www.Euro-Panel.net

Setting up your own online panel

Darren Noyce MMRS

Managing Director:

SKOPOS market insightSOS Bureau (online field&tab/panels)Euro-Panel™ (online consumer access panel)

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005

www.Euro-Panel.net

OPENING THOUGHT:

Online Panels…

Just a temptation?

Or a necessary tried and trusted method?

www.Euro-Panel.netFocal Point…

• Online consumer access panels

• Not bespoke or niche panels (owned by client)

• Research-only, quality focussed

• Owned and operated by a Research Agency (Supplier)

• Like the Euro-Panel™ ……

www.Euro-Panel.net

www.Euro-Panel.net est. 1999

www.Euro-Panel.netTopics• What is an Online Panel? What are the issues?

• Purpose/application

• Stages:

– Recruitment/build– Maintenance– Replenishment

• People

• Tools

www.Euro-Panel.net

What is an online panel?

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005

www.Euro-Panel.net

What is a panel?

Definition according to Quirk’s (American Research magazine)

Panel = a survey in which the same respondents are interviewed several times over an extended period. Also called longitudinal analysis. Group interviews (focus groups) are sometimes called panels (of people).

Panels have existed for a long time,

But what then is an ONLINE panel…?

www.Euro-Panel.net

What is an online panel?

Definition according to Darren Noyce, SKOPOS market insight

Online Panel = a managed community of net users that have explicitly agreed to take part in a variety of regular online surveys.

Online management & communication (email)Online surveyingIf utilised, online panel incentive schemesIf required, online reporting

www.Euro-Panel.net

What are the issues?

Sample source and a method in one

Representivity, representivity, representivity

Size

Maintenance/management

Opt-in

Coverage

Panel v Pool of respondents

Use and associated use of the panel…. Research v marketing

www.Euro-Panel.net

Representivity

What is a representative online panel? Does such a thing exist?

Is it a panel that enables random samples to be representative….?Of the General Population?

Of UK Net Users?

Of active/regular net users?

Of the target audience?

Or do we just mean that is a large and broad cross section of society are members?

A pool rather than a ‘true’ panel?

Does it matter?

The sample not the panel should be representative of target audience

www.Euro-Panel.net

Purpose/application

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005

www.Euro-Panel.net

Purpose/application

• Why do you need an online panel?

• What would it be used for?

• Why not just use someone else's?

www.Euro-Panel.net

Why might an agency need an online panel?

• The Euro-Panel™ was developed in 1999, as a means to access and control the strengths of internet-based surveying (rightly believing it would be a force in the future)

• access (to online method and samples)

• control (of sample and data collection)

• strengths/benefits of online research, e.g. speed

• Maybe also for:

• Comprehensive range of data collection methods

• Market forces…demand, competition

• Improved revenues (profit?)

• Better, more productive research….?

www.Euro-Panel.net

ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE PANEL RESEARCH

• Speed: fast data collection/delivery of results

• Often cheaper field costs (potential savings compared to offline 50%+)

• No expensive printing

• Reduction of “artificial“ situation, more honest results

• Great for multiple/repeat studies: standardised procedure, low labour expenditure

www.Euro-Panel.net

DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE PANEL RESEARCH

• shorter max. questionnaire length

• limit on open questions

• representativeness of results among groups with low online affinity, e.g. seniors above 60 years (not a problem with most consumer target groups)

• advantages clearly outweigh disadvantages..

www.Euro-Panel.netOnline vs. Offline

  Online Offline

Generalisation to adult population

Data quality

Cost effectiveness

Time effectiveness/speed

Large samples & sub-groups

TOTAL 11 8

For countries with Net Penetration Above 35%+ of AdultsBelow this more difficult to ‘generalise’ online results, e.g. for older

population

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

• Set up/planning

• Build, recruit, register

• Maintenance

• Refreshing and replenishment

• The online surveys themselves

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

• Set up/planning

• Be sure…

• you really need your own panel

• you know what you want to achieve: specification and outcomes/benefits

• you understand the issues surrounding the implementation of panels; their limitations

• you have the resources and personnel

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages• Build, recruit, register….

• Sources:

• Do you recruit using your own devices/resources (cheaper)?

• Or do you work with partners/suppliers (higher cost)?

• Do you just use online methods (pop-up’s, email invites, links)?

• Or do you also use telephone, face to face and postal surveys?

• Pro’s and con’s to all, good mixture is best.

• Reduces impact of a single source’s weaknesses

• MAKE SURE YOU OR YOUR PARTNERS CONTROL RECRUITMENT:

• INDIVIDUALLY AND ACTIVELY: only via one-to-one communication, individually. Avoid banners and other self-recruited techniques.

• otherwise too many survey professionals, too many heavy net users, duplicates, rogues, etc.

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

• Build, recruit, register….

• Procedures:

• You should work with double opt-in… to remove potential for trouble

• You will need a registration survey… balance comprehensiveness with completion rates

• You need to determine invite/access method to reach registration survey

• Open panel, or invite-only?

• Quality or quantity?

www.Euro-Panel.net

Online panel best practice

Recruitment of respondents for quality research-only panels should be:

active, invite-only

invites as randomly distributed as possible

as spread as possible (i.e. wide coverage within audience)

online AND offline.

To decrease self-selection problems, professional respondent problems, and improve the generalisability of the samples

But costs and convenience often lead to the creation of open access registration systems.. Leading to uncontrolled pools rather than panels

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

• Maintenance/management/communication

• Panel Managers are responsible for:

• ensuring no-one over/under surveyed

• checking surveys prior to implementation

• responding to queries

• communicating news and results to panel (e.g. newsletters)

• monitoring response rates

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

• Refreshing and replenishment

• The panel should be updated/refreshed (re-registered) regularly

• at least annually

• Churn will lead to periodic need to top-up or replenish the panel

• Usual recruitment methods should be used

www.Euro-Panel.net

Stages

• The online surveys themselves

Matrix Style Question

Use of images

Verbatim capturing

www.Euro-Panel.net

People

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005

www.Euro-Panel.net

People

• Knowledgeable, skilled researchers to provide the context and objectives

• Panel build team to recruit and set up

• Panel managers to maintain/replenish panel

• Project/sales managers to quote and manage projects

• Survey programmers

• Data Analysts/Processors

www.Euro-Panel.netProfessional Standards

• Key staff should all be members of Professional

Bodies

• Abide by Codes of Conduct and Guidelines

                                                                                                                

www.Euro-Panel.net

Tools

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005

www.Euro-Panel.net

Tools

• Secure large servers

• Quality, easy to use Software/interfaces, ideally including:

• Email management

• Incentive scheme/system management

www.Euro-Panel.net

Tools

• Well developed, easy to use Software/interfaces…..

• SKOPOS use OPST (Online Panel Site/Survey Tool) from Globalpark

• Market leader in Germany

• Tim Macer review at http://www.meaning.uk.com/arts/112.html

“..the panel management

module is amazing!”

www.Euro-Panel.net

Tools

• Software/interfaces…..

• SKOPOS use OPST and SurveyCenter from Globalpark

You can recruit and build your panels;develop and run your online projects,with one single interface.

Includes Email broadcast/management,Bonus system and Prize Draw modules

www.Euro-Panel.net

FINAL THOUGHT:

One panel to rule them all?

Or a worldwide “fellowship” of (quality) panels?

www.Euro-Panel.net

Setting up your own online panel

Darren Noyce MMRS

Managing Director:

SKOPOS market insightSOS Bureau (online field&tab/panels)Euro-Panel™ (online consumer access panel)

MRS Online Panels Course – 15th November 2005