How Quantitative & Qualitative Research Can Improve Your CX

You’re probably familiar with the basics of qualitative and quantitative research methods, but the nitty gritty can be confusing. Read on to learn more about the differences between these powerful tools.

What is quantitative research?

At Kelton (now Material), we take the numb out of numbers. All too often, quantitative research ends with a data dump. But a deluge of data isn’t helpful, because numbers without context certainly won’t help improve your customer experience.

The key elements of quantitative research are data collection and data analysis: we look at data sets from quantitative market research studies and use different quantitative approaches to find the numbers that inspire new ways of thinking.We use a range of research methods in our quantitative research, which includes customer journey maps, brand tracking, and segmentation. An effective segmentation study will reveal which customers and prospects to prioritize, for example.

Experimental research – when we make hypotheses and collect data to assess the veracity of those hypothesis – enables us to examine independent variables (the cause) and dependent variables (the effect) and predict what customers really want.

Quantitative research vs qualitative research

The gloves are off! Actually, both are highly valuable. Numerical data, data analysis and statistical analysis are key to quantitative research, while social sciences are an important element of qualitative research.

We use a range of qualitative research methods. We conduct in depth interviews with a group of people (focus groups), comprised of a sample size of about six to eight respondents with different backgrounds and viewpoints. We interact with SmartCommunities (online focus groups), and observe respondents in settings such as their home (ethnographic interviews) or store (shop-alongs).

Co-creation sessions are another important facet of qualitative research. They’re different than focus groups and are more focused on the iteration of ideas and concepts.

How do quantitative research and qualitative research projects differ?

There’s no such thing as a typical research project because no two clients or goals are alike. The type of research – and elements such as quantitative research design, sample sizes, methodologies, questionnaires and research questions – are always carefully tailored to each client’s goals.

Most importantly, whichever research methodologies we use – whether we’re designing a customer segmentation, building a customer journey map, or conducting focus groups – we define “quality” as delivering everything the client asked for in addition to the things they didn’t even know they needed.

Quantitative research and qualitative research reveal powerful stories

When we use mixed methods and gather both quantitative data and qualitative data we’re able to find a deeper story. Qualitative research and quantitative research methods are both essential tools in this storytelling. Our work ultimately enables brands to truly understand their customers, deliver what their audience wants, and improve their brand’s CX.

Read on for case studies highlighting the outcomes of our research: