Three Tools to Revolutionise Your Online Focus Groups

Online focus groups have become second nature for many of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep improving how we run them. With the right platform, your focus group can go from a simple video call to a seamless, engaging session that delivers brilliant insights.

From easy-to-use options for tight budgets, to research-specific tools that do a lot of the heavy lifting for you, here are three of our favourite online focus group tools to help make your next session your best one yet.

Zoom

First up: an old favourite. Zoom continues to be one of the most popular video platforms out there, and it’s easy to see why. It’s reliable, easy for participants to use, and packed with handy features like breakout rooms, whiteboards and screen sharing.

It’s great for collaboration, works well across devices, and lets moderators record sessions for later analysis. Plus, with its built-in tech support, you don’t need to worry if things go a bit wonky on the day.

That said, it isn’t built specifically for research, so while it ticks the boxes for general use, you might find yourself wishing for more if you’re running a more in-depth or high-stakes project.

Want to see how it fits into your research setup? Check out our beginner’s guide to online focus groups for more tips.

Microsoft Teams

Next up is Microsoft Teams, an excellent option if you’re working with B2B audiences, professionals or corporate stakeholders. It’s especially handy for participants who already use Teams for work, and it comes with strong security and file-sharing features.

With tools for chat, document sharing and live transcription, Teams is ideal for longer sessions or projects where clients might want to dial in to observe discreetly.

It does take a little getting used to, and not everyone loves the layout, but if you're after a more formal or structured feel, it's a solid choice.

Discuss.io

Last but not least, for those running more advanced or insight-led focus groups, Discuss.io is a great option. It’s a platform built specifically for market research, so it comes with lots of handy features like live note-taking, video tagging, built-in transcriptions and secure backrooms for observers.

Everything’s designed with moderators and researchers in mind, which makes running and analysing your focus groups much easier. It’s not free, but if you’re running frequent sessions or need high-quality outputs, it’s definitely worth considering.

To make the most of this kind of platform, why not explore our ideas for focus group warm-up tasks and activities?

Final Thoughts

The world of online research has come a long way and while the tech might feel familiar now, using the right platform for your project can make all the difference.

Of course, no online focus group platform can replace the power of great participants. If you’re planning an online focus group and want to make sure you’re recruiting the right people, we’ve got you covered.

Why not download our recruitment guide and discover our top tips on how to recruit the best possible participants for your market research.