Online Focus Groups

The way in which marketers collect and study consumer data is a crucial part of the research process. Good data helps us discover our audience and their problems so we can better serve those needs. This is why marketing researchers have developed numerous methods for gathering data and learning more about their target audience, like surveys, social media observations, field trials, competitive analyses, A/B testing—the list goes on.

One tool that can strengthen anyone’s research is the online focus group. Through the use of these in-depth group discussions, researchers can gain fresh insights to support decision-making. If you’d like to learn more about online focus groups, keep reading, and soon you can harness this powerful research tool for yourself.

What is a Focus Group and What Are They Used For?

Focus groups are a form of qualitative research, which is the gathering of information from observations, interviews, and written record analysis. A traditional focus group can be made up of a few participants or many, depending on the needs of the researchers. A focus group discussion is usually facilitated by a moderator, who will ask questions, guide the conversation, and get participants back on track if they start to veer off topic.

The setting of focus groups is meant to be interactive. Participants are usually free to communicate with one another, which prompts new ideas and further develops old ones. They are commonly recorded, or a researcher will take field notes to later analyze.

Focus groups are a great tool in a variety of situations. If you’d like to—

Test different marketing avenues with target audiences;
Dive deeper into issues presented in a quantitative study, like a survey; or
Gather new insight to better understand your audience

—then a focus group might be just the thing you need!

Can a Focus Group Be Online?

Online focus groups are more popular than ever, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Good data is the key to many important discoveries and decisions, and online focus groups allow researchers to press on even when in-person options are not available. Plus, researchers have many options to choose from when conducting online focus groups, some that wouldn’t even be possible in person, such as the bulletin board format (more on that in a moment).

While in-person focus groups may still be necessary in some circumstances, the online format is becoming more popular. One study on qualitative research via online focus groups noted that online focus groups were accounting for more than $1 billion of the $10 billion spent each year on qualitative market research. They concluded that online focus groups can “help generate insights that progress the field of study, improve the experience, and grow market share.”

What Are the Two Types of Online Focus Groups?

Online focus groups can be divided into many categories and methodologies, but overall there are two main types of focus groups—bulletin board groups and real-time.

Bulletin Board Focus Groups

Also called “asynchronous” focus groups, online bulletin board focus groups take place over a period of time, with respondents participating one at a time on their own schedule. Think of it like a community bulletin board, where participants post thoughts, photos, notes, videos, or whatever else for others to respond to when they have the time.

This is especially helpful in many circumstances, as it offers such advantages as:

Flexibility for the moderator to engage one-on-one or with smaller groups as needed.
Freedom to respond whenever it suits the participants’ schedules, possibly resulting in more or better feedback.
The ability to track a focus group over a period of time (days, weeks, or even years).
Anonymity options to promote honest opinions.
Easier transcription or translation of virtual discussion data versus live groups.

Real-Time Focus Groups

These focus groups are sometimes referred to as “synchronous” or “live” focus groups. As the name suggests, a real-time focus group happens live, with everyone participating at the same time. An online live focus group usually lasts around an hour or more, with responses in the form of video conferencing, chat messages, or other virtual communication methods.

This technique is also used for online depth interviews, which give moderators an opportunity for one-on-one interactions to dig deeper into their audience’s thoughts and needs.

Online, real-time focus groups aren’t necessarily better or more effective than the bulletin board format, but they do offer different benefits like:

Immediate feedback to any imagery, demonstrations, or discussion topics.
Live conversations that may move along more organically than a bulletin board format.
No waiting period for participants to respond in their own time.
Virtual face-to-face interactions that will allow measurement of facial expressions and body language.
The ability to witness instant, gut reactions versus giving participants time to edit their responses.

Do I Need a Real-Time or Bulletin Board Focus Group?

That depends on your needs. If you’re looking for reflexive, first-impression responses, the real-time format might be the way to go. Or maybe you’re dealing with a sensitive or divisive subject—in that case, the anonymity of the bulletin board format might be preferable and draw out more honesty. And sometimes a combination of the two might be necessary to get a full scope of qualitative data to answer the questions you have.

If you’re not sure what your needs are or what questions you need to answer, it’s best to consult with an online focus group expert. For example, at Nimbus, we help you figure out what you want to answer and who you want to target. From there, we develop the optimal focus group strategy to get you the insight you need.

For this article, we’ll concentrate more on the real-time focus group format. To dive deeper into the bulletin board or in-depth interview methods, check out our online bulletin board and online depth interviews guides.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Focus Group Online?

The number one advantage that immediately comes to mind for online focus groups is that you can conduct them at any time—like during a pandemic, for example. Beyond world emergencies that force us all to stay home, using the online focus group format comes with many benefits as well as a few challenges to overcome.

Advantages of Online Focus Groups

There are many benefits of online focus groups, such as:

Reaching groups of people that may have difficulties attending in-person studies.
Having more moderator control to keep the group progression moving forward—such as easily removing an unruly participant, for example.
Conquering geographical and time zone barriers that would make an in-person meeting with the same group nearly impossible.
Saving on expenses, as there’s no need to rent a facility, pay for travel costs and meals, etc.
Increasing efficiency, as moderators, respondents, stakeholders, and other group members can all participate from the comfort of their homes.
Possibly achieving better, more transparent insights from groups that are used to the online format.

