{"id":95192,"date":"2021-04-06T08:11:44","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T15:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thegood.com\/?post_type=insights&#038;p=95192"},"modified":"2025-05-21T09:04:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T16:04:08","slug":"customer-research","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/customer-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Research: The Most Underappreciated Strategy In Your Toolkit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>These ecommerce scenarios all have something in common:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Glossier names its cult-hit cleanser \u201cMilky Jelly\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Harry\u2019s launches a new deodorant and shifts from a shave brand to a personal care&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Katelyn Bourgoin positions Charboyz meat kits as a social solution for suburban dads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A maternity brand figures out how to present its proprietary sizing, which improves conversions and decreases returns&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer: good customer research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of those bullets came about because the brand or founder listened closely to stories their customers and prospective customers told.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These brands know something too few ecommerce companies have taken to heart: customer research has far-reaching implications for businesses. With the right resources and process, it\u2019s possible to collect meaningful insights that help you improve many areas of your business, from marketing to customer support to product development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And although it may seem intimidating first, the time and financial investment customer research requires is manageable for most teams \u2014 especially in light of its ROI.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is a step-by-step guide to formulating a research plan, interviewing customers, and turning the qualitative data you collect into meaningful improvements for your brand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The rest of this articles outlines how to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Think about the benefits of customer research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Put together a research plan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run effective customer interviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gather indirect customer research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Put your research data to good use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-customer-research\">What is customer research?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Customer research is a structured way to find out why customers do and don\u2019t buy. It\u2019s an effective way to step out of your head and into the buyer\u2019s journey, so you can provide better products and experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-it-especially-important-for-ecommerce-nbsp\">Why is it especially important for ecommerce?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For ecommerce leaders, the biggest benefits of customer research include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Getting outside the jar&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Knowing what to improve (instead of guessing)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing better customer-centric experiences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Customer research gets you outside the jar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine sitting inside a jar (an empty one) and trying to read the label. Even if you could make out a letter or two, or perhaps a fine print medical warning, it\u2019d be impossible to piece together what the whole label looks like from the outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a bit like trying to imagine a new customer\u2019s experience from inside your brand. You know your site inside and out, and that\u2019s a strength in many contexts. But it\u2019s also a weakness because your proximity to the brand makes it impossible to know what it\u2019s like for new customers to hit your homepage or try to purchase something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re stuck inside the jar, and one of the best ways to get out is customer research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that\u2019s not the only benefit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Customer research helps you identify data-backed improvements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a marketing approach Katelyn Bourgoin calls \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/customercamp.co\/the-time-honoured-marketing-tradition-that-customers-hate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">liquor and guessing<\/a>.\u201d It\u2019s the old formula of gathering smart, creative people in the same room, giving them a cool product to work with, and letting them guess their way (occasionally with liquor) to more sales.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While that occasionally works, it\u2019s a bit like throwing a dart with your eyes closed \u2014 you could hit the board, but it\u2019s not likely. Customer research provides a more guaranteed path.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the most common benefits folks cite is clarity around their messaging strategy \u2014 who to speak to, how to speak with them, and when to do so.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Just wrapped up my 1st customer interview. \ud83d\udd7aWalked away with an entirely new approach, at least 10 content ideas, and a plethora of vocabulary I hadn&#39;t used before.<br><br>Future copy has written itself. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KateBour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@KateBour<\/a> never stop pushing this narrative. This changed my marketing world. \ud83d\ude4f<\/p>&mdash; Kristen LaFrance (@kdlafrance) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kdlafrance\/status\/1124016478947348487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 2, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But depending on what you set out to discover, customer research can do way more than that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harry\u2019s for example, crowdsourced some of their newest products from current shoppers. Jaime Crespo, GM at Harry\u2019s, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.morningbrew.com\/retail\/stories\/2021\/01\/11\/another-new-product-line-harrys-transforming-shave-brand-personal-care-brand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told Retail Brew<\/a> the brand had 1,600 customers call in or send emails requesting deodorant. And 120,000 customers said in a survey they wanted to see deodorant or antiperspirant. Harry\u2019s leaned into this.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crespo says, \u201cWe have a very strong, close connection with the customers. So we start talking with the customers and asking them, okay, why do you want a new product in deodorant? What\u2019s wrong with the products that you\u2019re currently using? And that\u2019s how we develop our proposition.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This ties into the third major benefit for ecommerce brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Customer research shows you how to build better customer experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest strengths of ecommerce, and especially DTC, is the unique opportunity brands have to influence or control every aspect of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/customer-experience-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">customer experience<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And better experiences pay off:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PwC surveyed 15,000 consumers and found 65% of them said they were more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/advisory-services\/publications\/consumer-intelligence-series\/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">strongly influenced by a positive experience<\/a> than a great ad campaign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coschedule found marketers who do audience research at least once per year are <a href=\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/State-of-Marketing-Strategy-2018-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">303% more likely to hit marketing goal<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>McKinsey says brands that improve the customer journey see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/business-functions\/marketing-and-sales\/our-insights\/best-of-both-worlds-customer-experience-for-more-revenues-and-lower-costs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revenue increases as much as 10-15%<\/a> \u2014 while lowering service costs by 15-20%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When you start <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/consumer-experience-optimization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dialing in the customer experience<\/a>, metrics like conversion rate, lifetime value, average order value, return on ad spending, and others improve as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customer research shows you, with astonishing clarity, how visitors are experiencing your brand. Meaning, it also shows you where to improve, where to double down, and where missed opportunities are, too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to get started.