When it comes to conducting fast, iterative research, it can be hard to comb through the technology options and understand what is unique or different about the various platforms. This up-front look at our quantitative + qualitative research solution will walk you through five ways Digsite is unique and why it might be relevant for your organization.

1. Qualitative-ready sample for higher quality responses

Having a qual-ready sample sets us apart in the overall quality of our sample. Digsite uses a proprietary SocialFind methodology to micro-target participants on social media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. In addition, we have integrated access to a qual-ready 1M+ active U.S. national representative panel. We have vetted this quant+qual sample using proprietary screening methods to ensure respondents are articulate and effective for qualitative research. We never use sample marketplaces, because the quality level can vary widely and targeting capabilities are limited. Digsite can micro-target participants more effectively than most samples, including the ability to target based on purchase receipt capture. And we enable customers to recontact quant participants for qualitative activities like ethnographic research and live video interviews, so you can see the quality firsthand (more on that later).

2. Unique qual + quant tasks for better insights

Most people who conduct quantitative research are accustomed to traditional surveys that feature closed-ended questions. Because Digsite’s heritage is qualitative technology, we intentionally built our quantitative studies to access qualitative technology so researchers can seamlessly flex between the two as needed. Specific tasks tie qual and quant together and provide flexibility to collect a mix of qual and quant information that is structured for easy analysis and results.

A good example is our whiteboard image markup task. A lot of heat maps allow participants to mark up what they like and don’t like, but there isn’t an opportunity to explain why. Our whiteboard is different – it lets people indicate their feelings about images but also lets them write in what they think and feel. This provides more depth and offers a targeted, easy-to-analyze view of the data. These combined qual/quant tasks also make in-depth learning scalable – allowing you to get qualitative data in a quantitative way.

3. Flexible iterative follow-up capabilities for more agility

With most quant studies, you don’t know who the participants are and don’t have an opportunity to follow up with them. It’s very hard to re-contact people if you’re using a national panel instead of your own database. We provide full qualitative capabilities as a follow-up to a quantitative study. You have complete flexibility around when you follow up with them as well as how you follow up with them (e.g., live video interviews, sending video questions, bringing them into an online community, or sending them product to try).

Many companies use ongoing market research communities for re-contacting participants, but repeatedly using the same pool of people has its drawbacks. For example, they can become biased by past studies on the same topic or they can include the wrong audience relative to your target. The Digsite iterative approach allows for fresh samples on-demand and even allows you to exclude people who participated in prior studies to ensure you’re getting new people.

4. Flexible benchmarking for faster custom testing

We have made benchmarking both easy and turnkey. Typically, if you want to benchmark your results to a past study, you have to export those results and do a lot of data manipulation to make those comparisons. For automated studies, the entire study has to be identical—you have very limited options for additional questions. We built a benchmarking capability that allows you to mix and match custom and benchmarked elements. You can make comparisons within a study (say between concepts) or between studies (to track improvement).

For example, if you’re in a study with a whiteboard image markup for three different ideas, you can see them side by side and see via the sentiment analysis which had the most positive and most negative comments. But you can also conduct a new study the next month and include that as a side-by-side comparison. And between studies you can choose which tasks you want as benchmarks and which are custom. We also embedded statistical testing into benchmark tests and pre-determine which stat test you should use.

5. Assisted DIY so you work fewer nights and weekends

If you want high-quality market research consulting, you would typically have to choose a full-service agency. If you want a DIY survey, you would use a tech platform that doesn’t provide consulting services. Because we are a researcher-led technology company, we’ve created an assisted DIY model which gives you DIY-ready technology with on-demand access to our services and support in whatever capacity you need them. Your level of consulting can change from project to project, providing unparalleled efficiency and speed.

At Digsite, we believe that making research faster and making research better shouldn’t be a tradeoff. For more information about our platform and services, download our Fact Sheet.