Sampling Issues and Management Solutions in Internet-Based Market Researches

In the broad context of internet-based market research, this paper focuses on research carried out on net users. An analysis of the advantages, but also disadvantages, related to online market research shows that a crucial problem is the ‘vagueness’ of the representativeness of sample surveys, even affecting the credibility of the online survey. The authors have developed a theoretical / practical framework that integrates contributions from marketing, statistics and information technology, following a logical-methodological path oriented towards reducing uncertainty in online surveys. The model utilizes helpful considerations from inferential statistics and proposes solutions for managing internet samples as virtual communities. The conceptual paper aims to contribute to an advancement in the field of online market research, shifting the focus on the validity / reliability of the investigation from the mere software or statistical tool to a wider analytical internet marketing strategy.