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-build-a-foundation-with-a-one-page-research-plan-nbsp\">How to build a foundation with a one-page research plan&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re doing DIY research for your brand (DIY as in not hiring outside) help, start with a plan. This doesn\u2019t have to be complex, either.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To put together a one-page customer research plan, you\u2019ll want to define:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your goals for researching<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who will \u201cown\u201d the research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who you\u2019ll talk with&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What success looks like&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are each of those pieces in more detail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-your-goals-for-customer-research-nbsp\">What are your goals for customer research?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s admirable to simply want to know your customers better, your research will be far more effective (read: impactful for a specific area of business) if you start with some goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I say \u201cgoals\u201d because Hannah Shamji, <a href=\"https:\/\/hannahshamji.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Customer Researcher<\/a>, emphasizes every customer research project should have two goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A research goal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A business goal<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Your research goal is typically in the form of a question. Be careful of going too broad here though. Shamji says a question like \u201cwhy are customers buying?\u2019 is too vague to be useful. It\u2019s not something you can actually measure and answer. Instead, try something like, \u201cwhy are customers in the past 6 months buy or not buying?\u201d This is more specific, measurable, and directive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have your research goal, your business goal outlines how you\u2019ll use the research \u2014 what decision it\u2019ll drive internally or what it will inform. Hannah explains this as, \u201cstepping away and peeling back the future state of where this data is going to live and be used.\u201d For example, if you want to know why customers have and haven\u2019t bought in the last six months, perhaps you\u2019re looking to improve new customer conversion rates.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-is-going-to-be-doing-the-research\">Who is going to be doing the research?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, you want to appoint one person to lead the research efforts. This person \u201cowns\u201d the research project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can be an internal team member or an external expert, like Shamji or an agency. The point is, you identify one person who\u2019s responsible for running the research and organizing the findings. This, among other things, ensures the research actually happens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-will-you-find-customers-or-prospects-to-talk-to\">How will you find customers or prospects to talk to?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have your goals and your project owner, you now need someone to research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Figuring out who that \u201csomeone\u201d is involves two steps:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identifying which type(s) of customer you need to talk with<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outlining how you\u2019ll engage them&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Identifying who to talk with&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re no doubt aware you have different types of customers. These different types include distinct personas with distinct needs. Your different customer types also include action-based segments \u2014 customers who just purchased, signed up for the email list, or canceled a subscription.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each type of customer provides a different type of insight. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prospective visitors<\/strong> can help you understand why folks come to your site, what they\u2019re looking for, and where they get tripped up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customers who just purchased<\/strong> can give insight into what triggers and contexts motivate other new customers to buy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Repeat customers<\/strong> can help you see what\u2019s both delightful and frustrating about the experience you\u2019re providing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Higher average order value customers<\/strong> can provide insight into what drives brand fanatics.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s just to name a few.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, who you focus on depends on your research question. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re a DTC drink subscription company, and you want to understand why subscribers canceled their recurring soda subscription last month. Your goal is to reduce churn. To do this research, you\u2019ll want to speak with subscribers who canceled last month and dig into why they moved on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The general rule is, speak with the customer segment or prospective customer segment that\u2019s best equipped to answer your research questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Outlining how you\u2019ll engage them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you know who you\u2019d like to talk with, you can identify how you\u2019ll reach out to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re speaking with existing customers, this may be as simple as an email.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re speaking with prospective customers, you\u2019ll also want to consider where to find folks and how to qualify them as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Note: I\u2019ll get into the logistics of both of those below. For now, simply write how you plan to reach out to folks.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-types-of-research-make-the-most-sense\">What types of research make the most sense?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The next planning decision you\u2019ll want to make is, \u201cWhat type or types of research will give us the best data for our question?\u201d There are quite a few types of research, and they all have strengths and weaknesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s one helpful framework:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Direct vs. indirect<\/strong>: Direct research involves actively reaching out to customers. Think interviews, online surveys, questionnaires, user testing, and similar primary research methods. Indirect research is more passive. These are methods like social listening (gleaning data from social media) or buying market research.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Qualitative vs. quantitative: <\/strong>Qualitative research methods focus on substance and answering \u201cwhy is this the case?\u201d Quantitative research methods focus on numbers and answering \u201chow often is this happening?\u201d Most research methods excel in one area or the other. But some methods, such as surveys, can help you answer both.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can plot most research methods (interviews, surveys, polls) along those two axes:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Passive.png\" alt=\"Graphic showing types of customer research on axes\" class=\"wp-image-95207\" style=\"width:900px;height:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Passive.png 900w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Passive-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Passive-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Passive-610x407.png 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind combining multiple types of research is often an effective way to gain clarity around your research question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you want to know why website visitors aren\u2019t converting on the homepage you rolled out last month, interviewing prospective visitors will help. But so will looking at heatmaps and path analytics in Google docs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Non-interview research options&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rest of this article will focus on interviewing customers because this is one of <a href=\"https:\/\/customercamp.co\/the-time-honoured-marketing-tradition-that-customers-hate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the most impactful research methods<\/a>, as Katelyn Bourgoin illustrated:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-4.jpeg\" alt=\"customer research methods represented by an iceburg - surveys are above water, interviews below\" class=\"wp-image-95198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-4.