Don’t (just) listen to what users say

Not too many years ago, customer research was something many Web teams had to fight for. Companies were reluctant to invest time and money learning about their customers, because they thought their customer knowledge was already good enough.

Fortunately, times have changed. Organizations recognize that customer knowledge is a competitive advantage and a critical success factor, and Web teams can often find themselves drowning in research findings from interviews, focus groups, surveys, and the like.

It’s valuable to listen to users, but as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Listening to what users say can lead you in the wrong direction.

When a team at Sony was launching the boom box years ago, they held a focus group to decide the color. They had narrowed it down to black or yellow, and the focus group participants were unanimous in their recommendation: Yellow was dynamic, unique, and perfect for the marketplace. Sony thanked the participants and, in addition to paying them, mentioned that they could each pick up a free Sony boom box on the way out. There were two piles: black and yellow. Every single person took a black one.

What people say isn’t necessarily what they do.

Getting user opinions is always valuable, but it’s never enough. What people tell you in an interview or survey may not be what they actually do when using their site. People aren’t lying, they simply aren’t aware of everything that motivates and impacts them. That’s why behavioral research methods are so important. Usability tests enable you to observe behavior and see issues that users themselves might not even be aware of. Web analytics enable you to observe behavior patterns and problem areas that wouldn’t emerge any other way.

If all you’re doing for customer research is listening to what users tell you, you’re not really listening to everything they have to say.