Marketing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing research - Essay Example Moreover on its growing popularity Skitka and Sargis (2006) stated that in 2003-2004 American Psychological Association Journals had at least one article published that used web based data collection. Web based survey gained popularity at accelerated pace. Lyons, Cude, Lawrence, and Gutter (2005) mentioned that web based surveys provide greater benefits as compare to traditional methods of paper –pencil or telephonic surveys. Most frequents benefits associated with online survey are efficacy, specific to time and money, huge data availability, less response bias etc while biggest demerits associated with this kind of survey are reliability and validity of the research (Vereecken, 2001). This ease of conducting survey is being witnessed in two domains; first, reduced cost as it is relatively less expensive and cheaper to get the required data through online survey. Second, the ease provided by the online survey, in getting one’s customers’ feedback has provided sm all companies an opportunity to conduct survey which was earlier confined with companies having large marketing and research budgets. Companies now use this option on constant on-going basis to keep customers intact with their websites; hence, it has become an important tool to keep bringing traffic to the websites that on one side brings in revenue from advertisers as well as constantly upgrades data-bank regarding changing customers’ thought patterns. On most prominent feature of the web based survey is characteristics of population it uses to get responses. At an instance, where internet based population provides access to virtual groups and communities this feature can also turn as disadvantage (Wright, 2005). With lack of control on environment it gets difficult to verify participants. For instance, verification of age, status etc is not possible. Similarly, one cannot verify if the participants are actually eligible for the response e.g. minors responding to surveys des igned for adults etc or people are participating frivolously or maliciously in a way that could undermine the integrity of the study (Garrick, 2009). RESEARCH PROBLEM: Web based survey has taken an extensive importance in business research as well as business enhancing tools. With the growing popularity of web based research there has arisen many problems with it more specifically with the main component of research .i.e. population (Litvin and Kar, 2001). For every product there is certain group of customers who do not participate in online surveys and hence, their liking, disliking or in general their opinions are left unattended. Therefore, there arises a problem to cater the suggestions of that particular group of people (Yun and Trumbo, 2000). Hence, the research problem this study is aimed to address is finding if any difference exist in response of people in online surveys and other surveying techniques. Internet usage has grown in multiples in past years and the pace is stil l growing, however there is still certain percentage of population that do not use internet. The objective of this research is to explore the fact that how much similarity exists in the responses of customers through online surveys and through other survey techniques. This study will explore an entirely new domain for researchers as well as businesses. Similarity in results would benefit the research organizations to divert their resources (expertise) more towards web based resources. On contrary to this, if