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-4-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-4-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-4-610x343.jpeg 610w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-4-380x215.jpeg 380w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, you may sometimes want to start with research options that <em>aren\u2019t<\/em> interviews. For example, when you\u2019re:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not sure what questions you need to ask or who could answer them&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Needing to gather a large volume of data points quickly around a specific question&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In those scenarios, non-interview options include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Customer surveys:<\/strong> Via email or form add-ons&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Live chat transcripts<\/strong>: 29% of consumers use or <a href=\"https:\/\/see.narvar.com\/rs\/249-TEC-877\/images\/Connecting%20With%20Shoppers_Narvar%20Consumer%20Report%20Q1%202018.pdf?aliId=1109557\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">plan to use chatbots<\/a> to shop online. If you\u2019re using chatbots, there\u2019s a wealth of qualitative data sitting in those conversations.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer support:<\/strong> The people answering emails, calls, and chats from potential customers or customers every day <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/customer-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are a rich source of insight<\/a>. Don\u2019t neglect what they know.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Forums\/communities<\/strong>: Listen in wherever your potential customers hang out \u2014 Quora, Slack groups, Facebook communities, LinkedIn groups, local meetups, etc. This is a helpful way to find common pain points and desires.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Media:<\/strong> Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Clubhouse, Facebook&#8230;if your potential customers are chatting there, there\u2019s something you can learn from lurking.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product reviews:<\/strong> Mining competitor reviews, similar products on amazon, or browsing aggregate review sites can indicate where customers are most fed up and what they may be looking for instead.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audience research tools.<\/strong> Several tools, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SparkToro<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.userinput.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UserInput<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotjar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotjar<\/a>, are specially built for figuring out who your audience is and what they\u2019re interested in.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, we don\u2019t go deeper on each of those types of research here because that could be a book in itself. But keep in mind these can be a good starting point in certain scenarios, and they\u2019re often useful to layer on top of interviews for additional context.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Natalie Thomas, Director of Strategy at The Good, explains we always start with the journey: the path the visitor takes, where they\u2019re coming from, and what their mindset is.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we were working with a glasses company, we might ask, \u201cwhat keywords are people searching for? Are they landing on your site because they&#8217;re looking for cute glasses? Are they looking for blue light glasses, or are they looking for acetate glasses, or are they not looking for glasses at all?\u201d This kind of journey analysis diagnoses any problems, which helps us form specific research questions and business goals. 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!important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-3984ffd .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:20px !important}}<\/style><h4 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-color\">FREE EBOOK<\/h4><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-divider stk-block-divider has-text-align-left stk-block stk-d74b3af\" data-block-id=\"d74b3af\"><style>.stk-d74b3af{max-width:192px !important;margin-bottom:15px !important}.stk-d74b3af hr.stk-block-divider__hr{background:#0277c0 !important;height:2px !important;width:100% !important}<\/style><hr class=\"stk-block-divider__hr\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-6b7de7b\" id=\"how-to-conduct-customer-research-to-improve-customer-experience\" data-block-id=\"6b7de7b\"><style>.stk-6b7de7b{margin-bottom:12px !important}.stk-6b7de7b .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:24px !important;color:#ffffff !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-6b7de7b .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:24px !important}}@media screen and (max-width:767px){.stk-6b7de7b .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:24px !important}}<\/style><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-color\">How to Conduct Customer Research to Improve Customer Experience<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\twindow.hsFormsOnReady = window.hsFormsOnReady || [];\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\twindow.hsFormsOnReady.push(()=>{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thbspt.forms.create({\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tportalId: 5834619,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tformId: \"8e7ac41c-4efd-4601-aae9-023cc42726a7\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget: \"#hbspt-form-1768316533000-8687824440\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tregion: \"na2\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcssRequired: \".submitted-message { overflow: auto; } .hs-form-88422a7d-0355-4f27-b674-4b9fcc71560c, .hs-form-ac90f61a-a614-4bcd-b57a-18cd0e91ceff { color: #fff }\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t})});\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hbspt-form\" id=\"hbspt-form-1768316533000-8687824440\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-block-column--v3 stk-column stk-block-column--v2 stk-block stk-c063ff4 stk-block-background\" data-block-id=\"c063ff4\"><style>.stk-c063ff4{align-self:stretch !important;background-color:#f7f7f7 !important;align-items:center !important;padding-top:0px !important;padding-right:0px !important;padding-bottom:0px !important;padding-left:0px !important;display:flex !important}.stk-c063ff4:before{background-color:#f7f7f7 !important}.stk-c063ff4-container{margin-top:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-bottom:0px !important;margin-left:0px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-c063ff4{flex:1 1 calc(32% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-c063ff4-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-c063ff4-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-d9af426\" data-block-id=\"d9af426\"><figure class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-102885\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience.png\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1478\" alt=\"Opting In To Optimization\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience.png 1200w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience-244x300.png 244w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience-831x1024.png 831w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience-768x946.png 768w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience-600x739.png 600w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ebook-Covers-How-to-Conduct-Customer-Research-to-Improve-Customer-Experience-61x75.png 61w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-you-define-enough-and-wrap-up-the-project\">How do you define \u201cenough\u201d and wrap up the project?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The last piece of your plan is defining \u201cenough.\u201d Or, what success looks like. This is identifying, \u201cwe know we\u2019re done with this phase of research when\u2026\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few ways to benchmark this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>After x amount of weeks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After talking with y customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After identifying z trends&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While customer research ideally becomes an ongoing effort at your brand, it\u2019s useful to know when each piece of research wraps up. So, make sure and set a finish line.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-conduct-effective-1-1-customer-interviews\">How to conduct effective 1:1 customer interviews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have a plan, you can start executing your research. This part is a lot of logistics \u2014 and a lot of fun. It involves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reaching out to potential interviewees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Formulating interview questions&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Running interviews&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Those steps sound simple enough, but many folks get tripped up here. Do you pay people to participate? What do you say in the emails? And, for the love, what do you say in the interview??<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some answers based on our experience and the experts we talked with.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-first-reach-out-to-your-target-audience-and-get-them-to-engage\">First, reach out to your target audience and get them to engage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The plan you built above identified which customer segment you\u2019ll interview. Here\u2019s where you start engaging that segment. Some questions you might run into here include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How many people do I contact?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do I pay or incentivize them to participate?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do I qualify them?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do I say when I email people?