is qualitative market research

A comprehensive guide to qualitative market research

Last updated

3 April 2024

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Grow your business

Understand the needs of your customers

Launch a new product

Expand into new markets

Meet any lofty goals you set for your business

The two research methods you can use to glean these insights are quantitative and qualitative. 

Quantitative research provides you with hard data you can use to find the size and scale of customer sentiment, discover causal relationships between variables, and support generalizations about macro-level populations.

Qualitative market research is an open-ended research method that looks at the reasons and motivations behind customer behavior, at the micro level. Qualitative market research gives you actionable insights you can use to improve everything from your customer service strategies to your products and services.

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• What is qualitative market research?

Qualitative market research is an open-ended research method that studies people's behavior and motivations within a specific market. While quantitative research is about hard numbers and analytics, qualitative market research takes a more generalized approach. It focuses on small sample sizes to encourage in-depth analysis of individual customers’ experiences.

The conversational nature of qualitative research is designed to encourage in-depth discussion. For businesses, qualitative market research is a powerful way to understand customers' points of view, as well as their pain points and desires.

• Why is it important to do qualitative market research?

Whether you are a CEO or a project manager, the thoughts and feelings of your customers should matter deeply to you. Through qualitative market research, you can identify the needs of your customers in a more nuanced, in-depth way than is possible with quantitative research. 

Depending on the questions you pose, you can also get a feel for how customers perceive your marketing messages and communications, as well as more broad perceptions of your company as a whole.

If you're planning on launching a new product or service, qualitative market research can help you refine the launch and even make improvements. By using the feedback and insights from your research to make changes leading up to the launch, you are more likely to increase your revenue and receive glowing reviews.

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• Advantages of qualitative market research

There are many advantages to qualitative market research. It's flexible, so you can adapt to the quality of information you receive. For example, if the available information isn't providing what you hoped, it's easy to change direction and collect more data using new questions.

Qualitative market research also helps you gather more detailed information than most quantitative data. While quantitative market research gives you metrics, qualitative market research allows you to better understand the subtleties within the data.

Long-term, qualitative market research can reduce customer churn. By conducting regular qualitative market research, businesses can better understand what consumers want (and what they don’t) and learn whether they are fulfilling their needs. This reduces customer churn and helps build a stronger relationship between a business and the people it serves.

• Disadvantages of qualitative market research

The most notable disadvantage of market research is that it’s time-consuming. Depending on the scope of the research and the amount of people dedicated to the project, it can take weeks or even months to complete. If you're working on a tight timeline, or if you have limited resources to dedicate to research, it might not be feasible.

Qualitative market research can also be expensive. While much of the cost will depend on the size and scope of the project, you might also need to hire additional people to help you complete the research.

If you compensate participants for their time (and experts advise some sort of compensation), that's another expense to consider.

Finally, qualitative market research is highly subjective, as the conclusions are drawn by individual researchers and their interpretation and analysis.

• Eight qualitative market research methods

The most common methods for qualitative market research include focus groups, individual interviews, and observations. However, many other methods should be considered as viable options for your market research.

Social media analysis

Social media has become an important part of many people's lives, with millions of people around the world interacting with their favorite platforms on a daily, even hourly, basis. Social media analysis can, therefore, be a powerful way to gather and analyze information.

If your brand is active on social media, take the opportunity to solicit responses from customers who follow you. This can be via a survey feedback form or some sort of direct response from customers.

You can also perform content analysis on social media, scanning comments left by consumers on your posts and checking for frequently used words.

For the most in-depth responses, consider gathering insights directly from the people who follow your pages and regularly interact with you.

Lifestyle immersion

If customer comfort is one of your top priorities as you conduct market research, lifestyle immersion might be the best option.

Lifestyle immersion is a research method that allows the researcher to observe the customer in their natural environment. By observing the participant in a natural setting, you can see their unguarded behavior and learn more about their needs and motives.

Focus groups

Focus groups are a popular method for conducting qualitative market research. Focus groups are typically comprised of 6–10 people, along with a market researcher who functions as a moderator.

During the focus group, participants are encouraged to share their unguarded thoughts and opinions on a product, service, or marketing campaign.

Traditionally, focus groups were held in person, since verbal and non-verbal reactions are an important part of measuring responses. However, web-based focus groups have been gaining popularity in recent years, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online focus groups tend to be more cost-effective and convenient for most participants.

Observations

Observations, also known as shop-alongs, involve researchers following participants as they walk through a store. The goal of observations in qualitative market research is to gauge customers’ interactions and reactions to things they encounter, including products, displays, and advertising.

Observations don't require the market researcher to physically accompany participants. Typically, the researcher will observe from a distance or watch a camera feed.

Individual interviews

Individual interviews are a highly personalized method of conducting market research. These interviews are in person, over the phone, or through video-conferencing software.

