What are the benefits of using online marketing research?
As the Internet continues its explosive growth, it is becoming increasingly attractive as a vehicle for research. Online research provides marketers with reliable, actionable information and access to a broad sampling frame of potential respondents. Importantly, online research can provide substantial time and cost savings over phone, mall, and mail data collection methods.

The interactive nature of the online environment makes it a natural fit with the research process. People who use the Internet are familiar and comfortable with the process of giving and receiving information via their computers. This comfort level provides the opportunity to conduct research in a manner that is both convenient and "natural" for potential respondents. This has helped to increase cooperation rates.

The challenges of reaching respondents via traditional methods (e.g., phone, mall, and mail) are growing swiftly. With answering machines, caller ID, and now Privacy Manager, people have been given many effective means for screening their calls. It is taking more and more calls to yield a completed interview and this is translating into increased costs. The Internet is a valuable tool to get answers to clients' issues in a cost-effective manner.

The technology advances surrounding the Internet are staggering. We believe there is tremendous potential for using this unique technology to provide our clients with new, and often better, data collection methodologies, resulting in high quality research results.

What types of studies can be conducted online?
MRSI has successfully completed numerous online studies using a variety of techniques and methodologies. Respondents can be recruited to complete online surveys using several methods, including e-mail, phone, fax, or mail. These research projects include:

Advertising Testing Message development Message evaluation and optimization Print advertisement screening and testing Pre-post advertising testing	Market Profile Awareness and usage Habits and practices Segmentation and positioning Product repositioning Product/company image Unmet needs (Need/gap analysis)
Concept and Product Testing Concept screening Concept testing Product testing (in-home use tests) Line extension testing Product pricing New product forecasting/market potential Attribute trade-off/optimization (conjoint/discrete choice studies	Competitive Benchmarking Concept/product benchmarking Competitive profiles
	Satisfaction Customer/employee satisfaction Sales force evaluation
Tracking Awareness and usage Longitudinal tracking (panel) Advertising awareness Brand/category imagery	Web Site Web site concept and content evaluation Web site benchmarking Web site CSM

Why should I use MRSI for my online research?
As a leader in marketing research and research technology since 1973, MRSI's depth of experience, skill, and strategic partnerships make us a premier provider of complete online research solutions. We provide our clients full-service, one-stop shopping for cost-effective online research and can manage your entire project in-house, including custom design, data collection, and final analysis and recommendations.

Since every research project is unique, we realize that no single panel service can meet the objectives of every client. That's why MRSI has partnered with a number of major panel providers. We understand each panel's strengths and weaknesses and can provide the guidance you need to ensure your project utilizes the ideal panel for your needs. In addition to using general online panels, MRSI can also develop custom panels, or can conduct online interviewing with any internal panel of consumers that you may have.

MRSI's iResearch^® offers a level of questionnaire design sophistication comparable to CATI surveys, with the advantage of being able to provide graphic information as needed. Our technical expertise enables us to design and execute a survey that flows precisely the way you want, using skip patterns, randomization, and piping options (i.e., personalized "answer-to-question"). Importantly, MRSI hosts your survey on dedicated servers that give us total control to directly administer survey invitations, questionnaire development, data collection, quota control, and reporting for even the most complex research project. By maintaining total control of the project, we are able to incorporate all necessary security measures and provide our clients with a high quality, cost-efficient solution.

MRSI has been successfully conducting Internet interviewing for years, with continuous improvements in the process as our knowledge and experience has evolved. Our primary concern is making certain that each client executes the right research using the right data collection technology. We view Internet interviewing as an additional data collection tool, and not the "be all end all".

MRSI has Internet interviewing experience across many industries including consumer packaged goods, business-to-business, pharmaceutical, and financial. Specific audiences interviewed by MRSI via the Internet include consumers, customers, kids and teens, high-income respondents, physicians, patients, professionals, and college students.

What if I don't have experience in conducting online research?
MRSI has been conducting online research since 1998 and we understand both research and the online environment. Count on us to guide you through the process of conducting a project online and to help you to identify future online research opportunities for you and/or your clients.

Do I have to design the questionnaire myself?
No. MRSI has conducted many successful online projects and our project teams understand both research and the online environment. We will help you to design a questionnaire that will satisfy your business objectives and provide you with the information you need to make the right decisions.