Disadvantages of Online Focus Groups—and How to Overcome Them

Any method of qualitative research will come with a few hurdles, and online focus groups are no exception. Awareness of these issues is the first step to overcoming them. Here are a few examples of potential problems that may arise with an online focus group and suggestions for conquering each:

Technical Difficulties – Your participants could face technical difficulties, especially if they are not used to online settings. By providing thorough instructions in writing and verbally, you can ensure everyone understands how to participate. It can also be helpful to have a second moderator present purely to deal with any technical questions or issues as they arise.

Internet Access – Access to the internet may be an issue for some. If you’re looking for feedback from a demographic that doesn’t have internet access, you may want to consider in-person interactions instead. Alternatively, you can notify participants of places where they can have free computer and internet access, such as a local library or community center.

Distractions – As with all remote interactions, your online focus group may encounter distractions that they might not face in an in-person setting. This could range from childcare to the family dog barking nonstop in the background. Notifying participants of what to expect ahead of time can help them better prepare their home environment for live focus groups. For example, by clearly laying out the time and expectations of a live video focus group beforehand, a parent caring for a child might find a sitter for that time. And if you’ve purposefully chosen participants that will be facing a lot of distractions regardless of how much time they have to prepare—there’s always the bulletin board format to allow everyone to respond when they have no distractions.

Lack of Focus Group Experience – You may lack the means or experience to conduct an online focus group. Fortunately, you’re not alone, and online focus group platforms like Nimbus exist to help with this exact issue. Our platform is easy to use for those looking to DIY their own online focus group. Plus, Nimbus comes with a panel of focus group experts. So if you’re ever not sure what the next step should be, we’ll be right there to help.

How Do Online Focus Groups Work in Real Time?

You can run a real-time, online focus group in numerous ways. Whatever method you choose should ultimately lend itself to answering whatever questions you have. Let’s walk through some of the common online focus group formats used for real-time settings.

Single Focus Group – This is what people would typically think of when it comes to focus groups. A single focus group setting will involve one moderator asking a group various questions and facilitating conversation.

Mini Focus Group – Sometimes a smaller gathering might increase the effectiveness of a focus group. With a mini focus group, the moderator only manages a group of around two to five participants. This might be necessary for a more complicated or difficult topic that requires in-depth explanations and complex back-and-forth interactions.

Two-Way Focus Group – This format involves two separate focus groups. One group will be interacting with the moderator, answering questions, and engaging in discussions. The second group is tasked with observing the first group, and then letting those observations guide their own discussion about the same topic. The second group may offer additional insights due to this secondary observation of the first group.

Respondent-Moderator Focus Group – Handing over moderator duties to a participant of a focus group offers multiple advantages. It has the potential to make participants a bit more comfortable, as they are being questioned by “one of their own” versus a traditional moderator. This can be especially useful for more sensitive topics that people struggle to open up about. If the group feels the moderator doesn’t understand their circumstances or is biased simply because they are the moderator, the participants may not be as transparent.

Dual-Moderator Focus Group – Having two moderators can ensure the focus group process goes more smoothly. With two moderators, each can manage different aspects of the focus group. For example, one can be in charge of asking necessary questions, while the other might handle any incidental issues that arise, such as online connection issues or answering participant questions. Or if you need to divide a focus group into smaller groups, each moderator can handle one group.

Dueling-Moderator Focus Group – This is also sometimes referred to as “good cop, bad cop” format. Each moderator is responsible for guiding and supporting different viewpoints on a particular topic. By adding a debate factor to a focus group, you can push participants to think outside the box, address echo chamber issues, and prompt new insights that participants may not have previously considered.

How Do I Create a Focus Group Remotely?

If you’d like to learn more about a particular question or product via a focus group, there are several steps to complete to ensure the process runs smoothly, especially if you choose the remote or online route. Let’s go through a general overview of all the steps involved.

Clarify Expectations

Before you even begin creating your focus group, you first need to understand what you hope to accomplish. What questions are you trying to answer? What problems are you hoping to solve? Establish these basics first before doing anything else.

Prepare Materials and Get Approval

This is where you nail down the exact questions that will guide your focus group. Questions should be open-ended to facilitate discussion and in-depth interactions between participants and moderators. Preparing consent forms is also usually recommended. This helps you make sure that all of your focus group members understand the purpose of the discussion and agree to participate.

Certain types of focus group research may require additional material preparation and approval. For example, if your focus group involves biomedical research on humans, you may need approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB). An IRB works to ensure research methods are ethical and not violating human rights, welfare, or privacy.

Find and Select Participants

Based on the goals of your research, you need to select participants that are suitable for the group. Sometimes a random selection might make sense, but oftentimes focus group members have a common thread that allows them to connect with one another. For example, if a marketing team wanted to learn about the effects of new packaging for a brand of baby formula, it might be more helpful to select participants that regularly buy formula versus those who have never purchased it.

