Virtual Surveys was started by Pete Comley in 1998, focused on website research. Since then, our size and scope has expanded and we now have a team of almost 50, mainly based in our North (Manchester) and South (Hook) offices. We are a full service market research agency, working with our clients to identify research needs and implement studies that deliver actionable insight.
The company has consistently innovated and below are some of our milestones:
- 1998: Virtual Surveys is born and launches V-Surveys to understand website visitors
- 1999: Pioneered moderated email groups
- 2000: V-Surfs (website usability research) become a major part of the business
- 2001: Client base grows to over 100 companies
- 2002: Random Web Interviewing (RAWI) invented, offering a cost effective alternative to panels
- 2003: Virtual Surveys UK Opinion online panel created
- 2004: Publish modal theory of website surfing
- 2005: "Understanding Online Panellists" paper published at ESOMAR
- 2006: First UK blogging and forum research projects conducted
- 2007: Launch CustomCommunity and VideoBooth platforms
- 2008: Run first Real Time Research surveys and start conducting trials on a new generation of mobile web interviewing
- 2009: Conduct first multi-language online research communities and launch V-Life, our multimedia, e-ethnographic, blogging research solution
We are a private company, wholly owned by its working Directors, with turnover nearing £4m.