For a while then, focus groups were the norm for marketing research. A handful of selected people from various demographics would go through a series of intervies and sampling after which they would give comments and suggestions on how a product can be improved based on their general opinion. It was a process that usually took a good amount of time to complete and you had to spend a large sum of money for the group. Now, there's a new trend thats coming out and that is marketing research through online surveys.
Marketing research through online surveys, its the same strategy of the old focus groups covering the consumers behaviors, whims and preferences towards a certain product or service but minus a lot of hassles of the old but bringing in some of its own. Surely it is nice not having to bring people in and having to spend all that money. Thats exactly what marketing research through online surveys does and more. You can upload a survey to one of the sites(you do have to pay for it though) and just sit back. People surfing through sites that have your survey are likely to answer your query. It just pops up. Another way is through e-mail which is a better way if you're planning to have quite a number of questions. There are companies you can commission for these type of jobs. There are sites that give out freebies as well as pay people who participate in such surveys. Social sites such as myspace, friendster, multiply and a lot more can also be used for surveys. This is only the beginning! It's safe to say, marketing research through online surveys can work faster for you and cover more ground.
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