Want to uncover the real reasons behind your customers' choices? Looking for insights that traditional research methods can’t provide? Explore a richer, more emotive approach to market research that feels like a conversation, not just data collection.
Online qualitative research is your key to building stronger relationships with your customers — and getting deeper, more valuable insights from those interactions.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is online qualitative research?
Online qualitative research is a digital research method that involves collecting the perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes that people have about a brand — most commonly through live, virtual discussions. This research can involve various formats such as in-depth interviews (IDIs), dyads, triads, focus groups, and other exploratory techniques.
Qualitative conversations provide the most personal, in-depth feedback from a customer. This data-gathering technique is like sitting down to have a conversation over coffee— but instead of awkward ice-breakers and small talk, you come prepared with planned questions and topics to address.
Here are a few key elements of online qualitative research:
- Structured but comfortable. While you may have created an outline or prepared ideas to guide your conversation, qualitative research doesn’t need to feel like a job interview. Instead, they’re welcoming, and encourage participants to be themselves (which results in better, more honest feedback).
- Conversations, not interrogations. You don’t have to be the only one asking questions and posing new ideas. In fact, you should encourage the two-way nature of qualitative research, and allow your customers to make their voice heard in an intimate setting where they can see real reactions to their points.
- Carefully researched. While the actual conversation of a focus group or IDI might take many forms and directions, there’s nothing spontaneous about the research and planning process. You should do your homework to understand who your participants are, what matters to them, and how you can structure the discussion to encourage honest, unfiltered feedback.
In short, online qualitative research is your opportunity to learn how customers feel by sitting across from them and asking that very question.
Why is online qualitative feedback such a big deal?
While qualitative research methods have historically taken place in-person or through phone conversations, the online research approach offers many significant advantages in terms of saving time and resources compared to more traditional methods. For example, instead of spending time and money on recruitment, travel logistics and costs, online qualitative researchers can utilize virtual recruitment hubs and streamline workflows to complete projects in record time.
Online qualitative research also provides greater access and convenience for participants, researchers, and even observers. Through online customer feedback sessions, researchers are able to connect with people in more difficult-to-reach locations and during times that fit into their lifestyles better. By removing barriers to access respondents where they are, online qualitative research has become a great equalizer in terms of sourcing more diverse consumer voices.
What makes qualitative research a game-changer?
The most important thing to know about qualitative research is that it provides the kind of feedback you can’t get anywhere else. Take, for example, a survey. While surveys are effective and should certainly have a spot in your customer experience arsenal, they can’t generate the kind of in-depth data you would come to expect from qualitative research. The difference is the immediacy: Qualitative research is a two-way conversation enriched by vocal cues, nonverbal communication, organic interactions, and more.
Interactivity
When you and your clients are engaged in a real conversation, you’re free to ask them additional questions if they bring up something you’d never considered. They, too, have your undivided attention, thus creating an interactive environment that allows thoughts to flow freely.
Honesty
When a customer is answering a survey or interacting with an insight community, they often have time to think about—or even overthink—their answers. That can lead to feedback that is well-intentioned but heavily filtered, which might not be valuable for your specific needs. Instead, qualitative research encourages participants to respond with whatever comes to mind—an unedited view into their perspective, values, and concerns. Plus, when a customer can actually see and hear the person who’s gathering their feedback, they’re more likely to feel comfortable disclosing their truth.
Creativity
While other data-gathering approaches may be efficient, they have limitations in their design and implementation. Qualitative research, on the other hand, is a playground for creativity. For example, you could show customers a new product in real-time, and allow them to give you their first impressions. This could spark conversations about what makes your existing offerings stand out, thereby providing even more data.
Efficiency
Qualitative research has a shorter turnaround compared to other feedback-gathering approaches, which allows greater data collection if used in the right way. That’s good news for you, but it’s also something that will delight your clients since, after all, they’ll love to see how their feedback is put to work.
Enhancing data quality through trust and rapport
In qualitative research, the quality of data hinges significantly on the conversation's depth, driven by mutual trust and respect between the interviewer and participant. While personal connections aren't necessary for every interview or focus group, establishing rapport can lead to more open and honest exchanges. This is where an insight community really makes a big difference.
Insight communities are a fantastic tool for qualitative research because they provide access to an audience that is not only engaged but also accustomed to participating in research tasks. These participants are deeply profiled, offering richer, more authentic insights. Additionally, the ability to reach out to the same group of people over time makes them perfect for longitudinal studies, allowing researchers to observe changes and trends over a period.
Start your online qualitative feedback journey today
Sometimes a survey sent to thousands of participants just isn’t enough. There are times when you need to sit down with a participant and dig deeper into the reasoning for their choices. Online qualitative research provides a wealth of opportunity for honest, valuable feedback from your customers. And to unlock what they are really thinking and feeling, you need to create a solid relationship and have the tools necessary to conduct IDIs and focus groups when the time is right.
Having in-depth conversations with participants globally used to be incredibly expensive and logistically difficult to organize. Now people from different countries, different continents even, can sit in on the same focus group discussion, and save you time and money.
If you’re ready to introduce customers to a brand new way of sharing rich qualitative feedback with your brand, check out Video Discussions today.
For more recommendations and best practices...
Stream the Activate Workshop "Overcoming Barriers: 5 Challenges and Solutions for Scaling Qualitative Research"
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