Surely, without thinking about it or wanting it, you have been part of some research. You have been approached at the entrance of some establishment to carry out a survey, you have been called by phone to ask you questions, you have participated by tasting some product; for example, inside a supermarket. Many of these traditional techniques have come to bore both consumers and companies who feel that there is no point in carrying out research, and even less so if it is online research in shopping centres, for example.
Many researchers are wedded to the idea that things have to be done the traditional way, arguing that these are techniques that have endured for decades.
However, there are those who are immersed in new technologies and the development of new strategies that offer areas of unimaginable opportunities, for example: in the area of B2B market research and other sectors. These types of researchers are undoubtedly looking for the best option, they seek to innovate.
Why online research in shopping centres is criticized
One of the factors that most worries researchers is the representativeness of a sample and therefore a possible bias. This is due to the fact that respondents, despite being invited to participate, we are not sure that they will jordan phone number accompany us throughout the methodology, even when we offer them some incentive such as prizes or offers. What is also true is that this possible bias could also appear when we do, for example, a telephone survey or a door-to-door survey.
For those who think that, as this is an online survey in shopping centres, they will be excluded from the sample; for example, people over 60 years old because they are not used to or do not have knowledge of how to use the Internet, the truth is that generally these people do not regularly go to these types of establishments. The opposite is the case with a very particular segment of the population: young people.
You may be interested in learning a little more about the so-called Generation Z.
Although this situation could cause a type of bias, we can also prevent or correct it if in our sample we have certain quotas for various demographic variables.
Another criticism of online research in shopping centres is that the sample capacity is limited to a local scope, compared to some research that involves a study at a national level and therefore uses a much larger sample.
However, today this type of research is so reliable that it is used in both large and small cities. If you want to know some of the types of sampling .
Advantages of online research in shopping malls
Low cost . Your market is located within a shopping center, so you won't have a problem spending more for that, but you will certainly reduce costs if you opt for online research, compared to doing surveys by phone or at home. Here is our guide to surveys for shopping centers .
Speed . You can obtain the samples you need to conduct your study in a short time, even more than if you conduct telephone or door-to-door surveys. You just have to consider whether you conduct your research in larger cities. You will undoubtedly save time by knowing the characteristics and habits of your participants in advance.
Using other resources . Online research gives you the opportunity to use other types of materials such as photos, videos, webcams, etc., which makes the process more attractive for participants. This type of research also makes it easier for you to use statistics such as conjoint analysis .