Is online research less expensive than other methods?
Conducting research online is typically a less expensive research solution compared to traditional methods such as phone or mall intercept. For a given sample size, online surveys can generally be executed at lower cost than any traditional form of research. Cost savings for data collection of up to 50% are common with online research. Many of our clients use the "cost savings" found using Internet data collection to interview a larger sample size online for the same cost as a smaller sample size using traditional methods. You can more easily find lower incidence populations and realize economies of scale when doing many interviews of similar content. This may allow you to do more research with the same budget - research you might not have been able to afford otherwise. Online methods can extend the reach of marketing research by making it affordable to more small businesses with limited budgets. Online methods can also save money by eliminating the cost of travel and time away from the office.

Is online research faster than other methods?
In most cases, yes. Online data collection takes place in real-time. As a result, data is available in real-time, often slicing weeks from the project timeline vs. traditional methodologies. Shortly after e-mail invitations are sent out, survey responses are being gathered. Thousands of online surveys can often be completed overnight. With pre-recruited online panels, surveys can be distributed and returned in hours, compared to days for telephone and weeks for mail surveys. The nature of online research can also allow interactive record keeping and easy updates to the research database. The data is more accessible to the client, and can provide instant action alerts. It should be kept in mind, however, that the research design, programming, and reporting phases of an online research project still take about the same amount of time as traditional data collection methods.

Are online research results biased because of self-selection?
Self-selection is present in all forms of research - phone, mail, mall intercepts, etc. Specifically, in each of these methodologies, individuals who are approached or invited to participate are free to chose whether or not they will complete the survey. High refusal and non-complete rates offer compelling evidence that self-selection already exists.

The critical question is whether there are consistent differences between those who participate and those who do not. The first step in preventing this difference is to ensure that the widest cross-selection of the qualified universe is invited to participate. Secondly, there must be an attractive incentive offered to those who are invited to the survey. Self-selection bias in online research can be minimized through careful design and management of the data collection process.

Are there issues with the fact that online research is self-administered?
By its very nature, online research can be subject to the research problems associated with self-administered surveys. There is no interviewer present to observe the respondent while the survey is being taken. Therefore, when conducting a study over the Internet, we have little control over respondent viewing behavior. Respondents can resize survey and application windows, run concurrent applications, shift attention to alternate applications, walk away from their computers, or ask someone else to respond to the survey. The researcher must have a level of trust that the respondent is honest, intelligent enough to understand the questions, and self-aware enough to report on his or her beliefs, attitudes and opinions, and buying habits. Although some of these problems can also occur with self-administered mail surveys, they still represent potential pitfalls that must be considered when conducting online research.

When a respondent is answering open-end questions in an online study, there is no opportunity for interviewer probing. However, in practice this does not really appear to be an issue. The comfort level of opt-in online panelists provides the opportunity to conduct research in a manner that is both convenient and "natural" for potential respondents. In many cases, this comfort level produces richer verbatim comments. Studies show that more extensive open-end comments are obtained from online panelists than mail-intercept panelists or telephone respondents. Online panelists often seem more willing to express negative feelings about new products and they often talk freely about sensitive issues. Because panelists answer surveys at a time that is convenient for them, they usually take the time to think carefully about their responses, often producing truer, richer data. Online research also eliminates the potential for interviewer bias.

Are their attitudinal differences between online users and nonusers?
Internet users are becoming a lot more like the general population, but there are still some differences in both demographics and attitudes. The online population still tends to be younger, better educated, and have higher incomes. However, these differences are similar to those that would be found in a typical mall study. Studies have also shown that Internet users in general are more likely to be influencers, consumers of entertainment, brand buyers, and more friendly and enthusiastic toward technology than Internet nonusers As such, they frequently share their opinions with others, giving advice and influencing the purchase decisions of others. Thus, the subject of the research study needs to be carefully controlled before a decision is made to conduct the research online.

Generally, these attitudinal and behavioral differences do not affect the validity of most online research projects, particularly if the subject of the research is a non-technology area. However, the fact that these differences do exist highlights the need for an experienced research supplier that understands these issues and can design the appropriate research vehicle to avoid any potential biases.

