Let’s face it - thanks to spam calls, caller ID, and the decreased use of landline phones, phone surveys are more time-consuming and costly than other market research types.
For this reason, our market research company consistently recommends alternative research methods for phone surveys.
But there's good news. While the use of phone surveys has dramatically changed, it's also led to the increased use of other online market research methods! This includes online surveys, online interviews, in-home usage tests (IHUTs), and mobile ethnography research.
We'll chat about each of these methods more in this blog post. Furthermore, these alternatives may even be completed more quickly and less costly than phone surveys.
Basically, it's a win-win!
Alternative to Phone Surveys #1: Online Surveys
Running online surveys are a great way to gather information, measure key performance indicators, and track changes.
What's more, fieldwork can be completed faster, and there are more effective ways to target a specific audience online rather than by phone.
This helps drive down the cost of online surveys compared to phone surveys.
Best practices for online surveys are to include up to 25 questions. It should take respondents roughly 5 minutes or less to complete. Our market research firm recommends offering an incentive or raffle for participating.
Rewards for participating in an online survey can vary. For example, our clients have offered respondents a chance to win one of five $50 gift cards or $5 Amazon gift cards for each respondent.
Recommended Reading: 7 Steps to Conducting Online Surveys [+ Examples]
Alternative to Phone Surveys #2: Online Interviews
A key reason our team would recommend a phone survey over an online survey is that online surveys miss the ability to ask strategic follow-up questions.
For instance, if your organization is looking for a qualitative market research method, online interviews are a great alternative to phone surveys.
The most significant differences are:
- Online interviews use an interview guide rather than a survey
- There are fewer participants
- The conversation is longer and more in-depth
- All participants are given an incentive
Again, incentives for participating in an online interview can vary based on the project budget. However, because more is asked of participants, the reward is often larger than it is for responding to an online survey.
Depending on the length of the interview and participant qualifications, an incentive can range from $50 to $300 for each individual.
How long does an online interview project take?
The time needed to complete an online interview project is likely similar to a phone survey project. The process for phone surveys includes designing the survey and then dialing.
However, for online interviews, the process includes designing a screener, designing interview guides, recruiting participants, and then completing the online interviews.
Learn more about how online interviews work.
Alternative to Phone Surveys #3: In-Home Usage Tests
Rather than just talking about a product or service, in-home usage tests (IHUTs) could be used in place of a phone survey. IHUTs ask participants to use a product or service and then provide their feedback over a specific period of time.
For this type of project, participants qualify through an online survey, are confirmed over the phone, and then are sent the product or the service is scheduled.
Throughout the in-home usage test, participants are asked to complete online surveys to provide their feedback about the product or service. The number of testers can also range from 10 or less to 100 or more!
How long does an in-home usage test take?
IHUT projects will likely take longer to complete than a phone survey. This is because participants need to qualify and confirm their participation before the product is sent or service is scheduled.
Depending on the research goals, the test could last between a few days to a few months.
Check out our ultimate guide to IHUTs.
Alternative to Phone Surveys #4: Mobile Ethnography
Mobile ethnography is another great way to harness the benefits of online research.
This research asks participants to give real-time feedback such as written responses, pictures, or videos when doing a certain task. Unsurprisingly, this sort of attention to detail and overall structure is difficult to complete over the phone.
For example, a shoe brand wants to learn about shopping experiences at a department store.
A market research firm, like Drive Research, can recruit participants to visit their local department store and provide their feedback in real time as they shop for shoes.
Similar to the process for IHUTs and online interviews, mobile ethnography research includes qualifying participants online, confirming participation over the phone, and then providing the tasks to participants.
The number of participants can range from 10 or less to 100 or more depending on project objectives and budget.
How long does a mobile ethnography project take?
Mobile ethnography projects likely take longer to complete than a phone survey due to the screening, re-screening, and the length of fieldwork.
The length of fieldwork could range from a few days to a few weeks.
Learn more about mobile ethnography.
Alternative to Phone Surveys #5: Focus Groups
Conducting focus groups is a fantastic way to gather detailed feedback from participants within a specific target audience. Most often, focus groups are used to test out the likability of a new product or service.
This qualitative research method involves a moderator leading a conversation about a certain topic with a handful of participants. The goal is to foster conversation amongst the participants to reveal helpful feedback based on a set of questions.
This is one of the top reasons focus groups are a solid alternative to phone surveys - they offer the chance to dive deep into conversation, shedding light on critical consumer opinions.
For example, let's say a skincare brand is launching a new face cream. In this case, the brand would reach out to a team like Drive Research to host a focus group with their desired target audience.
By conducting the focus group, the team would have direct consumer insight about the face cream's packaging, composition, fragrance, and so on.
How long does a focus group take?
While we recommend 90 minutes, two hours is the standard length of time for a focus group. Shorter, one-hour focus groups are also an option.
Longer focus groups provide more detailed feedback since there's more time for conversation. However, this can wear on participants and they can become tired/distracted.
On the other hand, short focus groups can be broken up into a few different sessions and allow for a more diverse target audience. This can take more time to plan out, though.
Learn more about the length of focus groups here.
Looking for more alternatives to phone surveys? Contact Drive Research.
Drive Research is a full-service market research company. Our experts provide organizations across the country with end to end project management and consumer insights.
Interested in learning more about our market research services? Reach out through any of the four ways below.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
Emily Taylor
As a Senior Research Analyst, Emily is approaching a decade of experience in the market research industry and loves to challenge the status quo. She is a certified VoC professional with a passion for storytelling.
Learn more about Emily, here.