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do I not lose my mind scheduling it all?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re all good questions! Let\u2019s take them one-by-one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How many people do I reach out to?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely every customer will accept, so email 1.5 to 2x the number of customers you\u2019d like to wind up talking to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re doing customer interviews, aim to speak with at least 5-10 people. Jess Nichols, User Research Leader and Experience Strategist, <a href=\"https:\/\/dovetailapp.com\/blog\/research-participants-what-does-good-look-like\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recommends<\/a>, \u201cFor exploratory research, like interviews, I aim for eight to 10 participants per segment. This number ensures you can identify patterns, similarities, or differences in your participants&#8217; responses and allow you to dive deeper into nuances you may discover during research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if you\u2019d like to speak with 10 customers, email 15 to 20 with an interview request.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do I use incentives?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This depends on your budget, the segment you\u2019re trying to reach, and whether you have time to try a no-incentive approach first (if you hear crickets, you can always add in an incentive later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re interviewing existing customers, particularly brand enthusiasts or loyalists, you may not need to sweeten the ask. But if you\u2019re trying to connect with prospective customers, an incentive will generally speed up your timeline and up your response rate.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you opt for incentives, Hannah recommends you use <a href=\"https:\/\/hannahshamji.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/New-Lead-Mag-Nov-19.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">between $20 and $50 per person<\/a>. This \u201cencourages sign ups and avoids no shows without biasing customers to only give positive insight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do I qualify research participants?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re pulling from your existing customer base, you may be able to use analytics you already have to qualify participants. For example, the date they purchased or canceled (if they\u2019re subscribers), average order value, types of products they\u2019ve bought, and so on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re rounding up prospective customers who have never seen the site before, you\u2019ll want to qualify them in some sort of a screening survey. For example, we once worked with a paint company. This paint was five times the price of normal paint because it was low VOC, environmentally friendly, made in the US, and had many other benefits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Natalie explains that, when she qualified prospective paint customers for research, one of the things her team asked about was pricing sensitivity. She notes, \u201cif you get the wrong person in the door, they\u2019re going to say, \u2018I would never even consider this,\u2019 and the rest of your research is null with that individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most researchers opt to qualify participants in a screening survey (e.g. using Google forms or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.typeform.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Typeform<\/a>). The important thing is you do qualify your participants by some means. Remember, the folks you speak with should be the ones who are best equipped to answer your research goals. If you cast a wide net with no qualifiers, your findings will be far more muddied and conflicting \u2014 if they\u2019re useful at all.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What do I say when I email people?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of the emails you like to receive and read. They\u2019re probably clear, concise, and have a bit of personality to them. That\u2019s the kind of email you want to send here, too. A good interview request email will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Have a clear subject line.<\/strong> If you\u2019re offering an incentive, feel free to lead with that. For example, \u201cLaura, $25 Amazon gift card for your thoughts\u2026\u201d If you\u2019re not incentivizing, aim for a subject line that\u2019s both interesting and accurate. Perhaps, \u201cHow you can help us improve [x]\u201d since folks like opportunities to help.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Explain why you\u2019re emailing.<\/strong> Clearly explain what you are doing (research) and what you\u2019re <em>not <\/em>doing (pitching a sale or some other hidden agenda).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Explain why you\u2019re researching.<\/strong> Briefly say why you\u2019re doing research and how their participation will help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set expectations for an interview. <\/strong>Define how long the interview will take, what the person needs to do to prepare (usually nothing), and whether it&#8217;s face-to-face, video, or voice-only. You may want to mention that any data you collect won\u2019t be sold or shared outside the company as well.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Equip the reader to take action.<\/strong> A good way to do this is to include a link for the respondent to book an interview slot, e.g. via <a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Calendly<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #222222;\" class=\"ugb-highlight\">For a good starting point, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/hannahshamji.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/New-Lead-Mag-Nov-19.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Hannah\u2019s email template:&nbsp;<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"731\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-121.png\" alt=\"email template for customer research reach out\" class=\"wp-image-95199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-121.png 768w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-121-300x286.png 300w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-121-610x581.png 610w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-121-24x24.png 24w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do I schedule it all?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whoever is leading this research probably has other to-dos on their plate. To ensure interviewing customers won\u2019t completely wreck their (or your) schedule, it\u2019s best to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Batch interviews on certain days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Schedule batches back-to-back<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use a tool like Calendly to prevent calendar conflicts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach doesn\u2019t just help you schedule, it helps you interview well. Hannah <a href=\"https:\/\/hannahshamji.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/New-Lead-Mag-Nov-19.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explains<\/a>, \u201cWhen you stack interviews like this, it triggers the compound effect and helps you immerse in the world of the customer. By the third interview you&#8217;ll be asking sharper questions, spotting more nuances and drawing richer customer insight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One other tip: batch interviews but leave about 15 minutes between each one. This will give you time to transition (read: take a snack break). It\u2019ll also ensure it\u2019s no big deal if you need to run five minutes over to let an interviewee finish a specific thought.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-interview-customers-to-collect-the-data-using-the-jobs-to-be-done-framework-nbsp\">Interview customers to collect the data (using the Jobs To Be Done Framework)&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to running each interview, it\u2019s helpful to think of it in two parts:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pre-interview prep<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During interview guidelines&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pre-interview prep: formulating questions&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest task here is coming up with a list of potential questions you can ask.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One popular method is formulating questions around the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework. There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Competing-Against-Luck-Innovation-Customer\/dp\/0062435612\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/resources\/books\/intercom-jobs-to-be-done\">books<\/a> on this topic, and I\u2019ll spare you all the nuances of it here. But the basic premise is customers \u201chire\u201d your products or services to fulfill needs in their life. For example, I recently \u201chired\u201d a Ruggable rug to reduce my mental load \u2014 I don\u2019t want to worry about rug fuzzies or stains for the next half-decade. Other folks \u201chire\u201d certain meal kits to take meal planning off their plate or to feel more confident (e.g. by losing 15 lbs).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding what job customers hire <em>your <\/em>product to do, what else they considered to fill that job, and what drove them to try and hire it out in the first place can yield rich qualitative insights.