Get 360 Insights with Quantitative & Qualitative Data
What’s the difference between quantitative and qualitative data?
Why are both important to my marketing?
How can I use both quantitative and qualitative user testing to get fast insights about my customers?
Imagine Pepe’s Puff Pastries is a popular bakery that sells delectably sweet desserts with names like Plum Passion and Gaga for Guava.
Pepe wants to boost sales by producing more of the pastries people crave, and less of the ones they’re “meh” about. So, he runs a user test that asks participants to choose their favorite pastry.
Pepe sees that the 3 most chosen pastries are Ample Apple, Cha Cha Cherry, and Ape for Apricot. Since this information is based on cold, hard numbers, Pepe figures it’s reliable data and all he needs to know. But is this true?
User testing seems pretty simple. You choose a demographic, watch them test your product, app, or website, and ask them questions to gain insights.
But, not all insights are the same. Some are based on hard numbers (AKA quantitative data), and others are based on feelings, emotions, and motivations (AKA qualitative data).
Quantitative data might be percentages, frequencies, and other numerical values. This user testing feedback can tell you where people are having issues with your product or service: “Only 28% of people completed a purchase.”
Qualitative data could be descriptions, written answers, and verbal feedback. These can tell you why people are having issues with your product or service: “People said they wanted to buy, but couldn’t locate the Buy Now button.”
TOOLS
Before you can gather fast insights, you need the right online tools. For quantitative results, install an analytics tracker like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics, and run your tests with tools like Loop11 or Optimizely. For qualitative data, use services like UserTesting.com or Blink UX.
To collect quantitative data, give your user testing participants tasks to complete.
For example, an online food delivery service might have participants look for a restaurant near them, select their order, and check out.
Next, use your analytics tracker to find out what percentage of participants were able to complete each task.
Also look at how long it took them to complete the task, where they had the most and least amount of trouble, and which elements of your product or service they preferred using over others.
To gather qualitative data, set up your user test in a way that will elicit verbal and written responses from your participants.
UserTesting.com and similar services record audio and video of participants using your product or service. You can also require people to document their experiences in writing.
Ask participants to respond to questions in one or more of these formats: multiple choice, rating scales, or written responses.
With multiple choice, you can collect category-style responses. You could sort responses by name (like “dog” or “cat”), by yes or no answers, or even by degree (like a spectrum of how much they agree or disagree with a statement.)
Rating scales are good for collecting responses like low, medium, and high. This can help you direct your efforts. For example, if everyone rates a certain element of your product or service as “low,” focus your analysis there.
Written responses can help you do post-testing analysis. You can see how many people wrote similar answers and had the same experiences. You can also find quotes that can help you build out stories about your typical users.
LISTEN UP
Make sure you’re also asking participants to explain why they made certain decisions during the testing.
These answers can lead to surprising and unexpected revelations.
After you’ve collected both quantitative and qualitative data, compare the two to find quick insights.
First, look at your quantitative data on task completion rates. Then, look at the qualitative responses you received for those same moments in the test.
Make sure to also listen to or read their “why” explanations for their behaviors, decisions, and actions during those moments.
Next, check for discrepancies between what people said they did and what they actually did. For example, they might claim your task was easy to complete, but you might notice they didn’t finish it or did it incorrectly.
By putting the “why’s” and discrepancies together, you can discover insights that can help you improve and strengthen your products and services.
DO THIS NOW
Are you ready to jump into qualitative and quantitative user testing? Let’s find out with a quick self-assessment.
If you’re participating in the course, go to the next section to access your self assessment.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Quantitative data are hard numbers like percentages, while qualitative data are grounded in feelings and motivations, and usually come from written or verbal feedback.
By running user testing that collects both quantitative and qualitative data, you'll know both where and why people are having issues with your product or service.
Too gain fast insight from both types of data, compare them against each other, look for discrepancies, and find out why people made certain choices.