Consumer Research & User Research

When did you last talk to your customers? What do you know about your current and potential target groups?

Only those who know and understand the needs, attitudes and behaviour of their customers can develop a needs-based solution based on this and offer it successfully on the market.

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In times of increasing customer demands and the growing desire for individual services and offers, a profound knowledge of the target group is more important than ever. Consumer and user research is one of the best ways to better understand the market, one’s own target group, but also consumers of competitors and users of certain services.

Consumer and user research are conducted for different reasons, as they each investigate different aspects of user behaviour and customer experience. While consumer research looks at the entire (potential) target group of a company or solution, user research focuses on the users of a (digital) solution such as a website, product or app. Both the single approach and the combination of the two can help companies achieve a better go-to-market model and build strong customer loyalty.

Benefits of consumer and user research

In general, research helps companies with the following challenges:

Comprehensive understanding of the target audience: Consumer research helps develop a comprehensive understanding of the target audience, including demographic characteristics, behavioural patterns, attitudes, preferences and buying behaviour. It provides insights into the market, competitors, trends and general consumer needs. This understanding is critical for developing marketing strategies, product positioning and business decisions.

Specific user needs and experiences: User research, on the other hand, focuses on the specific needs, behaviours and experiences of users who use a particular product or service. User research can provide detailed insights into the user experience in order to design products in a user-centric way, improve usability and identify problems users might have when using a product.

Product development and improvement: Through consumer research and user research, companies can drive product development and improvement. Consumer research helps to understand the needs and preferences of a broader audience, while user research provides specific insights into the needs and experiences of actual users. Both types of research help optimize products that meet the needs of the target audience while providing a good user experience. Both in the development stage before the launch of a product or service and in the continuous improvement of the offering, user research provides the right starting points for optimization.

Customer-driven decisions: Both consumer research and user research support data-driven decisions based on the needs and preferences of the target group. This enables companies to better align their products, marketing strategies and business decisions with customers, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and ultimately business success. For example, price willingness surveys provide a valid basis for pricing strategies and market potential calculations.

Competitive advantage: Through extensive consumer research and a deep understanding of user needs, companies can gain a competitive advantage. By developing products that meet users’ needs and expectations, they can differentiate themselves from competitors and strengthen their position in the market.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

FELD M works according to the overarching process model of “Design Thinking” and thus ensures a profound understanding of the problem as well as a user-centred perspective for goal-oriented solution development. We use both qualitative and quantitative methods (see graph below):

With the help of quantitative methods, which use data from surveys, sales figures or other 1st party data, we identify target groups, determine willingness to pay, calculate market potential and validate qualitative personas.

Qualitative methods also answer the question of why an action is taken and often provide the basis for quantitative analyses. Methods such as semi-structured interviews, observations (shadowing), heuristic evaluations (expert reviews) and usability tests provide deeper insights into the user experience, needs and behaviours. Here, the emphasis is on detailed information about individual users or smaller user groups.

 

 

We condense and visualize the results of both quantitative and qualitative methods for our clients in the form of personas & scenarios and user or customer journey maps. These findings subsequently allow you and us to make well-founded decisions and prioritize the development of solutions, which, depending on the requirements, range from strategic rough concepts to very detailed concepts.

A holistic picture of your target group

In summary, both consumer research and user research enable companies to get a holistic picture of their target group, improve the user experience, design products in a user-centric way and make data-driven decisions.

Contact us and let’s learn more about your target group together!

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