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find those insights, many interviewers ask questions about:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Triggers:<\/strong> Triggers are what make potential customers go, \u201cHey I have a need here.\u201d For example, a trigger for needing a new mattress may be getting married or adopting a dog who sleeps in the bed.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deciding: <\/strong>Making a decision usually involves many desires, anxieties, and hesitations. For example, price, social perception, durability, and so on.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Looking:<\/strong> Before purchasing, customers consider alternatives to your product. These may be the competitors you have in mind \u2014 or they may not. If I need new cookware, I may consider Caraway, whatever is on the kitchen aisle of TJMaxx, or asking my grandma if she has extra cast iron.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Purchased<\/strong>: Those who chose your brand have a reason for doing so. Oftentimes, that reason isn\u2019t particularly rational or logical either.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using: <\/strong>Identifying friction points, moments of delight, and what <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/understand-meet-customer-expectations\/\">customers expect<\/a> next can all help you craft better experiences.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind, you won\u2019t get through all of your template questions in each interview. In fact, you shouldn\u2019t necessarily aim to. Remember to tailor your conversations around the specific research and business goals you have in mind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>During the interview: listening for emotions, taking notes, and what not to do&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you first hop on the phone or video, you want to do a few things right off the bat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set expectations around length; reiterate what time you\u2019ll wrap things up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reassure the interviewee there are no right or wrong answers (it\u2019s about collecting their story and experience)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let the interviewee know if they don\u2019t want to answer a question, they can decline<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ASK TO RECORD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Seriously, don\u2019t forget that last one. There are few things more disheartening than wrapping up an interview and realizing you didn\u2019t hit the record button (facepalm). Zoom is a great option for storing and recording interviews if you don\u2019t already have one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve done a quick intro, your goal is to listen way more than you talk. Here are a few things, in particular, you\u2019re listening or watching for:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Emotional language: <\/strong>&nbsp;Katelyn Bourgoin, CEO of Customer Camp, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stew_hillhouse\/status\/1311083729851420672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explains<\/a>, \u201cThe interesting thing about how people buy is that 95% of the purchases that we make are actually driven by unconscious emotional triggers.\u201d One of your goals in the interview is to identify these triggers. Listen for words like \u201cangry\u201d or \u201cfrustrated.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shifts in tone or volume: <\/strong>Pay attention to <em>how <\/em>someone says something, not just <em>what<\/em> they say. Shifts in tone can indicate excitement or disappointment. And emphases on certain words underscore their importance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shifts in body language: <\/strong>Changes in facial expression or body posture can all indicate strong underlying emotions. Keep an eye out for these, too.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stories: <\/strong>Our buying decisions are highly contextual. They\u2019re embedded in our emotions, daily lives, and goals. Stories help illuminate these factors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>End goals: <\/strong>How did they hope buying a product or service would make them or their lives more awesome?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Underlying motives: <\/strong>As Katelyn pointed out, we\u2019re not always aware of why we buy. Listen for underlying motives in the stories the customer tells. Don\u2019t take every statement at face value.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, when you identify these clues, you\u2019re pinpointing insights you\u2019ll use later on when you apply your research. \u201cThe secret to identifying insights lies in understanding the human brain works on two levels and that most of our behavior is influenced by subconscious motivations in the brain. We\u2019re simply not consciously aware of why we do what we do,\u201d Daryl Travis, CEO at <a href=\"https:\/\/brandtrust.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BrandTrust<\/a> told me. To draw out unconscious behaviors, he recommends asking for stories. \u201c&#8230;ask them to share in story form their experiences aligned with what you\u2019re trying to understand. Inevitably, they will share the experiences that are emotionally intense and therefore most relevant.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, a quick note on taking notes:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, you\u2019re taking minimal notes during the interview (because you\u2019re recording), and this will help you tune in to the other person. Bob Moesta, President and CEO of Re-Wired Group (and pioneer of Jobs-To-Be-Done), only writes down the words he wants to follow up on and unpack, for example.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The final result looks like a treasure map.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"415\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.26.08-PM.png\" alt=\"notes from customer research interviews\" class=\"wp-image-95202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.26.08-PM.png 650w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.26.08-PM-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.26.08-PM-610x389.png 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Bob, you\u2019ll want to dig deeper into certain words and cues throughout the interview. Here are some follow-up questions that are particularly helpful for drawing out richer insights:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why is that?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you tell me more about that?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What led you to that decision?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Could you walk me through your thought process there?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What else was going on that made that the right choice?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sounds like that [need\/want] was important to you. Why is that?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That seems to bug you. I bet there\u2019s a story there.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You seem pretty excited about that. Why was it a big deal?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, when you\u2019re running the interview, you want to check yourself for these common mistakes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forgetting to record (seriously, it\u2019s the worst)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talking more than you listen&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Asking leading questions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Asking either\/or yes\/no questions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Formulating statements as questions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accepting an answer at face value (use those follow-ups!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quickly filling the silences (let these prompt the interviewee to speak)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The leading questions thing is important, and it\u2019s one of the more difficult to keep in mind during your first interviews. For example, I once asked, \u201cwhat made this product enjoyable?\u201d That question is leading because I <em>assumed<\/em> the person found the product enjoyable. Turns out, she didn\u2019t! Two better questions would\u2019ve been, \u201cTell me how you used this product\u201d or \u201cwhat was your experience like using this?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise, either\/or questions are leading because they assume only two possible outcomes. So are double-barreled questions because they trap the interviewee. Natalie explains, \u201cSometimes a double-barreled question is, \u2018How much do you love our product and our emails?\u2019 And, well, they might hate your product and really love your emails. So now they can&#8217;t even answer that appropriately.\u201d Avoid these, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These mistakes may take some practice to spot, and you\u2019ll get better with practice. For your first interviews, do your best to stick to open-ended questions that keep your assumptions out of the picture and give the interviewee plenty of room to tell their story.