The Advantages and Limitations of Online Focus Groups: Insights from Industry Experts

A Method Transformed by Technology

Few methods have evolved as dramatically, or as rapidly, as the focus group. What was once a room full of strangers behind one-way glass is now a grid of webcam squares, each participant dialing in from their own home. The pandemic accelerated this shift, but what’s emerged since isn’t a stopgap. Online focus groups have proven themselves as a permanent fixture in the modern insights toolkit—flexible, cost-effective, and surprisingly human when done right.

To understand where the method shines (and where it still stumbles), we spoke with four qualitative research leaders—Abby Leafe, Dean Stephens, Kerry Hecht, and Ashleigh Purcell—about their real-world experiences moderating groups online.

The Advantages: Reach, Flexibility, and Comfort

Across the board, contributors agreed that geographic reach and participant convenience are the biggest advantages. “Online focus groups make it possible to reach the right participants without the barriers of geography or travel time,” says Ashleigh Purcell, Chief of Staff at 10K Humans, adding that being in their own homes “creates a more comfortable and natural setting than traditional facilities, which can sometimes feel sterile or intimidating.”

That comfort also translates to more diverse and representative samples, according to Dean Stephens, Moderator, Researcher, Strategist, and Founder at Happy Talk Research, LLC, , who points out that with online platforms, “you can talk to a fisherman in Anchorage, an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, a farmer in Omaha, a barista in El Paso, an engineer in Detroit, and a ballet student in New York City—all at once.” The ability to mix perspectives across regions and lifestyles simply isn’t feasible in person without a prohibitive travel budget.

For Kerry Hecht, Founder and CEO of 10K Humans, the benefits go beyond reach. “It gives you SO much more flexibility in recruiting pools, is easier for participants, and so much cheaper when you don't have to pay for travel,” she says. Hecht, who has long championed online methods, believes traditional facilities aren’t always ideal for “creative and thoughtful conversations,” preferring instead to meet people where they’re most at ease—whether that’s online or in unconventional real-world settings.

The Challenges: Connection, Bias, and Technical Gaps

Still, every digital leap comes with its friction. Stephens is quick to point out that online focus groups are inherently biased by technology access. “If you’re conducting research via Zoom, you can safely assume you won’t reach people with hearing or vision difficulties, unreliable internet, or those living in noisy environments,” he says. “Addressing problems built into the technology is next to impossible to fix—and if you do, it’s prohibitively expensive.”

Abby Leafe, Principal at New Leafe Research, agrees that group chemistry can be harder to spark through a screen. “The biggest downside of online focus groups is that they start to feel like simultaneous IDIs,” she explains. “It’s hard to get the groups to gel, and you miss the spontaneity of people talking over each other.” Her solution? Encourage a bit of real-time chaos. “I’ll ask people to keep themselves off mute and give very direct guidance about how I want them to converse with each other—not just with me.”

For Purcell, the biggest pitfalls are attention and engagement. “We’re mindful of maintaining participant focus. It helps to set expectations up front—close out of other tabs, minimize distractions, and treat the session as dedicated time,” she says. Recruiting the right participants and using platforms with built-in tech support also helps ensure smoother sessions.

The Moderator’s Role: From Facilitator to Conductor

Moderating an online focus group requires a slightly different set of muscles. Instead of reading the energy in a room, moderators must tune into micro-expressions, tone shifts, and pauses. “You lose some body language,” Stephens admits, “and as a moderator, you’re talking to one-inch-by-one-inch boxes. It’s not a natural conversation.”

Hecht, however, believes those concerns are fading as both researchers and participants adapt. “This was a concern pre-COVID, but I don't think so anymore,” she says. “Everyone is now accustomed to video chats with friends, family, and colleagues. There used to be a significant emphasis on the loss of body language, but I don't see that anymore.”

Leafe sees a new era of platform innovation as an opportunity to make online groups feel more alive. “The most exciting things going on with online focus groups are in the platforms,” she says. “Some are now incorporating elements like card sorts and image mark-ups directly into the group interface, so you can do more creative exercises without sending respondents elsewhere.”

When Online Shines and When It Doesn’t

Not all topics or audiences fit neatly into the digital format. Online groups excel when exploring ideas, opinions, or concepts, especially with participants comfortable using video technology. “Online webcam research is great for discussions around ideas,” says Stephens. “But for creative development research—when you need people to react to stimuli—it’s not ideal. You’re dependent on the respondent’s own device and screen quality.”

Hecht adds that online focus groups “deliver the most value for hard-to-reach audiences” and are ideal when flexibility and inclusivity matter more than direct observation. However, for “true observational research,” she recommends asynchronous or live methods that allow researchers to see participants interact with environments or products in real time.

Best Practices for High-Quality Online Groups

The contributors offered practical guidance for teams running online sessions:

• Keep groups small. “Online research is best for one-on-one IDIs or groups no larger than four,” advises Stephens. Smaller groups allow for deeper conversation and minimize talking over one another.

• Recruit the right participants. Choose respondents who are familiar with teleconferencing and have reliable internet and equipment.

• Prepare participants. Hecht recommends sending pre-assignments and clear expectations in advance. “Tell them to arrive early, and always have a project manager on call in case something goes sideways.”

• Foster engagement. Leafe suggests guiding conversational flow intentionally and using creative digital tools to keep energy high.

• Plan for tech. Purcell stresses pre-session tech checks and platforms with live support to avoid last-minute glitches.

The Future: Hybrid, AI-Enhanced, and Here to Stay

Despite their limitations, online focus groups have earned their place in the research ecosystem. “These online groups aren’t going away,” says Leafe. “We just need better tools to do what we used to do in person, online.”

Hecht sees AI as a major catalyst for future innovation: “AI moderators bring something interesting to the party—perhaps a way to have break-out groups while things are moving quickly during the group. The possibilities are endless.”

Stephens, meanwhile, predicts a rebalancing toward in-person. “I’m seeing the pendulum slowly head back,” he says. “Clients want more live conversations to avoid fraudulent respondents and AI-generated answers. But online will always have a place—maybe in more specialized, niche ways.”

Purcell sums it up best: “The goal isn’t to replace one method with another—it’s to choose the environment that makes people most open, relaxed, and ready to share.”

Key Takeaway

Online focus groups have democratized access to diverse perspectives while introducing new challenges of bias, engagement, and connection. As the lines between in-person and online continue to blur, the future of qualitative research lies in the intentional integration of both—combining digital convenience with the depth of human connection that makes qualitative insights so powerful in the first place.

Contributors

• Kerry Hecht, Founder and CEO, 10K Humans

• Ashleigh Purcell, Chief of Staff, 10K Humans

• Abby Leafe, Principal, New Leafe Research

• Dean Stephens, Moderator, Researcher, Strategist, and Founder, Happy Talk Research, LLC