Utilizing User Research to Inform Product Decisions

For a product to succeed, it's vital to conduct User Research. User feedback from your target users helps make your product more relevant. This article discusses user interviews, Focus groups, Usability testing, and heuristic evaluations. If you'd like to know more about these research techniques, read on! Here are some examples of how to conduct them. Read on to learn how to use these methods for your own products.

Focus groups

Before conducting focus groups, it's essential to set clear goals for the focus groups. Before starting, determine which products your product managers should focus on improving. Also, consider which key demographics and buying habits are relevant to your target audience. Focus groups should be comprised of both current customers and potential ones. You can recruit participants through online casting calls. To ensure your focus groups' success, make sure to screen potential volunteers and divide them by factor.

While focus groups are conducted in a naturally-occurring manner, moderators have a significant role to play. While a poorly-trained moderator is unlikely to generate high-quality output, a well-trained one can make all the difference. Focus group moderators may be professional researchers, academicians, marketing consultants, or company representatives. In either case, they are the ones who will be leading the discussions.

You can see a great study by Pew Research Center here.

Usability testing

The data generated by usability testing can inform many key product decisions. In addition to product development, usability testing can identify common problems and issues for users. Patterns of behavior, difficulty and sentiment can be revealed through usability tests. Usability tests can inform the name of features, as well as onboarding experiences and content. These are only a few of the many benefits of usability testing. The following are some common usability test questions.

First, usability testing should consider the types of products being developed. While qualitative data is focused on the human reaction to a product, quantitative data is about the ease of using that product. The results of usability testing can inform product design and decisions, both for the individual user and for the organization. Using a controlled environment is ideal for obtaining quantitative data, but smaller usability studies can provide qualitative data. Usability testing helps organizations better understand their audiences and meet their expectations. The data collected by usability testing will reveal areas of improvement.

Highly recommend Maze as a testing platform. Maze is a rapid testing platform that enables you to collect both qualitative and quantitative usability data, all in one place. Maze integrates directly with Adobe XD, Figma, InVision, Marvel, or Sketch and allows you to import an existing prototype from the design tool you use.

With Maze, you can create and run in-depth usability tests and share those tests with your testers with a link. Its usability testing solution includes varied features such as task analysis, multiple path analysis, heatmaps, A/B testing, guerrilla testing, wireframe testing, and more.

User interviews

When conducting user interviews, be sure to ask questions that are eliciting. The more specific the question, the more information you can extract from the user. In other words, ask questions that ask the user about recent events and processes, rather than general questions about their habits. The resulting behavioral data will be more accurate. And when in doubt, ask about recent events and processes. Then, use this data to guide your next product development decision.

The process can be done in person, over the phone, or via video conference. Ideally, two people should conduct the interview, with one asking questions while the other listens and takes notes. Remember that it's difficult to take notes and actively listen at the same time. Always let the user know if the interview will be recorded. After all, they'll have a hard time telling that they've been recorded.

Heuristic evaluations

Heuristic evaluation is an important component of user research, but its effectiveness depends on the number of evaluators. A single evaluator can never find all usability issues within an interface. That's why using a team of evaluators is important. A team of three to five evaluators will improve the usability analysis. And if you're unsure how to use this method, consider hiring a third party to do it for you.

Heuristic evaluations are often based on broad ideas of usability, but they can differ depending on the type of product or audience. If an expert isn't familiar with your industry, they could make misleading assumptions. For example, the Nielsen heuristics, developed after years of research and user testing, have a low rate of false alarms. However, it is important to consult more than one expert in a given field. That way, you can minimize bias and false alarms.

Surveys

There are many benefits to using surveys to inform product decisions. Surveys help you get accurate data about the needs and wants of your target market. You can use them to launch new products, determine customer satisfaction levels, and more. You can also use them to measure the effectiveness of new features. Listed below are some of the ways to use surveys to make product decisions. Let us take a closer look at each of these benefits. This article provides tips for implementing survey projects.

Before creating a survey, consider what you plan to do with the data. The end goal of the survey will affect costs and results, so choose a small sample size. There are also several techniques to reach your target audience and avoid bias. Check out the infographic below to get started. You can use surveys to create a customer loyalty program and reward your loyal customers for sharing their feedback. You can also make a survey template by following the guidelines provided by other people.