GPS and mobile devices have unlocked a whole new level of targeting for market researchers. Before location tracking on smartphones, we could only tell if someone visited a location by seeing it with our own eyes or capturing a photo.
We now have the technology to push online surveys to people remotely the second they enter specific coordinates across the world. This methodology in market research is known as geofencing or geotargeting.
In a nutshell, researchers designate an area or areas on a map that trigger a survey for anyone with the necessary mobile app who crosses the boundary. While geofencing is best for high foot-traffic areas, these boundaries can be as compact as a small storefront for precision targeting.
When they are a good fit for a client's objectives, geofencing studies offer several benefits. These include:
- Project cost savings
- In-the-moment engagement
- High-quality data.
In this post, our market research firm who provides geotargeting services will detail each of these advantages.
Looking to survey visitors at specific locations? A geofencing market research study may be the solution for you. Read about the top 3 benefits from our experts in this post.
1. Cost Savings
A geofencing study is often cost-competitive when compared to in-person intercept interviews. Both methodologies aim to speak with respondents at a specific location, but intercepts require an interviewer onsite to collect data.
It takes more time for an onsite interviewer to stop visitors from a specific location and asking several questions about their experiences. As a result, the line item for project management on a proposal for an intercept survey will be higher than that of a geofencing market research study proposal.
In many cases, the costs associated with project management with a geofencing partner are lower than those needed to staff all the same locations for intercept interviews. Other expenses reduced by geofencing include interviewer travel, interviewer training, respondent incentives, and survey tablets.
2. Real-time Engagement
Another reason to consider geotargeting surveys is the in-the-moment potential for feedback. No other methodology can cost-effectively collect survey data across hundreds of locations simultaneously like geofencing.
Respondents receive a push notification on their phones that takes them directly to the survey. This can be triggered the moment they step into the boundary, be scheduled to deliver a notification a week later, or anything in between.
The best application of geofencing, however, is real-time surveys when a person is at a particular location. Memory recollection becomes a non-factor as respondents answer questions about their experience from just a few minutes prior.
This major advantage of real-time engagement with geofencing surveys is not always achieved with other research methodologies such as a customer satisfaction survey sent the last day of every month to visitors of the store for that month. This could be sent weeks after a customer has actually interacted with the store and creates a timelapse in their judgment.
Here are 4 reasons why in-the-moment feedback is the best.
3. Accurate Data
It is also hard to argue with the quality of location-based data in a geofencing study. Precise targeting confirms that a respondent has been within a few feet of a point. Because the survey is triggered after an event, only respondents who naturally cross the boundary will be sent the notification about the survey.
To ensure you are surveying the correct respondents, you can run additional checks such as directly asking the respondent if they have visited the location or counting the time they spend within a boundary. This accuracy paired with other standard data quality checks helps instill confidence in your results.
During the data analysis stage of the project, geofencing surveys provide the ability to cut the data by the locations where they were gathered. This can reveal insights like individual store performance, customer profiles, and purchase conversion rates.
Contact Drive Research
Drive Research is a market research company located in Syracuse, NY. Our team of researchers can design and manage a geofencing study to gain location-based insights for your business.
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