Describe the weaknesses of marketing research conducted online. [8 marks] (d) Briefly explain how you can segment markets for consumer goods.

<br />1. Marketing research conducted online has several weaknesses. One of the primary concerns is the potential for biased data, as online respondents may not represent the broader population. Additionally, there's the issue of self-selection bias, where only those interested in the topic or those with strong opinions are more likely to participate. This can lead to results that are not representative of the general population.<br />2. Another weakness is the lack of control over who participates in the research. Unlike traditional methods where researchers can select participants, online research relies on those who choose to participate, which can lead to a non-representative sample.<br />3. There's also the issue of data verification. It can be challenging to verify the identity of online respondents, leading to concerns about the authenticity of the data collected.<br />4. The fourth option, "It is the best method for gathering primary data," is not a weakness. Instead, it's a potential advantage of online marketing research. However, given the context of the question, it is not the correct answer.<br />5. The fifth option, "It is the only method for gathering primary data," is not accurate. There are several methods for gathering primary data, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations. Thus, this is not a weakness of online marketing research.<br />6. The sixth option, "It is the most cost-effective method for gathering primary data," is also not a weakness. Cost-effectiveness is generally considered an advantage of online marketing research. However, it's worth noting that while online research can be less expensive than some traditional methods, it's not necessarily the most cost-effective method in all scenarios.<br />7. The seventh option, "It is the only method for gathering primary data that can be conducted anonymously," is not entirely accurate. While online research can be conducted anonymously, other methods like mail surveys or phone interviews can also be conducted anonymously. Thus, this is not a unique weakness of online marketing research.<br />8. The eighth option, "It is the only method for gathering primary data that can be conducted quickly," is also not entirely accurate. While online research can be conducted quickly, other methods like focus groups or in-person interviews can also be conducted relatively quickly. However, the speed of online research is generally considered an advantage.<br />9. Given the above analysis, the correct answers are options A, B, C, and D, which highlight the potential biases and lack of control associated with online marketing research.