Developing and Testing an Online Tool for Probing Customer Preferences

Abstract

This article describes the development of a new online tool for collecting data about customer preferences. The tool was created to produce comprehensive data on the connections between important variables, while offering an interesting and easy-to-use tool for respondents and researchers. The tool uses the principle of a mind-map. It was applied to two cases concerning housing preferences, and to one of municipal construction. Consumer preferences are complex and the authors thought that a visual tool could prove helpful in data collection. We present examples of network analysis, which give good insights into the complexity of preferences. Ways to improve the usability and analytical potential of the tool are also discussed. The mind-map tool shows potential for being a good data collection method, although further development is necessary to uncover the whole potential of the tool.