Going Online is the First Step; Overcoming Respondent Biases is the Goal

As shown in the report, a surge of online tools supporting qualitative research means that explicit methodologies are still dominant, despite their predictive limitations. Combining online surveys and focus groups with implicit metrics circumvents their in-built shortcomings and allows you to see the full picture beyond respondents’ biases and claims.

Let’s take online multichannel purchase behavior as an example. Even with the best qualitative approach, the sheer number of touchpoints, triggers and exposures makes it impossible for respondents to be aware of every effect and articulate each decision in the consumer journey. Furthermore, being evaluated as part of the study can activate the Hawthorne effect (reactivity to being observed) which alters authentic behavior and answers.

To go past this, forego only surveys and opt for passive tracking – the first step in the holistic understanding of path to purchase.

After consumers consent to be part of the passive tracking study, their browsing history is analyzed. At EyeSee, we conduct a deep dive into 30-, 60-, or 90-days’ worth of browsing (timeframe options might vary based on the category and frequency of purchase). The exploratory phase provides valuable insights into consumers’ actual behavior (not claimed) when looking up the category and brands online. It delivers answers to some of the most common client questions related to category online behavior:
Which touchpoints are most frequently visited when searching for category online – retail websites, expert websites, brand/corporate websites?
What is the typical number of visits?
Where do visitors come from (which websites)?
Where do they land on the retailer’s website?
What is the language used? Which are the most relevant search terms and queries in the category?

Essentially, passive tracking allows you to pinpoint triggers, understand where to elicit which reactions and relate touchpoints, breaking down the complexity of the journey. However, no method is omnipotent, and limits of passive tracking begin to show once the consumer reaches the final shopping destination – e-commerce website. To further understand how to optimize landing pages, hero images, browsing experience, and decrease the chances of final basket dropout, passive tracking should be paired with online path to purchase and surveys.

Whether you are looking into shopper or ad optimization, the key thing to keep in mind is that the right combination of methods delivers insights that have a higher correlation with actual consumer behavior than surveys alone. This makes it a sound choice, especially in times of crisis and compromised consumer sentiment.