When Working at Internet Speed Doesn't Work

Ready, fire, aim - that's the proud mantra of most Internet professionals. But it's not one without its consequences. The desire for dot-coms to operate at Internet speed has meant skipping the all-important step of getting to know their customers, a step otherwise known as research. By revealing your customers wants and needs, research provides that all-important "aim", ideally before you've fired.

According to Jupiter Communication's Web-site Relaunch report, "web site developers currently underestimate site re-launch risks - which range from alienating loyal visitors to causing permanent site desertion." They say sites should gather customer feedback and prepare users for upcoming changes, particularly in competitive categories, where consumers have wide choice and little differentiation exists.

"We certainly didn't have the time or money to conduct research, but we found both," said Martin Byrne, Director of National Post Online. He revealed a research plan that consisted of focus groups, online-surveys, employee surveys and ad testing. The site continues to conduct quarterly online research and "also invests in secondary research, including [AC Neilson's] NetRatings and Ipsos-Reid's Interactive Reid Report to provide benchmarks to support our findings," said Byrne.

For Byrne, the research has paid off in at least three ways. "For one, we were able to solve in-house decisions related to design and functionality. Second, we were able to involve our users in the process, proving their opinions were valued. Lastly, we used our research to better educate our advertisers on who are users are."

Of course, smart searching is one affordable and simple way to make the most of the web. Sites like dogpile.com and metacrawler.com are considered to be quite effective when time is an issue, since they search across several search engines simultaneously. Savvysearch.com takes this one step further, by linking to International newspapers as well.

Want more? At searchenginecolossus.com, you can search an international directory of search engines by country. Sites like Statistics Canada represent a mix of free information and pay for information services that most professionals rely on. Research sites like Ipsos-reid.com take you straight to the source by compiling recent press releases with valuable information all in one place.

To save time, why not remove one step from the equation - have the information sent to you. For those who sign up, Canada Newswire and Reuters sends the top business news before it even hits the papers. Email newsletters offered by sites like Multimediator.com, National Post Online and newswire.ca push the latest trends and online news directly to your in box.

Most professionals don't have time to take full advantage of the resources the web offers, but ultimately it all comes down to saving time by making time for online research. According to Market Alert Ltd., a competitive intelligence firm based in Toronto, those who do not become involved in competitive analysis, online or off, potentially risk missing out on new ventures opportunities and markets, reacting too late to a competitor threat and playing catch-up to competitive initiatives.

Site personalization, effectively selling online ads, and creating an online community are impossible unless you know who is visiting your site. Luckily, online surveying offers the quickest, and often most affordable way to conduct research via the Internet. What's more, online test marketing provides the insight you need to determine whether or not a new product or service can be successful, and allows potential customers to evaluate product ideas in a realistic shopping environment at any stage.

Online focus groups are also among the newest online research trends, and come with a number of perks including affordable costs and instantaneous delivery of transcripts. Operating similarly to an online chat session, online groups allow individuals from anywhere in the world to participate, while accessing web-sites or CD ROMS at the same time. And perhaps the most futuristic of all, Virtual Reality simulations take new products and exhibit them in a realistic environment, testing new designs before they are introduced and potentially reducing costs. Most importantly, research allows you to ask yourself what you have been taking for granted about your industry and your customers, and can confirm or deny these assumptions.

While the past year has been particularly tough on Internet businesses, it has left the idealistic-turned-realistic survivors with more than a few lessons learned. Among them: not one will deny their need for qualified staff, few will argue the limitations of jam-packed office space, and some relentlessly argue the necessity of exposed brick walls. But those who have added research to their list of priorities know they may only have one shot left to make it big, and when they take it, they're certainly going to know what they're aiming at.

For more information, please contact:

Marcie Sayiner
Senior Manager of Research
Ipsos-Reid (604) 257-3200