Mobile app user research is a process that encompasses many useful methods. Its purpose is to find issues in mobile applications before launching them. Considering that the users are the main characters, they're the ones who will define whether an app is viable in usability terms. Therefore, my idea is to make you aware of their importance during the design process.
One research method can inform you of details you may have missed or not noticed in your mobile app design. So imagine combining different methods' power with the actual mobile users' feedback; achieving neat results without loose ends would be much easier. In this post, you'll overview the qualitative and quantitative method approaches applied to mobile app design. Let's dive in!
How to Conduct User Research for Mobile Apps?
Mobile app user research is ideal for creating a unique UX. Each design must have its strategy, but to summarize it, you can focus on qualitative and quantitative methods.
1. Mobile App User Qualitative Research Methods
Qualitative research aims to understand customer behaviors, attitudes, and experiences through non-numerical data, such as observations, written responses, or other insights. There are four qualitative mobile app user research methodologies.
A. Diary Studies: It's necessary to capture user behaviors and contextual data in diary studies. They're a research method in which users record their experience with an app over a specified time. Users take notes on the application about how they feel, what they expect the app to be, or how they could improve it by recording these observations in a management system. This type of method is 100% user responsible and requires a lot of administration to ensure maximum value.
B. Lab Studies: They are on-site and require users to remain in a room. At the same time, researchers analyze aspects, such as the user's reaction to the application. This type of investigation allows the user not to be distracted, considering the user is in an isolated space.
C. Task Analysis: A task analysis allows you as a researcher to understand how users solve problems, achieve goals, complete tasks, etc. A researcher observes and records subjects as they interact with the app or prototype, regardless of the type of technology they use.
D. Ethnographic Field Studies: Field studies help meet data about the context of how and when users use your apps. This method evaluates cultural, social, and emotional aspects when the users complete tasks.
2. Mobile App User Research Quantitative Methods
Quantitative insights provide numeric data that can be more persuasive in decision-making. There are four main quantitative techniques, including the following:
A. Online Surveys: Online surveys use questionnaires to collect data on user behavior, preferences, and opinions. Data collected through surveys is generally self-reported and does not require actual monitoring or tracking of users. It is a cost-effective way to generate large amounts of geographically diverse data with statistically significant results. However, online surveys lack direct user contact, and it can limit the ability to understand the underlying reasons behind observed patterns.
B. Behavioral Analysis: Behavioral analysis provides valuable data on user behavior and traffic patterns. However, additional research is needed to understand the intentions and context of the users. Behavioral analytics integrates software like cookies to track user interactions but can't reveal user preferences and context. Further, behavioral research typically includes other methods, such as field studies and surveys.
C. Automate Logging: This research is about understanding how users interact with your app by automating registration. It’s a process that captures events the device generates without user intervention and provides consistent goals and interaction data. For example, an automated registration system could record a user's time on a specific page and suggest whether the page is interesting. Despite this, it’s important to get more information about the intention or motivation of the user to have a complete and viable study.
D. Experience Sample Method (ESM): This method collects the natural environment of an individual several times during the day through a questionnaire and where users report their activities by mobile phone. In a few words, it provides real-time data on user experiences throughout the day.
How To Collect Data for Mobile App User Research?
There are many useful tools for capturing data in mobile app user research. In the first instance, you can use mobile screen recording software to observe the users' interaction through mobile devices, which includes touches, swipes, and user gestures. On the other hand, mobile heat mapping software captures the areas of the mobile screen where users interact.
In turn, mobile analytics software enables user behavior tracking on mobile apps. It integrates the number of times users use a feature, screen time, and the speed at which they perform tasks. Mobile survey tools help you get responses and feedback from users about their experience on mobile. And finally, we can mention the mobile eye-tracking software that can detect the user's sight and gaze patterns when using the app. For more information, you can dive into how to choose user research tools!
Common Mistakes In Mobile App User Research
There are several common mistakes that design teams may need to address during their user research when creating mobile user experiences, such as avoiding making assumptions about their target audience. You must research and get external feedback to ensure your app meets users' needs.
The main goal is to be flexible and open-minded, and if your research requires changes, don't be afraid and go for them. Avoid sticking to a single decision, bet on techniques such as brainstorming, and remember that "creativity is the key to everything," bet on an interactive, unique, and creative design.
Why is Mobile App User Research Important?
The planning and research stages are the most important steps in mobile app user research. The goal is to find the proper solutions for the user's needs. There's no doubt that mobile app user research prevents design flaws from the start and reduces the learning curve for users.
Analyzing the advantages that can catapult your success against the competition is essential. Everything is in determining the weaknesses and strengths of the competition, and it's not about copying and pasting but improving the existing things.
Conclusion
Mobile app user research is a powerful process that helps designers gain a competitive advantage in the demanding marketplace. In this case, we explore different methods and powerful tools that allow us to achieve better product development cycles by understanding users' needs more deepl. User research will give you valuable data about your target audience and competitors and valuable insights into potential issues you must overcome. Have you done your user research yet? Don't worry; if not, we're here to help you get the best mobile app user experience.
