1 Online Research as A Decision Tool for Marketing and Management Strategies Franch M., Mich L., Osti L. University of Trento, Department of Computer and Management Sciences Via Inama, 5, 38100 Trento, Italy Tel. +39 0461 882131 Fax: +39 0461 882124 E-mail: franch@cs.unitn.it Abstract In recent years communication systems have developed rapidly and innovatively, and the trend seems inexorable. Internet is a typical example. As a consequence of the information concerning the market that has been gathered, marketing and management strategies will certainly benefit from this major trend. However, for this to come about it is necessary first to identify the most suitable method and tools among those under experimentation. In our research we used an online quantitative survey and the Delphi online method to identify future development trends in alpine skiing in the Dolomites. The results obtained confirm the validity of both, although the Delphi method yielded more complete results. The possession of high quality information facilitates the taking of corporate decisions and makes their implementation less risky. The Delphi method seems to be the best one if a company has to take decisions about future trends and the requisite information either does not exist in structured form or is difficult to obtain at low cost and with relative rapidity. Keywords : E-research, Market research, Business strategies 1. Foreword With the beginning of what has been called the telecommunication era, the rules and strategies of competition in markets have changed. Information management and communication with potential customers have become strategic resources for every type of business. On the one hand, the possession of information and ease of access to it have changed the behaviour of consumers, who have become more aware, critical and demanding. On the other, knowledge of consumer expectations and purchasing behaviour has provided businesses with an unprecedented opportunity to supply products or services that match consumer intentions as closely as possible. The transition from mass marketing (largely undifferentiated products for a large number of people) to one-to-one marketing (personalised products) requires businesses to be able to handle information about consumers so that their product range becomes almost unique. Internet is an interesting opportunity from this point of view as well. When used for online market research it provides management with the information it requires to meet market needs easily and cheaply. Attempts have also been made in the field of market research to exploit the advantages of the Web. However, online surveys are still rare, and when they are conducted they relate mainly to such topics as electronic commerce or information technology. This paper discusses how market research can be conducted online on topics other than those normally addressed by this innovative medium, in the conviction that our experience will be replicated to become an effective marketing tool in the near future. Given the scant information available on the use of online surveys as a management tool, the aims of the project were: - to verify the applicability of online market research (henceforth e-research) in areas other than those – e.g. e-commerce (in particular the sale and purchase of soft- and hardware and books) – in which this kind of research has developed; - to assess the efficiency of e-research in terms of redemption and response rates and the quality of the data collected. While the advantages in terms of time and costs have already been confirmed by comparison with mail or telephone surveys, there has been little investigation of the completeness and quality of the data collected and their