Profitable qualitative research, customer archetypes, search query types
What is the role of value-based design now that we have reached the functional conclusion of quantitative research? We answer this at length in our new workshop, and we spend a lot of time talking about it in our retainers. Here, we’ll discuss the embrace of profitable qualitative insight, as well as some next steps for you to take in your own practice.
Qualitative research is a competitive advantage
In contemporary tech’s history, the bar has never been lower when it comes to consumer satisfaction. That makes your ability to focus on customer needs an outsize competitive advantage. Put another way, if you’re able to truly listen to what customers tell you, and then respond through your operational decisions, you’re far more likely to generate profit & outcompete in the current climate.
This is unlikely to change for at least the next five years. We exist in a generational shift with respect to how technology is received & perceived. Technology is now ubiquitous; there are few truly useful places it has not yet conquered. The internet is now starting to be regulated globally. And the era of free money is ending.
The answer, now & always, is to do the old-school work that has always been the cornerstone of contemporary business. All of the MBA 101-level ideas that have grown small business over the past 150 years remain relevant when you run a tech company.
The major business successes of our generation came because they got real people on the phone and asked what drives them. Amazon owns American commerce because they asked what people want, and they built a shipping network about it. B&H does great because they make sure customers are satisfied with big purchases while also nurturing long-term relationships with professionals. Facebook rolls back changes that don’t drive user interest.
Regardless of what you think about these businesses (and lord knows I have thoughts about at least one of them), it’s beyond debate that they’re doing well – and the same thing unites all of them.
The answer, always, is to talk to people.
How to embrace profitable qualitative research
We’ve found that people don’t know where to start when it comes to interviewing their customers. Or, worse, they think that their customers don’t contain profitable insight. Here’s how to recruit people:
- Export the past 90 days of orders from your site.
- Filter anything that was refunded or an outlier.
- Randomize the rest.
- Pick the first ten emails you see, send them your scheduling link, and ask them to get on a call in exchange for a $50 gift card.
The day before the call, send a confirmation.
That’s it. Interviewing is a fine art that takes a long time to master, but you have to start somewhere. If you have any questions about what it takes to interview well, let us know!
New work: We redesigned Buttondown’s marketing site. What’s Buttondown? They just sent you this letter. Apparently we tripled their highest paid plan’s conversion rate? Okay.
Case study forthcoming.
New profile: Draft was interviewed again for Starter Story. We’re on track for another great year, and continue to be grateful that people are so receptive to our value-based work.
This week, for paid members
- This week’s paid lesson talks about customer archetypes. What are they, and how can they be leveraged towards outsize profit generation?
- Our fortnightly teardown is for skincare brand Remedy. How are their customers’ objections addressed?
- And finally, our office hours are scheduled for 1pm CDT on Tuesday, September 24. Come through and chat with us about all things interviewing!
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Links
- Design is a form of leveraged power.
- Baymard’s latest focuses on the primary types of search query. How do you know how your customers behave when they can’t find what they need through primary nav?
- On
:has. - Attempting to define simplicity. Wait, didn’t we do this 14 years ago?