Large samples of users evaluating a Web site remotely provide more reliable and representative data than traditional web usability testing. The task-based context allows for meaningful interpretation and aggregation of users’ behavior. This approach has the unique advantage of structuring the different aspects of customer experience, including brand positioning and expectations, users’ behavior, and subjective experience of the site itself, into one analysis.
Many different methods can be used to conduct Web research, but it is essential to choose the right tools to accomplish specific research objectives.
Stages of the product development cycle can be divided into four general categories:
• Discovery
• Exploration
• Evaluation
• Tracking
Before any program begins, successful ventures start with a deep understanding of the market in order to develop a winning strategy. Discovery and market strategy formulation include the following processes:
• Setting specific business objectives
• Identifying and assembling core business metrics (sales, leads, traffic or support center data)
• Conducting competitive assessments/benchmarking (baseline)
• Determining drivers of customer behavior/customer insight
• Determining the most important segments
Competitive Research
Competitive Research provides an in-depth understanding of your customers, competitors, and markets. Studies compare top industry sites directly and show how people are currently using the Web for a particular product category. These studies provide comprehensive coverage of an industry, sophisticated analytics, drivers of customer behavior, and best practices and comprehensively measure a website’s performance against its key competitors.
Brand and Value Proposition Research
Research is an eye opener exploring the customer's perception of your brand in the marketplace, isolating the online experience to uncover how exposure to your site impacts brand image - before and after customers interact with your site.
Competitive Intelligence Research
Intelligence Research provides a critical baseline that enables you to expose your competition's weakness and learn from their strengths.With website monitoring, Intelligence Research will provide you with detailed analysis on competitive sites revealing what is and is not working and actionable recommendations that will help set you apart from the competition.
Web Site UX Assessment
Web Site UX (User Experience) Assessment Research provides a clear picture of how customers are actually experiencing your site and study your web site performance. Eliminate obstacles that cause drop-offs and provides actionable recommendations on how to acquire more customers at a lower cost and drive sales by creating a truly user-friendly experience.
Web Site Design Research
Web Site Design Research provides actionable insights that will help you prototype and concept test your ideas before they are put into development. Whether you are launching a new Web site, releasing new products, or pilot-testing new services, our expert team of Web UX researchers will help you every step of the way.
Continuous Benchmarking Research
Continuous Benchmarking Research establishes key metrics to assess the effectiveness of your Web site over an extended period of time. You will be able to see exactly where improvements need to be made and after implementation, how they pay off.
Kevin Darson