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-map-research-data-to-real-brand-opportunities-nbsp\">How to map research data to real brand opportunities&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All too often, great research winds up on dusty digital shelves. It\u2019s not because brands <em>plan<\/em> on wasting the effort they\u2019ve gone through. It\u2019s often because of sheer overwhelm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe most overwhelming aspect of research can be the sheer amount of reading that\u2019s required to understand the material,\u201d writes Lucy Denton, Senior Product Designer at <a href=\"https:\/\/dovetailapp.com\/blog\/research-synthesis-creating-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">customer research app Dovetail<\/a>. \u201cThe average one-hour interview transcript might contain 10,000 words and you&#8217;re looking at half a dozen of these, and that\u2019s before the workshop output, diaries \/ journals, visual documentation, or observation notes.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is, there are a few steps you can take to help your future self use the data you collect. These steps include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consolidating your research into one central location<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organizing your research with tags&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Socializing your research with various teams&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, once you do those things, you\u2019ll be in a good position to analyze your findings and:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify big picture trends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highlight rich customer personas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Map observations to improvements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritize improvements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at the help-your-future-self logistics first.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-consolidate-organize-and-socialize-nbsp\">Consolidate, organize, and socialize&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first steps of putting data to use include creating a home for it, organizing insights, and sharing them with others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Consolidate: create a home for the research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pull stuff in one visible, accessible place. This could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A shared Google Drive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A dedicated customer research Slack Channel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An Airtable or Notion Base<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A research tool such as Dovetail<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever you choose, it needs to be something that (a) keeps your research in mostly one place and (b) is accessible to the appropriate team members.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dovetailapp.com\/blog\/interview-erik-goyette\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Erik Goyette, Senior UX Researcher, Shopify:<\/a> \u201cTo catalog our research, we\u2019ve built a research library. Anyone across the company can go there to find our reports, slide decks, and recordings of our presentations.\u201d (They use Dovetail.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind, you\u2019ll want to take your recorded interviews and generate transcripts of those. This will make reviewing and organizing the research much, much easier. Useful transcript tools include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rev.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rev<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.descript.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Descript<\/a>. Both the original recording and the transcript should live in whatever home you create for research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Organize: make the research easier to consume<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your research has a home, you\u2019ll want to use some system to keep any observations you pull out of transcripts segmented as well. One easy way to do this is to use tags.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These tags should highlight key insights and relate to the business goal in your original research plan. Hannah explains, \u201cYou already know what the data is going to inform&#8230;based on that you\u2019re going to start to get ideas of types of insights you need.\u201d Insights could be top objections, new features, search motivations, pain points, customer journey points, and so on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How else do you know if you\u2019re looking at an insight? Here are some indicators you\u2019ve found one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It\u2019s grounded in data<\/strong>. You can point to the sentiment in the research\/transcript and not just your memory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It occurs often<\/strong>. Multiple interviewees mention it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It\u2019s embedded in high emotion<\/strong>. The point has some strong emotion or sentiment attached to it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Useful to the business<\/strong>. The point maps to an opportunity \u2014 usually, to improve some aspect of the customer\u2019s experience or journey with the brand.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Use some sort of system to highlight, grab, or tag parts of your transcripts that fit these bullets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for the perfectionists out there, keep in mind there\u2019s no one right or wrong way to tag your research. A minimal approach may work well for a lean team just starting research whereas something more extensive may be ideal for a larger team with thousands of inputs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some pointers for developing your approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Start minimal<\/strong>: You can always add more process later. For now, pick something that\u2019s intuitive and has a low learning curve for other team members.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Functional<\/strong>: Any tagging system you choose should help you use the data. Relate tag names to business goals or end uses.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Visual:<\/strong> Colors help team members quickly sort and bucket insights. Don\u2019t go overboard (12 colors is a bit too much, yeah?) but do use visual cues.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Socialize: share what you find with others<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s good for you to be knee-deep in the research, it\u2019s even better for your teammates to jump in there with you, too. Silo-ed data is crippled data, so make sure various team leads can access it. (Note: if the research contains any sensitive customer data, be thoughtful about how you secure and distribute this.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three reasons it\u2019s important to distribute, or socialize, what you find:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Each team will see something different.<\/strong> A customer service team member will spot a different opportunity or use case than a marketer. That\u2019s a good thing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You\u2019ll prevent redundancies.<\/strong> Socializing data also prevents various teams from running similar surveys (and frustrating customers in the process).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You\u2019ll enable customer-centric decisions<\/strong>. Executives and team leads can\u2019t make customer-centered decisions if they don\u2019t have access to the customer\u2019s experience.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/what-is-cx-customer-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">customer experience<\/a> spans every team and aspect of your brand. So, give every team access to what the customer is experiencing so they can contribute ideas for improving the holistic journey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-identifying-real-insights-nbsp\">Identifying real insights&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve organized, tagged, and distributed your research, you\u2019re in a good position to step back and analyze. Researchers sometimes call this finding the \u201carc of the data\u201d \u2014 the overall trends that move like a current through what you\u2019ve collected.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You likely have some gut ideas based on the research you\u2019ve done. But you mustn\u2019t immediately run with these. For one, that\u2019s a good way to introduce bias. \u201cAttempts to merely rely on human memories and impressions from interviews are likely to introduce bias. And even if we did keep notes, when we consume raw data directly, we\u2019re in danger of unconsciously giving weight to certain points,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/dovetailapp.com\/blog\/research-synthesis-creating-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">writes Lucy Denton<\/a>. \u201cFrom there we\u2019ll likely form misleading opinions that lead to impulsive decision-making, and eventually, take the whole team down a path that focuses on the entirely wrong outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relying on gut alone in research (much like in testing) leads teams on wild goose chases. Instead, take a step back and look for overarching trends like customer segments and potential brand improvements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-look-for-customer-segments-or-personas\">Look for customer segments or personas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the great things about qualitative research is it helps you build rich and useful customer personas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quantitative data like <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/ecommerce-google-analytics-reports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Analytics reports<\/a> can tell you whether customers are primarily on mobile, what region of the country they come from, and other data or demographic points. But if your customer personas stop there, they\u2019re not going to be particularly useful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe first way to create a buyer persona that doesn&#8217;t suck, is to actually talk to your customers,\u201d Adrienne Barners, founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/bestbuyerpersona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best Buyer Persona<\/a> told me. \u201cData Analytics and survey data is a wonderful way to validate what your customers are saying, but starting with audience research and qualitative data makes for a richer and more accurate persona.