A workshop at Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) called for taking advantage of Internet-based research.

The workshop was dedicated to introducing the know-how of conducting electronic marketing research. It revealed that conducting such research online could be beneficial, especially as the Kingdom is witnessing an increase in Internet usage. The number of Internet users jumped from 200,000 in 2000 to 12 million in 2011, or 44 percent of the population.

The workshop, organized by RCCI’s marketing committee and General Manager of YouGov Siraj International for research studies and surveys Maher Obaid, presented the advantages of conducting marketing research through the Internet and their role in reducing the dependency on human resources and field researchers that could negatively influence the quality of carrying out questionnaires.

It also pointed out that processing Internet-based marketing research requires only 30 percent of the time needed when compared to more conventional methods.

The workshop also indicated the quality is higher as there is no pressure on research subjects who can fill the questionnaire at their own convenience and zero expense.

The workshop discussed the strong relationship between marketing and marketing research and their importance to marketing divisions in particular and companies in general.

A comparison was drawn between Internet marketing research and conventional research, showing the pros and cons of each method.

It highlighted examples of international marketing research, organizations that have set technical and supervisory standards, understandings of marketing research concepts and the methods used in the Middle East.

An open discussion followed on the means companies should adopt to develop the electronic research industry and the best way to use such research in planning their aims and goals.