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User experience (UX) is the process of systematic research and analysis of the targeted users’ requirements. This is done for the purpose of adding a realistic context as well as insight into website designing. This entire process of user experience research is formulated into multiple steps that a user experience researcher will follow to understand. To have an idea of what UX research is, you first need to know why as a business owner you should pay attention to this. To understand why user experience is important, you can check our article – Why you as a business owner should pay attention to the user experience of their website?

What is UX Research & How is it done? 

User experience research can enable you to understand what users want and plan accordingly. Since it is possible to determine what users are looking for, opting for user experience research is always a wise idea. There are various steps involved in UX research. Every UX researcher begins with qualitative research and moves on to quantitative research. Where qualitative research would determine the motivation and needs of users, quantitative research helps them measure the results. 

Let’s discuss each of these phases one by one:

•  Qualitative research

There are several methods by which a UX researcher performs qualitative research. Some of these methods are – ethnographic field studies or taking interviews. This will help them determine the mindset of a user and understand why users do what they do. 

•  Quantitative research

When quantitative research is complete, the data collected during the process is now gathered in a structured way to analyze it and measure what users do on the basis of the information that is collected. 

Different Methods Followed Throughout the Development Process 

There are 4 different stages of user experience research – Discover, Explore, Test, and Listen. These are the 4 stages that every user experience researcher follows. 

To understand each of these stages in detail let’s get a glance at each stage one by one:

• Discover (understanding what is relevant for users) 

There are two methods by which you can discover what users are looking for or are interested in. One is through contextual inquiries and the other is via diary studies. 

• Explore (examining how to best address the users’ needs) 

Examining how to best meet the needs of the user can be done through card sorting means or by customer journey maps. 

• Test (evaluating the design)

Usability testing and accessibility evaluations are two methods of evaluating the designs. 

• Listen (putting perspectives to solve any issue) 

These are usually done through surveys, questionnaires, and analytics. 

Whichever method you choose, you will get the information you are looking for. These are different techniques that a UX researcher uses to come to a decision and guide through the entire website design process. User experience research is like the backbone for every website and therefore is very crucial. So, before you hire a website designing company, make sure they have a user experience researcher to guide them. 

Finally, we would like to say that it is wise and important for one to pay attention to user experience to improve their website’s and business’s performance. 

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