Coordinate Focus Groups Without the Recruitment Headaches
Find times when your focus group participants can attend
WhenToMeet helps researchers and marketers coordinate focus groups by polling participant availability. Maximize attendance, avoid no-shows, and schedule sessions that fit your research timeline with generous free-tier limits.
The Challenge
- ✕Low focus group attendance because scheduled times don't work for participants
- ✕Difficulty coordinating availability across recruited participants with diverse schedules
- ✕Last-minute cancellations and no-shows derail research timelines and budgets
- ✕Managing multiple focus group sessions across different demographics or segments
- ✕Finding times that accommodate participants in different time zones for virtual focus groups
How WhenToMeet Helps
Maximize Participant Attendance
Poll recruited participants to find times when everyone can attend. Higher attendance means better research quality and fewer wasted recruitment dollars.
Reduce No-Shows
When participants choose their own availability, they're more committed to attending. Connected calendars help them avoid conflicts.
Flexible Session Timing
Schedule focus groups of any length, from quick 30-minute feedback sessions to 2-hour in-depth discussions.
Virtual Focus Group Support
Running virtual focus groups with participants in different locations? WhenToMeet automatically handles time zone conversions.
Quick Finalization
Once participants vote, finalize the focus group session and add it to everyone's calendar in one click—no manual reminders needed.
Key Features
Calendar Integration
Participants can overlay their calendars while voting, helping them choose times when they're genuinely available.
No Account Required
Focus group participants can vote on times without creating accounts—remove friction and increase poll participation.
Easy Distribution
Generate unique poll links for each focus group. Share via email, SMS, or your research participant portal.
Participant Notifications
Get notified when participants vote and automatically send reminders as the focus group date approaches to reduce no-shows.
Buffer Time Management
Add buffer time before sessions for participant arrival and tech setup, and after for debriefing and note-taking.
Get Started in 3 Steps
Create focus group poll
After recruiting participants, propose 4-6 potential focus group times based on typical availability for your target demographic.
Participants vote
Share the poll link with recruited participants via email or SMS. They can see their calendar overlay and vote on available times in seconds—no signup required.
Finalize and send reminders
Review responses to see which time works for the most participants. Finalize the session, sync to calendars, and send confirmation with location or virtual meeting details.
Best Practices for Focus Group Coordination
- ✓Poll participants immediately after recruitment while interest and commitment are high
- ✓Propose time slots that accommodate your target demographic's schedules (e.g., evenings for working professionals)
- ✓Set a response deadline to create urgency—aim for 48-72 hours for focus group polling
- ✓For in-person focus groups, mention the location when polling to help participants assess travel time
- ✓Over-recruit by 20-30% to account for no-shows even after polling for availability
- ✓Enable calendar overlay so participants can avoid proposing times when they have conflicts
- ✓For virtual focus groups, propose times across different time zones if your participants are geographically distributed
Frequently Asked Questions
Do focus group participants need to create accounts?+−
No, participants can vote on their availability by simply clicking the poll link—no account or signup required. This removes friction and increases participation.
Can I schedule multiple focus group sessions for different segments?+−
Yes! Create separate polls for each focus group session or demographic segment. You can run multiple polls simultaneously to coordinate your entire research schedule.
How do I reduce no-shows?+−
When participants choose their own availability (vs. being assigned a time), they're more committed to attending.
Can I see which participants voted for which times?+−
Yes, you can see individual responses, which helps you balance focus groups across different demographic characteristics or ensure diversity in each session.
What if not all participants can make the same time?+−
WhenToMeet shows you which time works for the most participants. You can decide on an acceptable attendance threshold (e.g., 8 out of 10 recruited) and proceed with that time.
How do I handle time zones for virtual focus groups?+−
WhenToMeet automatically detects each participant's time zone and displays all proposed times in their local hours, eliminating confusion for geographically distributed groups.
Is there a limit to how many focus group sessions I can schedule?+−
Group scheduling is completely free with unlimited polls, participants, and time slots. Whether you're running one focus group or a broader study, you can coordinate sessions at no cost.
Can I integrate this with my research participant database?+−
WhenToMeet works independently but syncs finalized session times to calendar systems (Google Calendar, Microsoft 365, etc.). You can manually add session details to your participant database.