How does the data from online research compare to other research I have done?
Studies show that with careful research design, online data is clean, stable, and consistent. Given comparable samples, results are broadly similar for online and traditional research. Numerous online studies have shown that comparable results can be obtained across other research environments (e.g., phone, mall, and mail) and among a diverse list of client industries (e.g., high tech, telecommunications, consumer packaged goods, apparel retailing, etc.).

However, there are some key differences in how consumers use rating scales that appear to trace to the method being used. In any mode of interviewing, there are subtle effects from question and scale presentation that can affect the results.

Depending on the type of scale used, responses to online survey items can vary considerably from responses to phone survey items. In particular, when responses to survey items are completely verbally labeled, phone respondents are significantly more likely than web respondents to use scale endpoints. Scale usage does not differ substantially between web and phone research when, instead of a verbally labeled scale, a numerical scale with labeled endpoints is used.

Can I combine online research with other forms of data collection such as phone or mail?
Yes. This practice is known as multi-mode research. Multi-mode data collection designs can be considered in appropriate situations, especially if they lower non-response errors.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to gain respondent cooperation using traditional methods. High refusal rates are particularly problematical in the special case of customer satisfaction measurement (CSM). Organizations are concerned about harassing customers by being too vigorous in their attempts to call them. There is a limit to the number of times a customer can be called or mailed without creating ill will. Most organizations accept lower response rates so as not to endanger customer relationships.

Multi-mode/multi-method data collection is not the same as sequential, hybrid methods currently in use (e.g., mail-phone, phone-mail, or phone-mail-phone). Multi-mode research is using two or more methods for the same survey to create a common database. Most multi-mode applications today pair the Web with some other method such as phone or mail.

The multi-mode option can be a useful tool in several research situations. Multi-mode may be effective when the respondents are difficult to contact, or when the relationship with the respondent is important (e.g., a key customer). People who do not initially respond to a Web survey can be recontacted by phone. Respondents can be given several options of how to respond at the start of a study to make responding more convenient and increase response rates. Mail or phone surveys can also be used to contact those targeted respondents for whom e-mail addresses are unavailable. In multi-country studies, the best data collection method can be used for each location. In tracking studies, the phone can be used to interview non-connected individuals to add to an Internet sample. In CSM studies, multi-mode can give the customer the impression that his or her opinions are critically important, which often leads to improved response and data quality.

Will the Internet help me to reach my hard-to-find target audience?
The Internet can be a very effective tool for reaching a well-defined target audience. MRSI has the capability with multiple panel options to reach far and deep to find the respondents you are seeking. It is usually easier to reach samples with upscale demographics via the Internet, as well as busy executives and professionals who are normally difficult to identify and reach via other traditional methodologies. Other hard-to-reach respondents are often more accessible using the Internet. This is true, for example, for people in low-incidence segments of the general population, and for people who have rare medical conditions or are unwilling to talk about their conditions in face-to-face or telephone interviews. The Internet offers welcome privacy on sensitive issues.

Online surveys also lend themselves to obtaining quick feedback from clients with whom you have a close relationship, as well as your own employees who might be scattered over many departments or throughout the world.

How do I know if the respondents I am interested in are available online?
MRSI provides multiple ways to access your target audience. Through our partnerships with major panel providers, we can tap into some of the largest online panels available. Every day online demographics are becoming more reflective of the general population, which increases the likelihood of finding most "hard-to-find" segments/target customers online. We can also build a customized online panel, or use a multi-mode approach (e.g. Web/phone, Web/mail, etc.) if necessary to locate your target customers.

Opt-in online panelists complete many demographic and behavioral questions when they register as a panel member. Therefore, we have many low incidence groups pre-identified. Panelists can also be screened to build a customized panel. Custom panels are useful for reaching low incidence respondents and for conducting frequent surveys among a specific target group, such as ongoing tracking studies. Opt-in online panelists are actively managed to maintain their interest and participation in the panel. Since recruiting is an ongoing process, any panelists who leave a panel are continually being replaced.

MRSI can access a number of specialty panels so you can survey your precise target market. These include Health & Wellness, Automotive, Business Travelers, Entertainment, IT Professionals, Physicians, Teens, and College Students. Since these high-value groups are part of an actively managed online panel, they are readily available for your research project, without the time or expense involved in recruiting low incidence panelists.

