Maximizing Insights by Leveraging the Benefits of Integrating Market Research and User Research
Leveraging the benefits of combining these two approaches, companies can maximize their insights and make data-driven decisions that are grounded in real-world understanding.
Market research and user experience research (UXR) are often confused as being the same thing, but they are actually distinct fields with their own goals and methods. This happened when I started to learn about UXR for the very first time back then in 2020. Market research focuses on understanding consumer behavior and preferences in order to inform marketing strategies and business decisions. UX research, on the other hand, is concerned with understanding how people interact with products or services and using that understanding to improve the overall user experience, emphasizing digital products. While market research can be useful for understanding user needs and preferences, it is not the same as UX research, which specifically aims to optimize the design of products or services for the end user.
To choose the appropriate research method for the business, it’s important to clarify the problem we are trying to solve. If we are uncertain about the potential success of our product in the market, market research can help us understand consumer preferences and behavior. However, if we already have a strong market presence but struggling to meet our business goals, it may be more useful to conduct UX research to gain insights into how customers interact with the product and identify opportunities to improve the user experience. By clearly defining the problem we are trying to solve, we can determine which type of research is most relevant to your needs.
Let’s take a deeper dive into this to help better understand the differences.
Scope of Study & Business Problem to Address
Market research is a way to gather information about consumer behavior and preferences in order to inform marketing and business strategy. It is used to identify whether there is demand for a product, who is likely to purchase it, and how to effectively reach a target audience. By understanding these factors, market research can provide insight into the feasibility and the best approach for marketing a product. In other words, market research helps businesses understand what consumers want and how to effectively sell to them.
Market research helps identify the target audience for a product or service through large-scale surveys and analysis of secondary data. It narrows down a broad population into a specific demographic that is most likely to use or purchase the product and helps determine the viability of the product based on the size and purchasing power of this segment. The information is also used to target marketing efforts to the identified demographic.
UX research is concerned with understanding how people interact with products or services and using that understanding to improve the user experience. It involves collecting data through qualitative and quantitative methods, such as interviews and analytics, to identify issues and unmet needs in the user experience. This information is then used to inform design solutions, which are tested and refined to ensure that the product or service meets users’ expectations and needs. UX research helps to improve customer satisfaction, reduce complaints and drop-off rates, and make products more user-friendly. It is focused on optimizing the interaction between users and products, rather than solely on selling products to customers as market research does.
UX research focuses on the digital user experience and the interaction between users and brands, products, or services. It involves studying a smaller sample size of users in depth and employing observational methods to understand user behaviors. In contrast, market research can address a wide range of topics and stakeholders, including users and buyers of a product or service, non-users, potential users, and competitors’ users. It can be either tactical or strategic and uses a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, including online surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
UX research is typically part of the product design process and employs fast-turnaround, agile methods, while market research can be used at any stage of the product or service lifecycle and may involve creating more conceptual stimulus materials. UX researchers often create prototypes or mock-ups for testing, while market researchers may use direct questioning and observational techniques. For example, UX research may uncover that it takes users multiple clicks to add food on the chart for users to order food online, a UX designer could then work on the particular area for saving the user time and decreasing the drop-off rate. In this way, UX research helps inform design decisions and improve the overall customer experience while addressing business challenges.
What User Experience Methods Should Be Used
The most appropriate UX research method for a given project depends on the research goals, stage of the project, and available resources. The key is to choose a method that allows us to effectively answer research questions and gather the necessary information to inform design decisions. By understanding when to use which method, it is possible to optimize the research process and gather the most valuable insights. The field of user experience offers a diverse array of research methods that can be organized using a three-dimensional framework:
- Attitudinal vs. Behavioral
In user experience research, it is important to consider both self-reported data/attitudinal (what people say) and behavioral data (what people do). Usability studies and field studies are two popular methods that incorporate both types of data. Understanding the distinction between self-reported and behavioral data can help to inform the selection of the most appropriate research methods and gather the most valuable insights.
2. Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Qualitative research methods involve directly observing behaviors or attitudes in order to generate data, and are well-suited for understanding the underlying reasons or causes of a problem. Quantitative methods, on the other hand, involve gathering data indirectly through measurement and are better suited for answering questions about quantity or frequency. Both types of studies can be valuable in different contexts, depending on the research questions being asked.
