Online Testing

The term online testing is used generally to describe any sort of test that is administered online or via the internet.

PreTesting

One growing area for online testing is market research. Companies that perform pretesting or copy testing for new advertisements and product packaging, have begun to use internet participants in their research.

In the past, research companies like the PreTesting Group or Millward Brown would recruit several hundred participants and expose them to life-like experiences of reading magazines, watching TV, or even shopping in the supermarket. The purpose was to see how the participants reacted to a particular ad in the magazine or TV (or product on shelf). To that end, these research companies would analyze their behavior, saccadic eye movement (PreTesting Group), as well as quiz them on how the ad or product impressed them (i.e. would they now buy it, consider it higher quality, etc.).

Nowadays, the ever-increasing demand for “on-demand” services, coupled with a slow economy, have made internet or online testing much more popular. With software and internet replacing live interviews and surveys, testing companies can offer extremely competitive prices along with quick results. Additionally, advertising is increasingly done over the internet via video, banner ads, and landing pages. Although all these can be tested in a group setting, it is easier and cheaper to conduct surveys and tests online.

However, pretesting performed online is not without pitfalls. Although many companies are working to create virtual, online simulations of reading a magazine or shopping in a brick and mortar store, it is far from perfect.

Magazine ad copy is basically illegible online and if participants can't read the copy, the research will be severely flawed. Even supermarket shopping is difficult to really replicate online. Shoppers usually do a side-by-side product comparison of several items at once. The computer screen or sometimes iPad, netbook or other mobile device being used by a online participant, makes natural side-by-side comparison just about impossible.

Another major issue is the quality of the online test participants. There are loads of folks out there who make "survey taking" a career choice. As a result, many surveys are taken by people who are NOT representative of the desired target market or population, thereby skewing the research results. Even worse, some test-takers barely pay attention to the questions, and provide useless information to the testers.

Groups like the Advertising Research Foundation have begun working to develop new standards as well as encourage new technology that will address many of the issues mentioned above.

Other Areas of Usage

Another usage of internet testing is in the field of education where students can take tests online.

Even applicants for boating licenses (in Canada) can take the "written" part of the test online, but widespread use is limited, no doubt due to concerns about cheating.

Another form of online testing is for video games or new software. Manufacturers sometimes will release beta or test versions to the public to play and tinker with. That way they get excellent market feedback on their software or gaming product.