MRSI can also build a custom online panel if you have a need for ongoing research among a particular target group. We'll begin by working with you to determine respondent profiles, research objectives, and technical requirements. Based on your needs, we will recruit panelists and develop an ongoing maintenance and technology plan. Custom panel solutions can help you to identify CRM opportunities, improve customer relations and retention, and incorporate actionable customer feedback into your marketing decisions.

How can I profile my web site visitors and optimize the site for them?
MRSI's Web iN-Site is a flexible, comprehensive system for surveying your web site visitors. The first step towards optimizing both your site and your visitors' experience is to understand their needs, motivations, and perceptions. There is no better time to capture those impressions than when they are actually looking at your site. With Web in-Site, surveys of any level of sophistication can be installed on your web site in minutes, allowing you to start collecting the valuable data you need. Web in-Site uses statistical sampling techniques to intercept every n^th to specified locations within your web site, and invites them to complete the survey. The survey is conducted (using stringent security safeguards) on a dedicated server controlled by MRSI. This technology is ideal for (1) profiling visitors to your site, (2) optimizing your site and your visitors' experience, (3) gathering usage and awareness data, and (4) testing new product and service concepts.

Web in-Site is a user-friendly system that compiles accurate web site user data with no administrative burdens and also provides a full range of reporting options. Web in-site provides you with real-time results that you can review anytime in a secure, password-protected site.

Why should I use an online panel for research?
To realize the benefits of online research, researchers must have access to people who meet the criteria for the target audience and who are willing to respond to the questions. Using an opt-in online panel of respondents provides access to people who have chosen to participate in online marketing research. These panels have been carefully built and maintained by experts who understand the dynamics of the online environment.

An opt-in online panel offers tremendous opportunities to survey respondents who are prohibitively expensive and/or difficult to reach. An online panel provides a broad array of specific demographics and even behavioral information for each member, allowing an effective sample to be identified for each survey. Panel members not only sign up for the express purpose of participating in surveys, but also are usually required to "double opt-in". In-depth information about each member is available, leading to accurate, quality samples.

Is the online audience considered a representative population?
It is important to clarify exactly what is meant by a "representative" population. Typically, marketers are interested in a sample that is representative of their potential customer base, not every household in the United States (since many of the households are not part of their target market).

Thus, the question becomes how to define the sample of desired respondents. Most important is that the population from which respondents are selected is large enough to prevent missing any important segments of that desired sample. MRSI has the capability to use different sampling approaches and quota controls to ensure that your sample matches your target demographics both online and offline.

Most actively managed panels are fairly representative of the online U.S. population. However, if your study design requires matching other demographics, such as the US Census, MRSI has the capability to do it using specific sampling and quota techniques. We have the ability to deliver a highly differentiated population segment that exactly matches the marketing research needs of the client. The total online population still tends to be somewhat younger, better educated, and more affluent than the total US population as defined by the US Census. This is similar to the demographic differences found when recruiting for a mall study. However, as the online population continues to grow (now at 73% of US adults), the online population is coming much closer to mirroring the general US population. In addition, 42% of Americans now have broadband connections at home.

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

How much information is available about panelists (lifestyle, psychographics, etc.)?
True online panels offer a superior opportunity for high quality research results. The key characteristic of a true online panel is that members have "opted-in," creating a permission-based group who are expecting to receive invitations to participate in research projects. This creates a cooperative community of interested participants. Active management of an opt-in online panel is critical to maintain its growth and viability. A key part of this management process is maintaining detailed, current information about each panel member.

Extensive information is available for each panel member. New members provide richly detailed personal profiles upon enrollment - including demographic and lifestyle information. This information is continually being updated, and includes a complete history of each panelist's survey participation. Today, marketers are seeking one-on-one relationships with their clients, which has created a need to survey highly targeted consumer segments. Well-managed opt-in online panels make this possible.

How do I know the respondent is really who they say they are?
The myth that those online are more likely to misrepresent themselves stems from several highly publicized chat room scandals. In reality, studies over time show minimal variance in results from online respondents. Of course, few, if any research environments offer a completely infallible safeguard to respondent misrepresentation. However, MRSI implements a stringent online screening process as compared to other methodologies, to help verify respondent identity.