3. Context of Product Use
The third aspect of user experience research to consider is the extent to which participants are using the product or service being studied. This can be described as:
- Natural or near-natural use
- Scripted use of the product
- Limited use to study a specific aspect of the user experience
- Not using the product during the study (decontextualized)
The Nielsen Norman Group provides a source of 20 methods of User Experience Research Method and it is more than just usability testing, which corresponds with the three-dimensional framework.
Each dimension provides a way to distinguish among studies in terms of the questions they answer and the purposes they are most suited for. The methods placed in the middle of the quantitative–qualitative axis can be used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data.
Incorporate Market & User Experience Research to make a Better Decision
It is crucial to know when to utilize marketing research and when to utilize user experience research. By understanding the interplay between these methodologies throughout the product development process, we can effectively collaborate with marketing departments and demonstrate the value of incorporating user experience research into their projects.
The graphic from UX Studio will help to understand how to combine market research and user research experience that address different questions and use at different stages of the product development process.
How we can bring UXR and Market Research together which will bring so many advantages for the organization:
- Know The Goal
To effectively connect market and user research, it is essential to have a clear understanding of our research objective. Look for opportunities to align our objectives with those of other teams and strive to identify areas of overlap. By sharing the goals and being open to learning about the goals of others, we can uncover relevant insights and increase the value of research efforts. Keep the main objective in focus and take advantage of the complementary business goals that exist within the organization.
2. Build Strong Collaboration
To effectively connect market and user research, involve related team (such as marketing team) members from the outset of any research project. Discuss how research can inform marketing initiatives and consider adding relevant questions that would be valuable for marketing. Sharing the results with the team and being transparent about research efforts helps to avoid duplicating efforts and ensures that important insights are shared across departments. Utilize a research roadmap and look for opportunities to combine efforts to maximize the value of our research.
3. Utilize Generative Research
Utilizing generative research can provide valuable insights for both market and user research. It helps researchers develop a deeper understanding of the target audience in order to find the opportunity for solutions and innovations. It is referred to as discovery or exploratory research, but the goal is always the same. We can start by asking questions about problems to be solved and seeking to understand the potential market for a product, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the needs and desires of their target audience. When planning research, consider the product development cycle and ensure that both market and user research are included at each stage. User researchers should share product insights with marketers to inform updates to positioning and messaging, while marketers should take advantage of any discovery research being conducted by the user experience team and consider conducting ongoing market research to stay up to date on evolving market trends.
Guide for Conducting Successful Online Research in Indonesia
Face-to-face has long been the dominant form of market research and user experience research and this is likely to be the case for some time. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact businesses and markets, online methods for conducting market research or user experience are increasing.
In Indonesia, traditional face-to-face market research has been the norm for many years, but in recent years, there has been a shift towards using mobile and online surveys due to the need for quicker responses and more efficient decision-making. As internet connectivity in Indonesia increases, the country’s internet users have reached 220 million people. Before the pandemic, Indonesia reached 175.4 million — a penetration of 64%, up by 17% from the previous year. 96% of these internet users are already using smartphones (WeAreSocial & Hootsuite, 2020), there is significant potential for mobile and online research to thrive in the country.
To effectively conduct online research in Indonesia, it is important to incentivize participation. One successful strategy is to offer monetary rewards, similar to the cashback and promotional programs used by Indonesian e-wallet platforms to attract users. This approach has proven effective in building an online panel and encouraging participation in research. Indonesian consumers are more likely to be motivated by monetary rewards rather than food or shopping vouchers.
To increase the likelihood of survey completion, it is important to keep the questionnaire as short as possible, especially since many participants will be using smartphones. It is also essential to test the survey across a variety of devices, as the type of smartphone used can vary widely. Additionally, it is important to consider the fact that Indonesia is a geographically dispersed country with varying internet speeds and connectivity in rural areas.
When designing a survey for the Indonesian market, it is important to avoid using long videos or a large number of pictures, as they may hinder completion. It is also advisable to write the survey in Bahasa with English as a secondary option. To increase participation, it is recommended to notify users via text message or WhatsApp rather than email, as email access may be limited in rural areas and not regularly checked in other areas. In-app notifications may also be turned off by some users.
To ensure the quality of the data collected through online research in Indonesia, it is important to use algorithms to verify that responses are from genuine respondents and are not randomly generated. Additionally, it is important to match the length of the survey and the time gaps between questions to ensure accurate results. A valid ID number, as recorded on the Kartu Tanda Penduduk (National ID card) should also be obtained from each respondent to confirm that they meet the intended demographic profile for the research sample. Despite being in its early stages, online research in Indonesia has significant potential, particularly as internet penetration in the country continues to grow rapidly.
