Research Fundamentals Part 3: Qualitative Research Methods That Find Real Problems
Qualitative Research Methods That Find Real Problems
Qualitative Research Methods That Find Real Problems
⏱️ 2-min read
Analytics tells you what happened. Qualitative research tells you why.
Someone abandoned your checkout. Analytics shows that. Qualitative research reveals they were confused about shipping costs, worried about data security, or needed to ask their boss first.
That why is everything. It tells you what to test.
Three Qualitative Methods
Method 1: On-Site Surveys
Put a simple survey on the page you want to improve. Ask visitors one or two questions:
“What’s stopping you from signing up today?”
“What information is missing from this page?”
“What concerns do you have about this product?”
Keep it short. One question is better than five. Make it multiple choice with an “other” field for open responses.
Tools like Hotjar, Qualaroo, or even a simple Google Form embedded on the page work fine.
The magic happens when you see the same concern mentioned repeatedly. Maybe 40% of respondents say “I’m not sure about the pricing” or “I need to know if this integrates with Salesforce.”
Now you know exactly what to address in your test.
Method 2: Customer Interviews
Talk to 5 to 10 recent customers. Ask them about their buying journey:
“What made you start looking for a solution like ours?”
“What almost stopped you from signing up?”
“What questions did you have that our website didn’t answer?”
“What convinced you we were the right choice?”
Listen for patterns. When multiple people mention the same concern or question, you found something real.
Don’t interview only happy customers. Talk to people who almost didn’t buy. They’ll reveal friction points that successful customers pushed through but that stop others.
Method 3: User Testing
Watch 5 to 8 people use your site while they think out loud. Give them a realistic task: “You need email marketing software for a 50-person company. Evaluate whether this product fits your needs.”
Don’t help them. Don’t explain things. Just watch and listen.
You’ll see where people get confused, what they miss, what catches their attention, and what makes them hesitate. These observations are pure gold for test ideas.
Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or even recorded Zoom sessions work. The key is watching real people, not imagining what they might do.
What You’re Looking For
All three methods reveal the same types of problems:
Missing information. People can’t find pricing, feature details, compatibility info, or whatever else they need to make a decision.
Unclear messaging. People don’t understand your value proposition, how the product works, or why they should choose you.
Objections and concerns. People worry about cost, implementation time, learning curve, data security, or whether this actually solves their problem.
Confusion points. People don’t know what to do next, what certain terms mean, or how to navigate your funnel.
When qualitative research reveals a problem, you get the exact language customers use to describe it. Use that language in your variation. If users say “I wasn’t sure about the contract length,” test adding “Cancel anytime, no long-term contracts.”
How Much Qualitative Research?
For minor tests: 20 to 30 survey responses or 3 to 5 user tests.
For major tests: 50+ survey responses, 5 to 10 interviews, and 5 to 8 user tests.
The goal is pattern recognition. When you see the same issue mentioned multiple times across different people, you’ve found something worth testing.
Common Objections Revealed
Qualitative research typically surfaces these concerns:
Too expensive (price objection)
Don’t trust you yet (credibility objection)
Seems complicated (complexity objection)
Not sure it fits our situation (relevance objection)
Need approval from someone else (authority objection)
Each objection suggests a different test. Price objections might need better value framing. Trust objections might need social proof or guarantees. Complexity objections might need simpler explanations.
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💡 QUICK WIN
Add one survey question to your highest traffic page this week: “What’s stopping you from signing up today?” with 3 to 4 multiple choice options plus an “other” field. Check responses after 50 submissions.
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Coming up in Part 4:
Heat maps and session replays: what to actually look for in visual behavior data.
Reply with questions anytime.
– Atticus
P.S. The exact words customers use to describe problems are the exact words you should use in your variations. Don’t translate customer language into marketing speak. Use their words.