Qualitative data – what do we know about it?

January 23 2023

Photo of two people analyzing qualitative data in an office with an open laptop

When you think about data, you usually imagine numbers that you can pull from analytical tools such as Google Analytics. However, data is not just numbers…

Quantitative data will tell you “what, where and for how much”, while qualitative data will tell you “why”.

Only as many small companies in Poland admitted that they analyze data (Big Data in Poland 2020 report, www.przemyslprzyszlosci.gov.pl)
6%

For example, let’s assume the scenario that you have a 5-stage sales funnel. Your customers have no problems with going through the first step and the next, but the problems start only in the third step. Why?

Quantitative data won’t tell you what’s going on. So you have to find out by using qualitative data. What?
For example, recordings of user visits and heat maps will come in handy. You can also directly ask customers what their problem is, using surveys.

Recordings of visits and heat maps - elements that create qualitative data.

Many tools are available for this type of data. Some have a trial trial or a less fancy free versi on. However, even free versions are able to provide you with a lot of valuable information about what users of your store or website do or do not do, although they should.

Implementing such tools is a great idea if you want to consciously implement conversion optimizing activities.

An example of the tools you will see recordings visits of users include Hotjar, Cux, Yandex, Metrica or the fully free MS Clarity. Check out our articles on heat maps.

Analysis of user recordings – an important element of qualitative analysis

Session recording helps you verify how users navigate your site. You can track the user’s entire journey from entering the site to leaving it. What will you verify with this?

Certainly, activities that are troublesome and cause problems for people staying on the site, as well as those that are attractive to them. You will also learn where they come from and when they leave your store, which can be very valuable information.

What does recording analysis give you?
It allows you to enter the customer shoes. Thanks to this, you will quickly learn about any irregularities related to the website.

A screenshot from the Clarity program showing the so-called heat map
Thanks to this, you will quickly learn about any irregularities related to the website.
The red color in the heatmap shows the most popular and most clicked items. Yellow, green or blue colors are less popular among users.

How else to collect qualitative data? The answer is polls!

Opinion research – surveys work well when your store does not generate a lot of traffic, which is necessary to draw the right conclusions from recordings or heat maps.
Remember, however, not to insert surveys right on the first page because you want the customer to get acquainted with the offer and then convert. At this point, the survey could simply disrupt the purchasing process.

A good place for a survey would therefore be the order confirmation page or the moment when the user intends to leave the page by closing it. Also, consider sending the survey directly to your email address.

Recently, many tools for conducting surveys have appeared. With their help, you can, for example, measure customer satisfaction, better understand their needs and expectations, and improve websites. An example of a tool that can be used is Startquestion.

User feedback is very important. They provide you with valuable information that will allow you to make changes for the benefit of your website. How to get user feedback? Online surveys are a great method!

Therefore, in order to meet the requirements and needs of users, the store should be constantly monitored and optimized. Customers mature and their expectations change, which are worth meeting. If you give them what they expect, there’s a good chance they’ll come back to you.

Photo of agency employees celebrating business success at a large table in the office
Satisfied customers, a thriving online store... Time to celebrate success!

Qualitative data plays a special role when you run an online store. Thanks to them, you are able to obtain detailed information in a short time.

Want to know more?

Business portrait of a UX specialist from Click Leaders - Małgorzata Urbańczyk

Malgorzata Urbanczyk

UX specialist. She audits the websites of online stores. Carries out analyzes of user behavior with the help of qualitative data in order to optimize the conversion as much as possible.

see also

A good e-commerce agency. How to find it?

What is an e-commerce agency and how can it help you? The e-commerce agency…

Read more

How to build a brand on Instagram?

Is there a recipe for building a strong brand for your e-commerce on Instagram?…

Read more

CRO – how to increase sales without increasing costs?

Conversion rate optimization (CRO for short) applies to all activities that lead to an…

Read more