B2B Internet Research: the Key to Success

2. B2B Internet Research:the Key to Success Roland Klassen roland@acrobat-research.com Tim Sinke tsinke@acrobat-research.com

3. Who are we andwhat’s our bias?

4. Questions to Ask Acrobat Research • CATI and Web – 3 offices – Toronto, Sudbury, Canso, NS • Web since 1997 • Majority of Business is CATI • Background is B2B, traditional focus in IT • Approach has been to attempt to take an impartial view

5. Questions to Ask

6. Questions to Ask Population to be Sampled • Identifiable? • Online? • Reachable on phone? • Over-surveyed? • Already exists in a panel?

7. Questions to Ask Type of Info to be Collected? • Complexity? • Length? • Stimuli needed? • Mixed-mode?

8. Questions to Ask Geographical coverage?

9. Questions to Ask Does it need to be Projectable? • Limitation based on company size/industry? • Does it have to be matched to D&B SICs/NAICs/etc?

10. Questions to Ask Other Questions • Response Rate • Time in field • Incentives • Budget Expectations • Faster and cheaper, right? • Maybe

11. Questions to Ask Other Questions... • CAN the survey be self-administered? • SHOULD the survey be self-administered?

12. Sample Sources

13. Sample Sources Internal Lists • Customers • Employees • Prospects

14. Sample Sources Drop-in/Intercepts • Web-site specific • For general web sample – dropping – click-through rates are dropping off to nothing

15. Sample Sources Online Panels • Main general panels in NA are SSI, Greenfield, e-Rewards, Harris Interactive • Get specifics on their panel build and profile processes • Specialty panels

16. Sample Sources A word on major online panels • Educate yourself • Review your screening criteria • Are the numbers available? • Geographies

17. Sample Sources Who are you talking to? • Went to www.ask.com – typed “online market research pros and cons” got these…

18. Sample Sources

19. Sample Sources

20. Sample Sources A Quick Review of one Player • Used SSI as an example • Not meant to support or criticize • Following are excerpts from their website:

21. Sample Sources What it says: • SurveySpot panelists are recruited from many sources. These include banner ads on the Web and other Internet methods, and by RDD telephone. All SurveySpot members are recruited exclusively by permission-based techniques. SSI does not use unsolicited e-mail (or spam) in building the panel. • SurveySpot panel demographics are not based on predictive techniques. They are created from self-reported, respondent-specific information. Researchers are assured that they are reaching the exact target market they seek meaning more cost-effective online research [EMPHASIS ADDED]

22. Sample Sources Industry Select Offered: • Industry • Agriculture SIC 01-09 • Mining SIC 10-14 • Contracting SIC 15-17 • Manufacturing SIC 20-39 • Utilities SIC 40-49 • Wholesale SIC 50-51 • Retail SIC 52-59 • Financial SIC 60-67 • Services SIC 70-79 • Professionals SIC 80-89 • Government SIC 91-97

23. Sample Sources What are the issues with this? • Respondents don’t know their SIC Code • How are SIC Codes mapped and assigned? Primary/secondary? To what level of detail? • Does it matter to you? • Do they match back to D&B if you’re extrapolating to the industry?

24. Recruit-to-Web

25. Recruit-to-Web Background • What is R2W? • CATI recruit – web completion • User ID/Password protected • Appropriate follow ups – based on response/completion stage • Why use R2W? • Can’t reach everyone through a panel • You want to be sure of the respondent

26. Recruit-to-Web Examples • Most senior C-Level IT person in Global 500 corporations – US and Europe • Office equipment DMs mailed physical samples to take a follow-up survey • Telecom decision makers recruited in cross-section of businesses in specific geographies • Results – in Survey Stats segment

27. Recruit-to-Web General Process • (CATI) Recruit • Custom email – immediate or batch • Follow up – 48-72 hours • Follow up – 1 week • Optional after that

28. Recruit-to-Web Applications • Can be effective; however • Use to • Support definite online requirement – can’t be done on the phone • Refusal conversion and/or multi-modal survey • If “standard” tool – could become more expensive than CATI • More rigorous in defining and controlling the respondent

29. Survey Stats

30. Survey Stats Customer/Internal Lists • Response rates – 5 to 75% • Lower end tends to be lower than low end of CATI CSAT • What is less intrusive – email (suspected SPAM) or CATI (suspected telemarketing)? • Subject line/intros/”warm-ups” are key

31. Survey Stats Web Panel • Cost on CPI – response rate “isn’t your problem” – however, feasibility is • Be careful on over-selling

32. Survey Stats Factors Influencing Response Rates • Survey Length • Respondent Level • Incentive • Reminders • Company Size • External stimuli/downloads required – obstacles • Geography

33. Survey Stats Examples of Survey Response • Historical • Used to target/achieve 50-60% conversion on R2W studies • Declining – now aggressive target is 35-50%

34. Survey Stats C-Level in Global 500 Corporations • R2W – High Incidence; most senior contact; 40 minutes, $300 US incentive. Conversion – US – 42.8%; Euro 16.9%

35. Survey Stats International Office Equipment Study • R2W – High Incidence; 30 minutes, incentive $50 US; 40 Euros (had to scale up to 100 Euros). Conversion – US – 58.2%; Euro 20.9%

36. Survey Stats Production Environment Study • Web Panel - Europe

37. Survey Stats Telecom DM (internet) • R2W – Small bus Telecom DMs; 51 minutes $35 incentive. Conversion 35.5%

38. Survey Stats A Different View • From e-Rewards. • Demographic Profile Variable analysis of response rates, based on: • Tot emails sent: 5.7 m • Tot surv resp: 1.3 m (NOTE: Not sent on B2B studies specifically)

39. Survey Stats Quality of Data • Lower response rates – higher bias potential? • Who are the non-responders? • Equally important – who are the responders? • Who’s answering – quality/validation checks? • Web response rates declining, but not yet worse than telephone or mail

40. Incentives

41. Incentives What’s required – how much and how? • Panels – costs included in CPI – may change for B2B • Pressure is increasing

42. Incentives Amounts to Pay • Low-level - $1 per minute • Mid-level - $1.50-$2.00 per minute • High-level - $35+ (short); $40+ (mid); $50+ (long) – add $2.00 per minute above 20 minutes in length

43. Incentives How to Pay • Cash (cheque) • E-Certificate (simpler, but expectation of instant delivery) • Close survey and review data prior to issuing incentives • Notify respondents of timeframes • Create a centralized database and 800 number/central email for queries

44. KSF – Summary Checklist

45. KSF – Summary Checklist Check points for Success (1) • Question research objectives • Multi-modal? • Pick sample partner carefully • Put sample partner “through the wringer” • Analyze data for comparison and validation

46. KSF – Summary Checklist Check points for Success (2) • Are respondents engaged? Devise tests • Look for repetition • Average length • Volume of DK/RF • Work in partnership with data collection partner • Be ready to adjust on the fly • Always, always, always pilot qualitatively • Remember, you’re only as good as your sample

47. Thank you. Questions?