In qualitative research the aim is to understand the researched phenomena by mainly interviewing people or surveying them. This research approach tends to have an open mind in the topic and not having hypotheses typical for quantitative research. For example, market research is one of the potential fields to take advantage of this research method. The research can target a certain focus group to get feedback in order to develop better products.
Quantitative VS Qualitative research
In academic research we can distinguish two different methods. They are most often considered as different approaches when doing research. The choice between the two is determined by the topic of research and the data which is needed. Moreover, one has to consider what is the goal of the research and how to get there. For instance, Is it to understand a phenomena or are we trying to understand some specific numbers and ratios. On some occasions both approaches work very well but the discretion of choice is in the hands of the researcher. Sometimes you can end up using the so-called mixed research. In essence, you utilize the best of both approaches.
Quantitative research build on numerical data with a defined objective stated by hypotheses. The research method draws on using statistical relationships in explaining and quantifying the data.
Qualitative research builds understanding of a phenomena with narratives and it might not even have one single objective truth. The aim is to understand the phenomena from different perspectives by asking questions like “why” or “how”.
At Katrium we have accumulated 17 years of experience in both quantitative- and qualitative research. In today’s highly competitive market, research is an important part of every business. Leaders need to back up their decisions with data, otherwise competitors will do it and succeed better. If your company is planning market research, our experts would be happy to help. Have a meeting with our professionals and let us suggest the best approach.
Market research with qualitative setting
34% of small size enterprises don’t succeed due to improper market research. In qualitative research open ended interviews directed to the customers helps to acquire insights supporting the development. Sometimes too much focus is put in quantitative and analytical customer responses while the true value is in the interviews. Using open ended questions when interviewing customers will in fact provide more valuable information than the surveys. For example, people tend to get frustrated with the amount of questions and might only provide numbers. Numbers don’t tell a lot about the service or provide suggestions, how to improve the overall process either.
Our team at Katrium considers that there is no greater source of information than the customer when it comes to market research. That’s why we do in-depth interviews with the customers so that professionals can identify the root causes of the problems. This helps them to provide real value for the client company in terms of being able to find solutions that fix the real issues. The in-depth interviews are effective in capturing even the smallest of nuances in the customer journey. In essence, that is how they manage to provide insightful data. However, it is good to rely on professional help when conducting them to acquire the most accurate data. If you are planning market research, have a meeting with us and we would be happy to help you out.
In essence
As we have been discovering in this blog writing. Qualitative research is an effective tool to map out say the customer journey. Additionally, it provides great feedback to improve the overall process or product. The real value of this narrative research approach lies in acquiring deeper insights of a phenomena. In addition, more comprehensive insights will also allow us to transform the services and products based on customers’ expectations and requirements.
At Katrium we have acquired multiple years of knowledge in shaping the customer experience through market research. Our mission is to provide competitive advantage, cost-effectiveness and flexibility for our customers. We recommend outsourcing smartly as our slogan suggests. If you want to know more, book a free meeting from here.
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