What is UX research and why is it important for businesses?

User experience (UX) research is all about understanding user behavior, needs, and pain points. When we know what people are looking for, how they think, and what obstacles they encounter, we can design more effective and user-friendly digital products. In this article, I’ll walk you through the key UX research methods and when to use each.

What exactly is UX research and why should you care?

UX research is a process aimed at understanding how people interact with a digital product—whether it's a webshop, a mobile app, or software. It helps to:

• prevent costly mistakes before poorly designed features are developed,
• build what people actually need—not just what we assume they want,
• increase conversion rates by making the interface smoother and more user-friendly,
• shorten development cycles by reducing the need for post-launch fixes,
• boost customer satisfaction and trust, leading to long-term loyalty.

The main types of UX research – what, how, and why?

Research isn’t one-size-fits-all. It varies depending on the project. That’s because the research method should be selected based on the kind of insight you’re looking for. Based on this, UX research methods can be categorized into four main types:

Qualitative research – Why do users do what they do?

• Provides deeper insight into how users think.
• Typically uses interactive, conversational methods.
• Examples: User interviews, focus groups, usability testing.

Quantitative research – How many users do something and how often?

• Quantifies user behavior.
• Uses large-scale data analysis.
• Examples: Analytics tools, A/B testing, surveys.

Behavioral research – What do users actually do?

• Observes users’ real interaction patterns.
• Focuses on actual behavior, not just reported opinions.
• Examples: Eye-tracking, heatmaps, tree testing.

Attitudinal research – What do users think?

• Explores user opinions and attitudes.
• Focuses on how people feel when using a digital product.
• Examples: Surveys, feedback buttons, focus groups.

For the best results, it’s recommended to combine multiple methods so you can understand not just the numbers, but the reasons behind them.

User interviews or surveys? When to use which?

This question comes up a lot: if you want to understand your users, should you interview them or create a survey?

Interviews are helpful when:

• You want to understand users' motivations, struggles, and emotions.
• You’re looking for deeper, more contextual feedback.
• You don’t mind reaching fewer people as long as the conversations go in-depth.

Surveys work well when:

• You want to collect a large number of responses quickly.
• You have questions that can be easily answered through open or closed formats.
• You need quantitative data (e.g. percentages) to support your decisions.

My personal take: surveys can also reveal emotions, but in that case, you rely solely on written words and thoughts. In an in-person interview, you can observe facial expressions, tone, and emotions that the interviewee might not express in writing.

A/B testing – when you don't want to rely on guesses

One of the most straightforward (and cost-effective) UX research methods is A/B testing. In short: you show two versions (A and B) to your visitors and observe which one performs better. You can read more about A/B testing in this article, but here’s a short summary of when it might be useful for you:

• You want to know which copy or design works better.
• You’re unsure if a new idea performs better than your current solution.
• You want to rely on data instead of gut feeling to see what actually works best.

Eye-tracking – where are users actually looking?

Sometimes we think a button is in a clearly visible place… then it turns out no one notices it. (Oops! :) ) Eye-tracking lets us see what the user sees: where they look, in what order, and what really catches their attention. When can it be useful?

• Your page is visually crowded and you want to optimize both conversion and user experience.
• Key elements (like the add-to-cart button) are underperforming.
• You want accurate data on what users actually pay attention to on your site.

What do you need for it?

• Special hardware, such as an eye-tracking sensor mounted under the screen or wearable eye-tracking glasses.
• Dedicated software to record, analyze, and visualize the data — for example, by generating heatmaps or gaze paths.

There are already webcam-based solutions available (like RealEye), though their accuracy is lower — but they can be a great entry point for beginner or remote testing.

Card sorting – what’s logical for us, is it also logical for our users?

During card sorting, users organize information into groups themselves — for example, products or menu items using small cards. It can be done on paper or digitally (using FigJam, Miro, etc.). This method shows how users would search for items and how they mentally structure content. It's especially useful for designing mega menus or app navigation. AND! Card sorting also works well for Zero-UI interfaces and voice interaction flows — to understand what logic users would follow during communication with a system.

Focus groups – when different perspectives matter

In a focus group, a small group (typically 5–8 people) discusses a specific topic — like a new feature, a website, or an app — guided by a moderator. The goal isn’t statistical analysis but deeper insight: how people think, what emotional reactions the product triggers, and how they talk about it in a group setting.

This method can be super inspiring because it often brings up perspectives you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.

Focus groups only work well if the participants are selected carefully. If the group is too narrow or homogenous, you might not get a true picture — especially if you’re building a product for diverse user groups. This is even more crucial when your product is targeting an international market:

• Different countries, different habits.
• Different cultures, different expectations.
• Different backgrounds, different digital experiences.

If you want truly diverse perspectives, the participants should represent a wide variety of backgrounds — not just in terms of age, gender, or profession, but also culture and ethnicity. This is especially important if your app or site will be used across multiple countries.

Why UX research is an investment, not an extra cost

Well-executed UX research pays off. It saves time, reduces development risks, and helps you build smart, effective products — not just beautiful ones. Big companies don’t do research because they can afford it. They can afford it because they do research — and avoid wasting millions on wrong directions.