Finding these participants can be a bit tricky. For the baby formula example above, you could certainly stand in front of the formula aisle and ask anyone pulling formula off the shelf if they want to participate in a study—but do you really want to spend time doing that? And this method might get you kicked out of the grocery store. You can instead create recruitment materials to get people to participate in your focus group—such as flyers, social media ads, or emails—and offer incentives for participation. However, this also takes significant time and resources.

This is where a focus group service, like Nimbus, can be especially helpful. At Nimbus, we have numerous databases and sources to pull participants from. You simply have to tell us your needs, and we’ll help you find a pool of appropriate people to choose from. And if you’re not sure who you’re looking for, not to worry—we can help with that too!

Choose an Online Setting

There are plenty of video conferencing options to choose from when deciding on an online focus group setting—but many of these options aren’t created specifically for focus groups. This usually results in cobbling together multiple online platforms and programs to host, observe, and record a session.

Instead, choosing a platform specifically geared toward focus groups will result in a better experience, both for the participants and the researchers.

Conduct the Online Focus Group

Finally, you get to conduct the focus group! This is where your careful preparation efforts will hopefully make the group run smoothly. For a basic, single focus group, you should have at least one moderator to guide the conversation. Sometimes people also have an additional facilitator to take notes.

If you’re wondering, “How do I run a focus group virtually?” here is what a common online focus group schedule might look like:

The moderator sets the stage. They remind the participants why they are there and that the discussion will be recorded, set guidelines for the discussion, run through the online meeting platform functions, and ask if there are any questions before starting.
To open up discussions, it can be helpful for the moderator to start with an easier question. For example, if the focus group was about a particular product, the moderator may start with, “What do you already know about this product?”
As the conversation begins to flow between participants, the moderator can ask additional questions and interject if the group starts to veer off course.
If it seems that one or more participants start to take over the conversation, the moderator will encourage quieter individuals and ensure they have space to voice their thoughts.
When wrapping up, the moderator can ask for final thoughts and feedback.

Analyze and Report Data

This is where having a transcript, recording, or field notes will come in handy. While you can certainly glean helpful information from simply observing the online focus group, analyzing everything afterward may help you note things you didn’t realize at the time of the group. When analyzing the data, you might look for frequent themes, unique or new viewpoints, or particular quotes from participants that stood out.

Then it’s best to organize these findings into a report. This can be given to decision-makers, shareholders, and other people within your organization to aid with growth and planning.

Do Focus Groups Actually Work?

Yes! Focus groups do work. Of course, anyone embarking on this research method will want proof that it won’t be a waste of time and resources. Check out some of these examples of focus groups in marketing that our team at Nimbus has facilitated:

HP—the IT company that develops personas, printers and related supplies—benefited from our multi-country research that involved focus groups. Specifically, we helped the HP Photo Paper Division discover which packages were getting the most attention and leading to purchases. As a result of this research, HP switched to more emotional imagery on their photo paper boxes after discovering emotional imagery had three times the sales power for their product versus listing rational paper specifications.

Continental Mills—the food manufacturing company—wanted to know if a new package design for muffin and pancake mixes would enhance sales. Through the Nimbus platform, we conducted shopalongs, monadic shopper groups, consumer diaries, and a neurometric study to find an answer. The results showed that the current package design had significantly higher appeal and motivation than the proposed design, leading Continental Mills to scrap the new design and save $19 million.

Johnson & Johnson—the multinational corporation that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods—avoided a costly marketing mistake via our sophisticated international pricing analysis study. Through the use of focus groups, we were able to test multiple price reduction scenarios for the Listerine brand and explore the lower limits of profitability. Our findings revealed that deeply discounting Listerine did not lead to as high of returns as communicating the quality of Listerine through a higher price point.

What’s the Best Focus Group Service? Try Nimbus

Online focus groups can provide fresh and valuable insights that would be difficult to gain otherwise. But they can also be quite time consuming, between creating the focus group, running the show, analyzing the results, and writing the report when it’s all said and done.

Why not let our team of experts over at Nimbus help you out? We’ve streamlined the online focus group process into four simple steps:

Determine what topics you want to discuss and the type of people you’d like to hear from. If you’re not sure what you need, we’re happy to guide you in the right direction.
Based on what you’re looking for, we’ll find potential participants from our many sources for your review and approval.
Write the questions you want to ask the focus group participants. And of course, we can jump in to assist if needed.
We’ll run the focus groups, analyze the data, and summarize all opinions into a report for your review.

And our services go beyond focus groups, as we know it’s best to compare data gathered through different methods. Through the use of advanced technology and expertise, we facilitate other kinds of studies such as:

Video shop-alongs
Neurometric studies
Dynamic and static eye tracking
Virtual reality simulations

Ultimately, we believe successful marketing starts with quality research, and that means using the best tools available. If you’d like to take advantage of online focus groups or these other forms of marketing research, please reach out to us! We’d love to help you discover powerful insights that lead to that new growth you’ve been aiming for.