Using Chatbots for Your Market Research
Are you familiar with chatbots? The basic concept is a computer program designed to have actual, realistic conversations with people over the internet. The technology can be so realistic that you may have chatted with one while using a website and not even realized it wasnât human.
These bots might sound like theyâre straight out of a science-fiction future, but theyâre already widely used. In other words, if you’re wondering today whether or not your business should consider using a bot down the road, then youâre asking yourself the wrong question. Using chatbots and other inclusive research methodologies isnât a strategy for tomorrowâitâs already a strategy today.
Clever use of chatbots on a website can be critical for brands looking to establish real, genuine connections with consumers through technology. Unfortunately, market researchers tend to have a terrible habitâwe often are quick to grab on to new ideas but are not as quick to implement them in a practical manner.Â
Thereâs no need to overcomplicate it. A bot or an inclusive survey methodology is nothing more than a computer program that automates certain tasks, typically by chatting with a consumer through a conversational interface.
The most advanced conversational bots are powered by artificial intelligence, helping the program to understand complex requests and personalize responses. You probably have already taken part or used a chatbot or something similar via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber, or numerous other websites.
The chatbot survey experience requires you to rethink the survey process. Messenger-type chats between humans or between bots and human are generally short, to the point, and designed to gather as much information as possible in a short period of time. This is counter-intuitive to general online market research methodologies, where we continually develop longer and more complicated surveys. However, the industry is beginning to recognize the importance of respondent experience as cooperation rates start to fall. 
When to use chatbots
When thinking about data collection, chatbots have limitations like any other methodology. Just as a mobile interface is not well-suited to many of market research’s staple question types (e.g. matrix, sliders, and lists), a chatbot through a Messenger-type app will suffer the same issues to some extent. However, the types of questions and the language you use when talking to someone via an app should be very different from a general opinion survey.Â
One area for which chatbots seem particularly well suited is in mass qualitative research. In terms of thinking about natural language and opinions, chatbots have the ability to probe deeply, similar to a human moderator or a face-to-face interview.
When taking into account the cultural differences in conducting research in multiple states, a chatbot can actually âlearn on the jobâ by using the responses it receives to generate other intuitive responses and probes. This approach is something that could be missed using non-bot meansâespecially from a tired human moderator or one-on-one interviewer!
Final thoughts
Chatbots and other inclusive market research methodologies are not new to the market anymore. They are being used throughout many industries, from collecting email addresses to conducting market research. Just like every data collection technique, chatbots and other inclusive methodologies have forced the industry to adapt and ultimately provide us with another tool to use.
About the Logit Group
The Logit Group is a leader among data collection firms, and our ongoing commitment has been to develop and administer industry-best technologies as the basis of our research execution. We offer online and offline services including; Global Panel Sourcing, B2C Phone Research, Mall Intercepts, In-depth interview (IDI) recruitment, Focus group recruitment, customized reporting, and more.
For a full list of our services, please visit our website here and to submit a bid request, please see our Bid Request form.
