Home Builders' Focus Groups Go Online

Research

Bill Lurz, Senior Editor
November 1, 2002
Professional Builder

	Participants in online focus groups react with each other and with subject material just as they would in a traditional focus group.

Home builders are among the most prolific users of focus group research, but few employ the latest innovation in the field - online focus groups.

Builders in Florida's second-home markets are using online focus groups to test everything from design elements to marketing campaigns and pricing strategies. By doing it online, they can bring together customers from all over North America.

"The actual research usually costs about the same, but you don't have to rent a facility, buy food or provide transportation," says Barbara Allan, president of SRA Research Group (www.sra-researchgroup.com) in Jupiter, Fla. - You take less of participants' time because there is no travel. You eliminate the problem of a strong personality taking control of the group. Clients can communicate with the moderators during the focus group to ask them to probe for more data on a topic.

"Parallel tests show online takes less time, and as soon as you're done, you've got a transcript. Best of all, we find the data is deeper and richer. People come to the point faster."

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