User experience research makes it possible for you to identify techniques that deliver the best results for your app. You get to see things from the user’s perspective and then make well-informed decisions when it creating the perfect user experience. 

Keep in mind that this is a task you should do consistently and which requires special skills and experience to do every stage right. You will have to gather relevant data, analyse it and then apply the ideas you have come up with. The outcome is always great when you involve a great mobile app development company in Sydney in your research.

In the article, we take a look at different ways you can use to conduct user experience research for your app. But before delving into the techniques, first, let’s look at the two main types of user research:

Types Of User Research

You are going to need both insights and statistical data from your user experience research to have a comprehensive understanding of the user, from who they are and the context in which they use your app to what they need from you. 

To gather both, you will have to use two user research methods:

• Quantitative Research – Quantifies the problem and generates data (mostly numerical) that can be turned into useful statistics. It answers questions like “how many users utilised feature X” or ” What is the average time spent on the app?”. Qualitative data is valuable in having a better understanding of what is happening on your app. 

• Qualitative Research – Assesses user behavior based on observations. Qualitative research helps us have a good understanding of why users take certain actions. Unlike quantitative data, you cannot measure qualitative results.  

If you haven’t mastered both research methods, use the help of an app development company in Sydney. Have them help you in collecting valuable data and information that will help you maximise your app’s usability. 

That said, here are the different user experience research techniques you can use to collect useful results. 

User Experience Research Techniques 

Interviews

Interviews should be done at the beginning of the app development process and throughout it’s lifetime. You can use them to learn about the user’s wants, needs, pain points, areas of concern, initial reactions and motivations. 

Interviews take several forms, common ones being direct, indirect and ethnographic. 

Direct interviews are suitable when your user base is large. They are also perfect for making comparisons and contracts. Where direct questions may put off users, non-direct interviews will be ideal. Ethnographic interviews are the kind where you observe your app users as they go about using their app. They let you in on how users naturally interact with your app. 

The results you gather will put you in a better position to clear any misunderstandings ,address individual user concerns and create an app that stands out. 

Usability Tests 

Usability tests involve asking a user to carry out specific activities within your app and share their feedback as they do so. The goal of this test is to point out usability problems, collect data and determine user satisfaction with your app. Usability tests should be done during and even after the app development process, especially when you make major updates.  

Your role is to watch, listen, take notes and ask follow-up questions.  Make sure you have picked the right users; they have to be a correct representation of your user base. 

The great advantage usability tests have is they deliver specific results that you can transform into specific actions. You will know straight away the changes you need to make to improve the user experience for your app. 

User Groups 

User groups are similar to interviews only that they involve multiple participants, which in this case is your target audience. The purpose is to reveal the desires, attitudes and experiences of your prospective and/or existing app users. They are ideal when you need plenty of user insights in a short period. 

Through this technique, you can find out how users perceive your app, what they feel are the most useful features, challenges they experience when using your app or where they feel the app has failed.  

However, this technique has its challenges, the most common being that user opinion could be biased or inaccurate due to groupthink.  HIre a mobile app developer in Australia to help you do it right. 

A/B Tests

App developers commonly use A/B tests when they have a tough time choosing between two competing aspects.  It could be a style, link, buttons, design etc. If you find yourself in a similar position, show your competitive options to an equal number of app users then analyse the results based on the goal you intend the feature to accomplish. 

Expert Review 

Just as the name suggests, this technique involves having a UX expert examine your app’s user interface and share their feedback regarding the design and usability. It is a quick and affordable way to get feedback on your app user experience. Be careful not to take the expert feedback at face value. It would be best if you did further user testing.  

You can learn about other effective user experience research techniques by speaking to a reliable app development company in Sydney.

In summary, this how you carry out a user experience research. First, you familiarise yourself with the research types then identify proper techniques to use in gathering data and information. Whether you are doing before developing your app or after, make use of the best app development services in Australia. You will be guaranteed excellent results that will greatly improve your app user experience.