2011 State of Retailing Online (SORO) Research
Frequently Asked Questions
Survey Troubleshooting:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS COVERED IN THE 2011 SORO RESEARCH?
In 2011, Shop.org and Forrester Research surveyed merchants twice for The State of Retailing Online, in February and in June. In the first survey of 2011, we surveyed retailers on the topics of marketing, social media, mobile and online merchandising. The results of this first survey are available for download (please see also the table of contents and figures for this report). The second SORO 2011 survey covers key metrics, merchandising, headcount and global expansion strategies and is also available for download.
For reference, in 2010 we surveyed retailers on six topics in depth: marketing, social media, mobile, multichannel management, international expansion, and our annual analysis of expenses and revenues for your Web business. We also survey retailers annually regarding key performance indicators (metrics). From these two surveys, we published two reports in 2010: Marketing, Social Commerce & Mobile, as well as Key Metrics, Multichannel and Global Strategies.
WHAT COMPANY INFORMATION WILL I NEED IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY?
We strongly encourage you to download and review a copy of the survey before you start (participating retailers will be able to download a PDF copy of the survey when the next SORO survey launches in early 2012). By reviewing the complete survey upfront, you are able to see exactly what type of information you will need to collect from your company in order to complete the survey.
WILL I NEED ASSISTANCE FROM MY COWORKERS WHEN COMPLETING THE SURVEYS?
For many retailers, you will need to consult with several colleagues for some information / data. For this reason, we recommend that you download a copy of the survey first to plan who within your company will need to provide you specific information to complete the survey (please note that we will post a PDF of the survey to the Shop.org Web site when the next SORO survey launches in early 2012). The information requested in the survey spans multiple functions and business units (marketing, merchandising, multi-channel integration, sales and profitability).
WILL IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO PASS THE SURVEYS ON TO COWORKERS TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS?
Yes, you are able to pause (stop) and re-start the survey while you're completing it. When you restart the survey, it will pick up where you left off. Please note that you will not be able to go back to any answers that you've already completed, so careful upfront planning and data gathering will be key to making the online survey completion process as smooth as possible. If you prefer not to complete the whole survey yourself, you may pass along your unique survey link to individual coworkers to allow them to fill out a portion of the survey. However, please remember that that once you have finished a given survey page, you cannot access that same page again later.
* Please note that you should not use the browser back button while using the online survey, as this may cause data issues.
WILL I BE ABLE TO PRINT THE SURVEY QUESTIONS SO THAT I KNOW WHOM TO ASK FOR WHAT?
Yes. We strongly encourage you to review a copy of the survey before you start so you know exactly what type of information you will need to collect from your company in order to complete the survey.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE EACH SURVEY?
The amount of time it will take to complete each of the two surveys depends on how prepared you are with the materials asked in the survey. By preparing upfront everyone involved in completing the survey, you will streamline the survey process greatly.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING?
Participants in the study receive the detailed, aggregated results of this research as it is published over the course of the year. Prior year SORO survey participants have used the SORO research to:
- Prioritize marketing objectives and investments
- Benchmark their performance against competitors
- Identify key areas for improvement and investment
- Guide financial planning and budgets
- Adjust organizational structures
- Design or redesign reporting systems
- Set and update operating targets; and
- Communicate relative performance to investors, executives and others.
HOW MANY COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY? In our first survey of 2011, 68 companies participated in this annual research survey. The more participants who complete the SORO surveys, the richer the resulting data and analysis will be across the spectrum of retailers.
ARE MY RESPONSES CONFIDENTIAL?
Absolutely. Only the immediate project team at Forrester Research sees individual company responses. All data remain secure and confidential at all times. Findings are reported in aggregate only, and participating companies' names are never disclosed. Forrester Research is a trusted third party and stands behind its commitment to non-disclosure. Should you need it to participate, Forrester will be happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
HOW DOES THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT WORK?
Forrester uses an easy to use survey tool. Survey respondents can pause the survey, saving what they have completed and then return to finish the survey when convenient to do so. Survey respondents can also easily pass along the survey to others in their organization as needed (please see above for details).
WHAT ABOUT SECURITY?
We have taken many steps to ensure that your data will be transmitted and stored safely through this process. In the fourteen years of the State of Retailing Online study to date, there has never been a security breach. This data is secured with 128-bit SSL security. Please email us at retailresearch@forrester.com if you would like more detail on the security measures used to protect participant data.
Again, thank you for participating in The State of Retailing Online research!
SURVEY TROUBLESHOOTING QUESTIONS:
I don’t have a URL to get to the survey – how do I obtain one? If your original survey participation email doesn't contain a survey URL, please contact retailresearch@forrester.com immediately and we will email you your assigned URL.
What’s the deadline for submitting the first 2012 SORO survey online?
We will announce launch and close dates for this survey in early 2012.
I want to get some of my colleagues to enter data / information in this survey that is specific to their area – how do I do that?
Your company is assigned only one URL. Different people within your organization may enter information, but please note that, once a page has been submitted (especially if in a separate Web session), you will not be able to go to that page to edit any of the data. It may be more streamlined to share the PDF version of the survey with each person who will be providing data / input, assemble all that data needed from each of those individuals, and then have one person enter all the data online.
Can I finish the survey in multiple sessions?
Yes, you can finish the survey in multiple sessions. The survey will remember where you left off and, when you start your next session, will start you on the next page of the survey.
How do I download a copy of the survey before starting it online?
Retailers who want to participate in the current SORO survey may download a PDF copy of this survey (available from this page when the next SORO survey launches in early 2012). We strongly recommend that you make this your very first step in the process, gather all the data and other information upfront, and only then complete the survey online.
I used the browser back button but am experiencing some problems.
If at all possible, please don’t use the browser back button while entering data in the online survey. If you use the browser back button to go to a page that you already submitted in the same session, any data you have entered and submitted on subsequent pages will be lost and need to be re-entered. Again, gathering the data upfront will avoid this situation.
Can I change the data I entered in a previous session?
If you stop the survey mid-way, the survey will start again on the next page of the survey when you start the next session. You will not be able to go back to any pages in the survey that you completed in a prior session.
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