderator fees (guide design, interviews, & analysis)

In-Person Groups – Face to Face in Real Time

6-8 Participants for 2 hours

Average CPI $650

Multi-Media Bulletin Board Over Time

15-20 Participants for 3-5 days

Average CPI $353

Text Chat in Real Time

15-20 Participants for up to 2 hours

Average CPI $191

Webcam (Video Chat) in Real Time

3-5 Participants for up to 2 hours

Average CPI $988

Contact InsideHeads for a free estimate on your next online marketing research study. Call +1-877-In-Heads or email info@insideheads.com.

When Did Online Qual Begin?

The moment people could connect and communicate online, researchers were there. In the beginning the research was technical, paving the way for a vast network of open communication that was to follow.

As this virtual network of people grew, marketing researchers strapped on their boots and began exploring new ways of mining and collecting data. It wasn’t long before social researchers suited-up and started using email, group chats, and bulletin board systems to gather information. All of these initial efforts cleared the way for what is now known as online qualitative research.

While the first online focus group via group text was conducted by Marian Salzman in a pimped-out AOL chat room in 1992, it was actually research boards that came first. As early as 1984, when the “internet” was limited and accessible by only government researchers and universities, one student at Syracuse University was using a bulletin board system over NSFNET to interview students at UCLA.

Learn more about the history of online qualitative research in Qual-Online, the Essential Guide, available on Amazon.

Online or In-person Focus Groups?

When comparing the costs to conduct focus groups online to in-person (face-to-face), it’s important to consider which elements are, and are not, included in each.  First, let’s compare the basics of four popular types of focus groups:

In-Person Face to Face in Real Time

6-8 Participants for 2 hours

Multi-Media Online Bulletin Board Over Time

15-20 Participants for 3-5 days

Online Text Chat in Real Time

15-20 Participants for up to 2 hours

Webcam (Video Chat) in Real Time

3-5 Participants for up to 2 hours

Now let’s take a look at the cost categories each of those focus group methods will include:

Recruiting & Incentives

Recruiting for online or in-person requires effort, attention, and reliable sources. Cost per recruit are comparable across methods.

Facility & Live Support (in-person or virtual)

Whether your interview is conducted within a brick and mortar building or using an online research platform, people need a place to gather. Multimedia Bulletin Boards and Webcam Groups are still ripe for tech issues, so going with providers who offer significant support is both wise and costly.

Research Services (e.g., discussion guide design, moderate, report)

Expert researchers put in the hours to design studies that will yield reliable data and reveal keen insights. Research expertise is needed to conduct any focus group , but the amount of time required will vary. Bulletin boards and Webcam groups require the most time and attention, while chats are the most time and energy efficient. In-person groups means everyone has to travel, and you’ll also incur ancillary facility costs for food and administrative help.

When figuring costs, consider the volume and quality of conversation that results from each of the four group interview methods listed.

In both in-person and webcam focus groups, only one person can speak at a time, yet bulletin boards and online chats enable everyone to talk simultaneously. This multi-synchronous response maximizes the volume and depth of data you can receive in the same amount of time.

Also consider the fact that in-person and webcam conversations provide helpful facial cues, yet boards and chats prompt more candid responses from participants.

Bottom line? There’s no easy answer. The options available for conducting group interviews each have their pros and cons for different situations. Checkout average CPI for each method in this post.

Before you pick your platform and plow ahead, consider first taking stock of your research needs. You may find a perfect fit in a more budget-friendly method!

Contact InsideHeads for a free assessment, +1(877)-In-Heads.

Who Provides the Best Marketing Research Platforms?

When conducting marketing research online, it’s important to understand and implement the technology required for your target market. So who do you tap for the best research platforms: a company who knows technology, or a company who knows research?

Let’s look closer at what makes the best online marketing research platforms successful:

Mobile FriendlyMobile Research Studies

Today, online research studies need to be mobile responsive, while also accommodating older technology (some people still use desktop computers, it’s true.) While reported estimates vary, it’s safe to say that most of your online survey respondents will see it first on a smartphone.

Seamless Access

Platforms also need to be easy for all possible respondents to understand and use. With so much invested in recruiting, why send prospects to a survey that might not work? The best data collection, whether quantitative (surveys) or qualitative (online focus groups & IDIs), comes from research platforms that work seamlessly on any device, O/S, or browser.

Affordable

If you have to blow your entire budget on technology, we’ll just call that misdirected funds. The most expensive technology comes from fat tech firms who hang their hat on staying relevant and being “agile”. The best technology comes from companies who understand the market and custom design robust platforms with stable, time-tested code that eliminates the need for expensive user support. Tools like these are the secret weapons of seasoned researchers.

For your next online marketing research study, consider a company that understands technology and research. InsideHeads conducts marketing research and designs & develops the best marketing research platforms to do it correctly. From programming to presentations, InsideHeads has been conducting successful online marketing research studies since 1998.

Give us a call, you’ll like what you hear.   +1(877)-IN-HEADS