Focus groups usually involve recruited participants to allow for the exchange of opinions on a particular topic or item. They are useful for gathering initial reactions to new products or concepts. The key to a successful focus group is an experienced moderator who can create a dynamic, guided group discussion. Participants are typically paid for their participation.

Focus groups can be conducted over the internet using a chat session to allow participants to be located anywhere in the world rather than having the participants all physically meeting in one location. Each recruited participant logs into a chat session at a specified time and the discussion is carried on by typing and reading comments/questions on the screen. The drawback to this form of focus group is not having the human interaction or group dynamic as well as the typing barrier for some participants.

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