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What does a richer persona look like? It takes motivations and behavior into account. \u201cSegmenting people according to job title, age, or gender, doesn&#8217;t tell you why they bought your product. Think of segments as \u2018jobs\u2019 or the reason they purchased your product and how they use your product,\u201d Adrienne explained. \u201cSegmenting in this way means you\u2019re able to broaden your segmentation while keeping it focused on buying behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two related perks of building rich ideal customer segments:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>They\u2019ll improve your journey map. <\/strong>The best journey maps highlight what personas think, feel, and <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/importance-of-customer-experience-and-how-to-improve-cx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">experience at every point<\/a>. This is exactly what you can pull from rich customer segments and interview data.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>They\u2019ll help you make sense of conflicting data<\/strong>. It\u2019s not uncommon for one person to say they bought for <em>x reason<\/em> while another person explains they bought for <em>y reason<\/em>. Rich segments help resolve that tension.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember to keep an open mind as well! When Katelyn Bourgoin and her husband started researching potential customers for <a href=\"https:\/\/charboyz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Charboyz<\/a>, they assumed their main persona was a farmers market shopper. Turns out, it\u2019s what they wound up calling Suburban Jock Dads. This persona, Katelyn explained on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverysprints.com\/voice-of-customer\/katelyn-bourgoin-on-safeguarding-growth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DTC Voice of the Customer podcast<\/a>, \u201cprobably used to be somebody who would go out every weekend prior to having kids, and now was looking to rebuild that social community through his now suburban life.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so, when the Bourgoins launched their first box, they didn\u2019t position it as a food box. \u201cWe positioned it as a virtual barbecue,\u201d Katelyn said because that fit their ideal persona much better.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This leads into the next thing you\u2019ll want to do with your insights and personas: map those observations to areas of your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-map-observations-to-areas-of-the-business\">Map observations to areas of the business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The conversations you have will rarely tell you <em>exactly<\/em> what to do with your business. As in, a customer isn\u2019t going to say, \u201cYou know, if you had advertised your fitness gear to me as suiting up for \u2018me time,\u2019 I totally would\u2019ve bought it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nope. It\u2019s part of your job to identify insights and then map those insights to potential improvements in your brand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This involves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hypothesizing potential improvements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritizing and testing those improvements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hypothesizing improvements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you\u2019re talking with customers about their experience and journey, insights you collect can apply to any area of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some common applications include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ads: <\/strong>When you know what context and motivation brings potential customers to you, you can do a better job engaging them \u2014 especially if you know the words and phrases (\u201cvoice of customer\u201d) they relate to.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Email sequences: <\/strong>If Ruggable had interviewed me after I purchased one of their rugs, they\u2019d know prompting me to upgrade to a 9&#215;12 cushioned rug pad (+$130) before the product shipped would\u2019ve been a more effective post-purchase email CTA than asking me to purchase another rug&#8230;before I\u2019d even received the first one.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content: <\/strong>The pain points your potential customers wrestle with, the hesitations they faced when purchasing, the questions they had about using it&#8230;these are all content opportunities. Adrienne Barnes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverysprints.com\/blog\/audience-research-to-content-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">writes<\/a>, \u201cThe first thing I look for when turning audience research into a content strategy is customer questions. Customers often need help learning how to use the product or the benefits of a feature.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social media: <\/strong>Likewise, the same sentiments that inform your articles can inform your social posts. What contexts can you show your products in? What rave reviews will resonate most with your target personas and what you know about them?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product images: <\/strong>Knowing how customers use the product in their everyday lives can inspire you to produce more relevant and contextual imagery for your site and product galleries.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer support: <\/strong>It may be you discover new common pain points and how to head them off, which reduces your customer support load. Or maybe you identify a channel where customers feel particularly helped and decide to lean into it.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product design or development:<\/strong> If customers regularly express a need you don\u2019t address or a frustration with your product\/service, there may be a good reason to prioritize the improvement.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wayfinding\/<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/bad-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Improving poor UX<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Understanding what brings customers to your site and what needs they\u2019re looking to fill once they\u2019re there can inform how you structure navigation, what filters you provide to sort products, product category names, and so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Bob Moesta and Katelyn Bourgoin did a <a href=\"https:\/\/go.customercamp.co\/live-buyer-journey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">live customer interview<\/a> with Amanda Natividad who recently purchased a Peloton. Moesta and Bourgoin wanted to understand why and how Amanda decided to buy the premier stationary bike. Some insights and hypothesized improvements they uncovered were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It was too hot to walk outside<\/strong>. This is one reason Amanda became interested in a bike. Could this insight inform advertising strategy in geographic areas where it\u2019s often too hot or too cold to exercise outdoors?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Amanda didn\u2019t read reviews; she trusted word-of-mouth from friends<\/strong>. Could incentivizing referrals and word-of-mouth drive higher conversion rates for Peloton?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mental health was a huge purchase motivator<\/strong>. Perhaps one of Peloton\u2019s biggest competitors isn\u2019t other exercise bikes or gyms, it\u2019s counseling and therapy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>She didn\u2019t consider herself a \u201cworkout fanatic.\u201d<\/strong> Yet most of Peloton\u2019s ads feature chiseled, thin models. Could more diverse product imagery help prospective buyers identify with the product more readily?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.28.17-PM.png\" alt=\"Peleton ad with man riding bike needs refresh based on customer research\" class=\"wp-image-95204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.28.17-PM.png 800w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.28.17-PM-300x151.png 300w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.28.17-PM-768x387.png 768w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-01-at-4.28.17-PM-610x307.png 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And these are all hypotheses from <em>one<\/em> interview! Imagine what you could find in a whole set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-prioritize-and-test-potential-improvements-nbsp\">Prioritize and test potential improvements&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have a handful of hypotheses, you can start crafting experiments and testing improvements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an important step. \u201c[Interview] Data is never going to tell you exactly where to go because it shouldn\u2019t be the only spoke in the decision wheel,\u201d Hannah Shamji cautions. \u201cIt\u2019s going to help you improve and inform and drive&#8230;but it shouldn\u2019t be the only deciding factor.