How do I know I am not talking to "professional" respondents?
With ongoing opt-in panels, there can be concerns about the possibility of "professional panelists". However, with proper panel management, this should not be a major issue. Some people are clearly more predisposed than others to taking surveys. This is true offline as well as online, and is probably especially true for mall intercept studies. For each online panel, there is a systematic, randomized invitation schedule that is optimum for maintaining panelist interest and cooperation and avoiding the danger of "professional panelist" behavior. There are also controls in place to vary the frequency and subject matter of surveys that each panelist receives.

Careful management of online panels ensures that panelists are not "over sampled". Category exclusion is available and customizable for each new survey. However, regular survey participation is still needed to maintain the viability of an online panel.

About how long does it take to complete an online project?
Similar to traditional research, timing is dependent on many variables (e.g., number of respondents, length and complexity of survey, incidence of qualified respondents, etc.). Importantly, most online projects can be completed in less time than phone, mall, and mail studies, as the data collection period is typically much shorter than via traditional methods. Thus, studies can often be completed in as little as 7 days; however, most studies tend to last 3-4 weeks in total, as sufficient time needs to be given for study and questionnaire design and back end analysis. You can be assured that MRSI is committed to providing you with high quality results quickly and efficiently.

Do incentives have to be used in the online environment?
In most cases, MRSI recommends that respondents be offered an incentive or at least an opportunity to enter a sweepstakes. Given that respondents participate in surveys at their own convenience, incentives represent a strong motivating factor for respondents to participate in online research. Incentives are also important to help minimize non-response error, which is the result of sampled panelists not completing the questionnaire.

Are there limitations to the length of the survey?
While surveys of 10-15 minutes are ideal in the online environment, longer studies can be completed. In these cases, incentives of greater value must be provided to ensure completion of the entire survey. Additionally, for extremely long surveys (30-minutes or longer), MRSI provides the ability to complete the survey in multiple sessions, enabling the respondent to re-enter a partially completed survey at the point where it was previously exited.

How are respondents recruited for participation in online surveys?
MRSI uses e-mail invitations to recruit respondents for individual surveys, followed by a single round of e-mail reminders if necessary. Multiple reminders are usually avoided because they can have a negative effect on the panel base.

What sample sizes are recommended?
Although any sample size can be completed online, one of the benefits of online research is the ability to conduct large sample studies quickly and cost-effectively. Thus, MRSI typically recommends sample sizes of at least 300 respondents for online research studies. It is at this level that true economies of scale appear, while even larger sample sizes can further exploit the benefits of the online environment.

Can I put quotas on screening qualifications?
Yes, quota management can be easily implemented on any qualification. Once a quota group is filled, the screening block is turned off for additional respondents.

What type of response rate can I expect with an online survey?
Response rates can vary considerably depending on many project variables. However, response rates with panels used by MRSI are often higher than 50% because panelists are 100% opt-in and have an ongoing commitment to taking the surveys.

Do online surveys with MRSI have audio/visual capabilities?
Yes. In fact, this is one of the major advantages of online surveys. MRSI has developed "best in class" graphic capabilities in our iResearch^® online research technology. iResearch's online interviewing tool, Online in-Site, not only provides a level of questionnaire design sophistication comparable to CATI enabled surveys, but also have the distinct advantage of being able to provide respondents with any type of graphic or audio information. MRSI provides full audio/visual capabilities with all of our online surveys, whether they utilize an e-mail list sample or a sample from one of our opt-in online panel providers.

How does MRSI handle the challenge of different browsers, ISPs, and modem speeds?
How a research supplier is able to "handle" variations in browsers and ISPs can prove critical to the ultimate success of a project. MRSI's software partner runs all HTML codes through a complete and thorough validation process to ensure strict compatibility with the W3C standard (W3C defines the standards for HTML code and browser interaction). This validation process gives us confidence that anything we serve to a respondent will be properly displayed when handled by virtually any browser.

Making sure that the code meets the defined standards is much more reliable than testing individual versions of every browser. The sheer number of browser versions has grown considerably and is well beyond any ability to thoroughly test them individually. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, AOL, MSN, and EarthLink have all been written to the W3C standard and are included in our validation process.

