Quantitative research is the most widely known and utilized method in market research. Quantitative research is usually conducted when:

• You want to measure something objectively (or quantitatively).
• You have something specific to measure. In other words, you are beyond the exploratory portion of your research and you now want to test more specific questions.
• You have a relatively large sample to query.

The main techniques of quantitative research are:

• F2F CAPI (face to face computer assisted personal interviewing)
• F2F PAPI (face to face paper and pencil interviewing)
• CATI (computer assisted telephone interviewing)
• CAWI (computer assisted web interviewing)
• CLT (central location testing).

The aim of qual research is to understand what people think and do, through dialog with them. To explore private thoughts and feelings and to get beyond the public, conscious expressions of opinion.
Qual is the why and the how behind consumer experiences. Qualitative research is informal and exploratory in nature, aiming to through light on the way people think, feel and behave, their opinions, attitudes and values, and their motivations behind their behavior. It is a very flexible research design and ‘participant centred’. The qualitative research is used for exploration (new product development, advertising), creative subjects (idea generation, new product development), sensitive areas (financial, sex), complex areas (business research, thinking through difficult subjects).

The main techniques of qualitative research are:

• Focus groups – Respondents are recruited to participate in a 1-1/2 to 2-hour session, which is held at a focus group facility so you can view it in-person or remotely, if desired. There are no standard questions in focus groups but rather a group discussion is moderated following unstructured discussion guide with small numbers of respondents (although extremely carefully targeted) between 6 and 8 participants.
• In depth interviews – One-one interview, typically last between 45 minutes and 1 hour, can take place at respondent’s home, in their workplace or in neutral destination.
• Ethnography – Based on anthropology, ethnography uses observation rather than interviewing (alone). Actions reveal more than what people say – people are unaware of and/or lie. A way to “get closer to the consumer”. Reality of videotaped behaviors, especially where words conflict with actions

To design a new experience or improve an existing one, we combine our research and design expertise to deliver better products and services to users. We objectively evaluate the experience, to understand:

How they interact with individual products or an ecosystem of touchpoints

Where the issues are and provide specific and tangible design changes to improve the experience.

User experience help answering questions such:

• How can I improve the user experience of my product or service to make it more successful?
• How does the UX of my products compare with my competitors?
• How do I design an interface that is useful, usable and engaging for my users?

By using user experience research when designing a product you:

• Reduce the risk of product failure in the market
• Design well-crafted experiences that deliver on the brand promise
• Produce market-leading, intuitive, and memorable products and services
• Identify user experience issues early in the design process and mitigate costly, late-stage changes.

Mystery shopping – is a practice of using trained shoppers to anonymously evaluate customer service, operations, employee integrity, merchandising and product quality

Given the scope of services, mystery shopping goes by different names: secret shopping, mystery customers, employee evaluations, anonymous audits, price monitoring, audit standards programs.

The benefits of mystery shopping programs:

• Identifies training needs and sales opportunities
• Ensures positive customer relationships on the front office
• Enforces employee integrity
• Supports promotional programs
• Audit pricing and merchandising compliance
• Allows for competitive analyses
• Compliments market research data.

Indago is a member of MSPA – the world’s only professional trade association dedicated to mystery shopping industry.