UX design reveals users’ pain points and explores how they perceive a service, product, application, or website. User experience affects conversion and can boost it by up to 400%. The application, website, or product will perform better if you know the users’ expectations and needs.
But what should you do if a product that needs improvement does not have users or focus groups and there are no interviews or usability tests? You can conduct thorough UX research using specific methodologies and approaches.
WHY DO YOU NEED UX RESEARCH?
UX research aims to study target users, their needs, expectations, and challenges they face during digital product usage. The research collects qualitative and quantitative data. You can conduct it at any stage of development. However, UX research must be repeated several times throughout the design process to see how changes improve user satisfaction.
The significant benefits of running UX research are as follows:
Interviews, field studies, usability testing, and product design reviews are among standard UX research methods. But all of them suppose active participation of product users. And the question is
Whether it is possible to research UX without target users?
Experts from Nielsen Norman Group state that UX without users is not UX. However, many developers face the same problem: they need to check and test UX without target users. The reasons are different:
However, there are practical approaches to testing UX without users.
You must check UX several times during product development to ensure that newly added features work fine. Such a “userless” study evaluates features and information architecture and uncovers UX flaws.
1. Find and check available feedback
Your product is not unique. Many solutions (even from other domains) solve the same user problem. That is why you can analyse the reviews on competitive products and other solutions. Read forums, websites with reviews, Google Play Store and AppStore, social media, find YouTube videos, and read comments. If a product is already launched, you can then consider reviews about its previous version, already left by the users.
2. Find reports and studies
You can search for similar studies and reports on reputable sources to get valuable insights across the industry. Such data represent common trends you need to consider and inform further decisions on product design changes.
3. Check forums
You need to find forums and communities where people search for solutions your product offers. The threads will show you what problems users usually face, what they expect from a product, and what they like and do not like in similar products.
Another research step is asking questions about features, methods, and convenience. You will also get valuable insights.
4. Look into analytics
If you already use analytical tools, you can check which sections and pages are the most visited and which lack user attention. The tools will not answer why users underestimate a certain section or page. However, the analytics will show what project parts need attention and improvement.
5. Scan niche publications
Niche experts constantly post new publications (articles, reviews, analyses, etc.) on various challenges of product usage in which they describe user behaviour, needs, expectations, problems, and effective and less effective solutions.
6. Get insights from the support team
The support team is a valuable source of information for analysing user feedback. Ask your team about the issues which are reported most often by users.
Such a UX test provides you with a deeper insight into niche and market, uncovers market specifics, and collects valuable data which you can use in further research.
The value of UX research is immense when developing a product for users. Many startups need more active users engaged with the product to run efficient tests. But it means that the research is possible. These tips will help you to conduct a survey and get valuable insights for product improvement.
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