What Makes It Different? (Qualitative Research)

It's important for companies to gain a personal understanding of their customers and target market in order to maintain a successful and profitable business. Qualitative research is an essential tool that will quickly and easily help companies analyze unstructured information that is gathered through interviews, open-ended survey questions, or feedback forms so that they can measure a consumer's purchasing behavior, motivations, and attitudes. Using qualitative research methods focuses on the "why" and intends to figure out more than just numerical data.

The following are all business areas that can be successfully measured using regular and online qualitative research methods:

Customer Profiling - This area identifies an individual's interests, attitudes, and opinions about certain products or needs. By analyzing a person's life experiences, influences, uniqueness, and motivations a company will gain a better understanding of how to create successful products and services.

Feelings & Concepts - It's important to look far deeper into what a consumer means when they give a brief explanation to an answer. When asked the question "what do you think," most consumers will simply say something like "It was good" or "It was bad". These general statements will give a company an idea of what is acceptable and what needs to be fixed, but it will not give a solution on how to fix it or how to improve to being "spectacular". Qualitative research encourages consumers to elaborate and expand their ideas, feelings, and concepts. The goal is to figure out the main source of their reaction and what causes them to feel that way. Finding out that they are unhappy because they were treated poorly is more informative than finding out that they are just unhappy.

Shopping Experience - When a company decides to launch a new product or has decided to slash prices in order to stay competitive with stiff competition, qualitative research will help them identify if there is an issue causing them to lose market share. It can figure out the reasons behind customer preferences, their perceptions and preconceived notions, and thought process prior to making purchases in order to assist the company with gaining back market share or adjust marketing means or project strategies.