The Importance of Doing User Research

Have there ever been times where the HiPPO drives product decisions instead of true user research? Yes, you read that right. The HiPPO, or the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion.

While they’re probably the highest paid person for a reason, it doesn’t mean that their opinion is always right. That’s where user research comes in.

User research is one of the most important components in creating a successful product. Without it, you are shooting in the dark and working off of assumptions. Or you’re getting your direction from the HiPPO.

The best way to find out what users want is by conducting user studies with current customers, but if that isn’t possible then it’s essential to conduct interviews with potential customers. After conducting user interviews, user researchers might validate your assumptions. User researchers might also tell you that you need to go in another direction.

Through a variety of research methods, user researchers help you answer critical questions such as:

– Who are our users?

– What are their needs?

– How can we best reach and engage them?

– What features should our product have?

– How do users currently solve this problem?

User research helps reduce the risk of failure by anticipating the problems customers will face. If you do concept testing and a competitive analysis before the product is released, then the customer experience is drastically improved. You reduce development time and costs, while increasing customer satisfaction. Not only does user research make your product better, but it also saves you time and money!

So why isn’t every company doing user research then? It’s likely due to the fact that conducting research can be expensive and time-consuming. This is where hiring a user researcher comes in handy. By outsourcing a professional, you’re able to get the insights you need without having to spend the time and money conducting studies on your own. User researchers have the expertise and knowledge needed for the best insights. By hiring a user researcher, you’re ensuring that your product will be successful through usability testing and other methods in a researcher’s toolbelt.

User research is the key to understanding what users want, and it’s one of the best investments a company can make. By hiring a user researcher, you’re ensuring that your product will be successful because you’re making decisions based on data rather than assumptions. And that’s why it’s is so important!

Contact us for a customized quote to meet your research needs.