The overriding factor that determines response time between questions is the size of the images you are trying to send to the respondent. In our system, the questionnaire is often delivered to the respondent one question at a time. By using this approach, each question is small enough that the question will download in less than one second, even on a 28.8 dial-up line. (When a graphic, such as a concept image, is required, the download times will increase in proportion to the size and detail level of the graphic.) During particular portions of a questionnaire with a larger download (i.e. graphics), we advise the respondent that the downloading process may take a minute or two. Throughout the process, MRSI has the ability to monitor the system's average turnaround time in delivering questions to respondents.

How secure will my concepts or other confidential material be?
Online panels used by MRSI are carefully managed to ensure a high level of security. Within these panels, being selected for a survey is a random process. Respondents do not have any control over which survey they complete. Each survey requires a personal identification number to prevent unauthorized access into the survey. And, after an authorized respondent completes a survey, they are no longer allowed access back into the survey area. Both of these processes prevent competitors from gaining access to a specific survey.

MRSI panels have a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure that has been carefully configured with government and industry prescribed security measures. Several controls are available to control exposure to questions, concepts, graphics, and advertising. Additional proprietary measures can be implemented if needed to make it even more difficult for a respondent to print or copy concepts or other sensitive materials.

Of course, all research methodologies have some degree of risk. This is true for mall intercept studies as well as for Internet studies. Researchers must realize that virtually no research environment can prevent and fully guard against such activities. If study materials are highly classified and unauthorized viewing would be exceptionally detrimental to a company, one may decide not to undergo research at all given the extraordinary security risks.

Can I review the survey results online?
Yes. Through our partnership with Global Market Insite (GMI), MRSI has developed a special software tool known as the GMI Analyzer. The GMI Analyzer is accessible from the MRSI web site with a password that allows our clients to view survey results in real-time. It is a dynamic, user-friendly tool that can be used to filter the data and also create data crosstabs via a simple menu. Because the data is more accessible to the client and available in real-time, it can help provide almost instant answers to your research questions. If you do not wish to access the data directly, MRSI can use this tool to provide you with quick topline results at any point during data collection.

How do I choose an online research supplier?
There are several key criteria to consider when choosing an online research supplier:

1. Experience/Credibility:
   

   The supplier must have experience doing marketing research prior to becoming an online research provider (and preferably has developed a strong reputation for quality as well). Today, there are many companies out there who claim to do online research, but unless they have credibility in marketing research, you shouldn't necessarily trust their ability to conduct online research.

   Your online research supplier should be someone whom you trust to honestly advise you as to whether or not online is appropriate for a given study/population, and who understands research, to ensure that accepted practices are applied.

   Lastly, the supplier must have solid judgment so that decisions made along the way do not jeopardize the integrity or quality of the research. Every client may or may not always be directly involved in every decision that could affect a research project, so trust and credibility are critical.

2. Multiple Online Solutions:
   

   A reputable supplier will have developed and used multiple solutions for conducting research on the Internet, so that they are able to customize a solution to address your research needs (not vice versa). The company should also have access to a very large, diverse respondent population so that you are assured of reaching the right respondents for your research.

3. Tested/Validated System:
   

   The supplier should have fully tested and validated their online research system to ensure that results are reliable and stable. Additionally, having conducted comparability testing would further substantiate the quality of their research results (as well as their knowledge of the online environment). Related to this factor is the issue of control. The online research supplier must be able to control who participates in the research, and be able to track who has already completed a survey and who has, perhaps, completed only a portion of the survey.

4. Analytical Capabilities:
   

   The supplier should have an experienced analytic staff (having solid experience both in traditional research methods as well as the unique characteristics of the online environment). This staff should have the insight and knowledge to develop the appropriate design for an online study as well as provide an accurate interpretation of the research results.

5. Cutting-Edge Technology:
   

   The supplier should have a strong technology/IT department to provide custom solutions for out-of-the-ordinary research needs. This means they are capable of doing more than just creating a survey form that looks nice, but can also provide the logic behind the questionnaire to produce a complex survey engine.

6. Industry Recognition:
   

   The supplier should have developed an "industry presence" and should be recognized as a true contributor in this new environment. For example, the supplier may have attended and/or presented at conferences on this topic or published a white paper that has been reviewed by peers.

If you have additional questions or would like to find out more about MRSI's iResearch^® products, call us at 513-579-1555. Or, use one of our online forms to quickly request additional information or to request a proposal.