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put another way, research gives you evidence for what to test and which directions to test in \u2014 but you still need to test.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how, out of all your hypotheses, do you decide where to start? Two tips on picking which tests to prioritize:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Start with what customers prioritize<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to research by PwC, 80% of American consumers point to speed, convenience, knowledgeable help, and friendly service as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/advisory-services\/publications\/consumer-intelligence-series\/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most important elements of customer experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1023\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-122.png\" alt=\"Research graph by PWC shows most important elements of customer experience. \" class=\"wp-image-95205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-122.png 1023w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-122-300x195.png 300w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-122-768x498.png 768w, https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image-122-610x396.png 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If your research indicates any major holes in those areas, consider starting there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Work on your Peak-End Moments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another option to improve the critical moments of your customers\u2019 experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s tempting to think each part of a customer\u2019s experience is equally weighted \u2014 as if the ad that brought them to your site is 1 point and the header they see once they get there is another one point.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But psychology indicates this isn\u2019t how we recall interactions. Rather, we pay extra attention to the intense highs\/lows and final moments of any experience. This is called the<a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/peak-end-rule-54eedd375c4d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> \u201cpeak-end\u201d rule<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRecognize the brain doesn\u2019t remember everything. It only stores the experiences it deems\u2014via emotional intensity\u2014that are worthwhile to store for future reference,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.daryltravisauthor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daryl Travis<\/a> advised me. \u201cOnce you identify those experiences\u2014Behavioral Economics refers to as Peak-End moments\u2014then you know what are the real opportunities for brands.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Figure out the common peaks and ends from your interview data. Then, prioritize improving those pieces.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-go-ahead-kick-off-your-research-project\">Go ahead, kick off your research project <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Start with a plan, find your participants, and create a home for the data you collect. From there, analyze your body of research and map your findings to areas for improvement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, tell us the most interesting thing you learned!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, the time and effort are worth it \u2014 customer research is one of the most effective ways to understand what your customers experience, identify ways to improve that experience, and boost all kinds of related metrics from conversion rates to lifetime value, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you still aren&#8217;t sure where to start with your research, we can help identify areas on your website that aren&#8217;t converting. Or try building a research plan based on the identified pain points in a custom <a href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/5factors\/scorecard\/\">5-Factors Scorecard\u2122<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-container ugb-container cta-button ugb-e894df8 ugb-container--v2 ugb-container--design-image2 ugb-container--collapse-on-mobile ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-e894df8-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper{padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;background-color:#000000 !important}.ugb-e894df8-wrapper > .ugb-container__side{padding-top:35px !important;padding-bottom:35px !important}.ugb-e894df8-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper:before{background-color:#000000 !important}.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > h1,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > h2,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > h3,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > h4,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > h5,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > h6{color:#ffffff}.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > p,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > ol li,.ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper > ul li{color:#ffffff}.ugb-e894df8-wrapper > .ugb-container__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Example-Images.png);width:40% !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-e894df8.ugb-container{margin-bottom:35px !important}}@media screen and (max-width:768px){.ugb-e894df8-wrapper > .ugb-container__image{height:300px !important}}.ugb-e894df8 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > *{justify-content:center !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-e894df8 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > .ugb-container__wrapper > .ugb-container__side{padding-top:8% !important;padding-bottom:8% !important;padding-right:8% !important;padding-left:8% !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-container__wrapper ugb-e894df8-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-container__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-container__side\"><div class=\"ugb-container__content-wrapper ugb-e894df8-content-wrapper\">\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-find-out-what-stands-between-your-company-and-digital-excellence-with-a-custom-5-factors-scorecard\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\" class=\"ugb-highlight\">Find out what stands between your company and digital excellence with a custom 5-Factors Scorecard\u2122<\/span>.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-main-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background no-border-radius wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/5factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GET YOUR SCORECARD<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"tkugp-items-wrap\"><div class=\"tkugp-bottomcontent\"><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":95196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","wpcf-summary":["Customer research has far-reaching positive implications for businesses. This is a step-by-step guide for how to leverage the tool."]},"insight-category":[10074],"insight-tag":[10076,7254],"class_list":["post-95192","insights","type-insights","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","insight-category-user-research-testing","insight-tag-customer-research","insight-tag-user-research"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash.jpg",1700,1133,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-1024x682.jpg",1024,682,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash.jpg",1700,1133,false],"teaser":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-380x215.jpg",380,215,true],"teaser-large":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-760x430.jpg",760,430,true],"insights-featured":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-600x400.jpg",600,400,true],"case-study-logo-small":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash.jpg",113,75,false],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash.jpg",300,200,false],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash.jpg",400,267,false],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash.jpg",600,400,false],"profile_24":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-24x24.jpg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-48x48.jpg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/christina-wocintechchat-com-LQ1t-8Ms5PY-unsplash-300x300.jpg",300,300,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>These ecommerce scenarios all have something in common: Glossier names its cult-hit cleanser \u201cMilky Jelly\u201d&nbsp; Harry\u2019s launches a new deodorant and shifts from a shave brand to a personal care&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Katelyn Bourgoin positions Charboyz meat kits as a social solution for suburban dads A maternity brand figures out how to present its proprietary sizing, which improves conversions and decreases returns&nbsp; The answer: good customer research.&nbsp; Each of those bullets came about because the brand or founder listened closely to stories their customers and prospective customers told.&nbsp; These brands know something too few ecommerce companies have taken to heart: customer research&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"","author_info_v2":{"name":"Laura Bosco","url":"https:\/\/thegood.com\/author\/lbosco\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v26.7) - 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