They tend to be most successful when held as part of a free-flowing conversation that puts the participant at ease and makes them feel comfortable sharing their unfiltered thoughts and opinions. The interviews can be structured or unstructured, depending on the nature of the questions and your overall goals for the project.

Include plenty of open-ended questions in your interview outline to keep the conversation moving. Pay attention throughout the interview to see how the participant responds to the questions and if they seem uncomfortable or ill at ease. If they do, switch gears to make the conversation more relaxed again.

Diary or journal-logging

A diary study, also known as journal-logging, is a research method that aims to collect data about user behaviors, activities, and experiences over a set period.

During the designated reporting period, participants are asked to keep a diary and record specific information about the activities you want to analyze. The data is self-reported by participants when the reporting period is up.

Diary studies can be useful for gathering information about users’ habits and thought patterns. They can also effectively capture attitudes and motivations. However, it can be challenging to recruit dedicated users, since diary studies require greater involvement over a longer period than more traditional market research methods.

Surveys are a popular method of conducting market research. A powerful form of primary research, surveys are endlessly customizable. They can be done:

Over the phone

Via email or other online delivery method

If you opt for an online survey, test the software ahead of time, so you can be sure everything works properly and displays well on mobile devices.

It's also a good idea to run a test survey with a smaller group. This allows you to refine your questions and eliminate any confusing wording.

Ethnographic research

Ethnographic research involves observing participants in their natural environment, primarily how they go about mundane tasks such as cleaning their house or preparing a meal. Unlike observations, ethnography can involve a variety of approaches, including diary studies and video recordings.

The goal of ethnographic research is to understand the social dynamics, beliefs, and behaviors of participants through direct observation and participation in their daily activities. Ethnographic research can take place over an extended period, from a few weeks to a year or more. It's versatile and is best done with the assistance of an experienced ethnographic researcher.

• An example of qualitative market research

One of the main benefits of qualitative market research is its flexibility. No matter what your goal is or what outcome you're hoping for, you can design an effective study.

One example of qualitative market research using a focus group is a cereal company wishing to update the packaging of one of its most popular products. After producing several design concepts, the company opts to commission a series of focus groups to gauge responses to each concept.

During the focus groups, with the help of a moderator, participants discuss each design, evaluating the pros and cons. Based on the feedback received in the focus groups, the cereal company can move forward with the design most appealing to their customers.

• Best practices for qualitative market research

While qualitative research is flexible, there are still best practices to follow. Regardless of which research method you choose, consider these tips when crafting your approach and designing the questions.

Accurately identify research goals

Before embarking on any market research, you should know your end goal. Think about the specific questions you want answered, including the nature of the product or service you wish to refine or develop. Outline your goals and share them with every project stakeholder, including managers and the CEO, if necessary.

Understand your customers

Knowing your customers is vital for accurately targeting survey participants. Your business should have a customer profile that includes basic demographics such as:

Shopping habits

Use this profile to create questions that are useful for your study. When crafted thoughtfully, your questions will identify needs that aren't being met and meet study participants where they are.

Choose the most appropriate research method

There are many ways to conduct qualitative market research, but not all of them might be right for your unique needs. Think about what method will give you the optimal results and work best for the study participants you wish to recruit.

Focus groups are an ever-popular research method, but it isn't always possible to dedicate time and energy to moderating one. A survey or series of observations might be more effective, depending on your available resources and goals.

Use open-ended questions

The goal of qualitative market research is to gain thoughtful responses from participants. Use open-ended questions that require more than a simple yes or no response. The idea is to maintain an open dialogue, even through vehicles such as surveys or focus groups.

Test out questions on yourself and your team members before launching them to participants, so you can be sure they make sense and give people the chance to truly share their thoughts.

• Tips for qualitative data analysis

Qualitative data analysis is rarely a linear process. Since qualitative market research often doesn't result in hard numbers, be flexible in your approach to analysis.

After you finish your research, organize and collate your responses into one location for further analysis. If you have audio or video files, allocate time to transcribe the data, whether that means bringing in a transcriptionist or guiding your team members through the process.

As you go through the responses, become familiar with the data. This will help you better understand your customers and identify any potential gaps in the research. Always involve other stakeholders in the process, not only along the way but also once the final results have been collated. This promotes transparency in the project and improves communication across the board.

Are customer surveys qualitative?

Customer surveys are one method of market research. They can be made qualitative or quantitative, depending on the nature of the questions. They are one of the most popular forms of qualitative market research because they are versatile and highly customizable. Surveys can be done in person or through web software, such as email.

What are qualitative marketing objectives examples?

While quantitative objectives are usually specific and measurable, qualitative marketing objectives are more subjective. They tend to be conceptually broad, such as "we want to learn more about how our customers rank our service compared to our competitors,” "we want to increase brand awareness," and "we want to improve customer satisfaction." It can be helpful to have qualitative and quantitative objectives for your market research, depending on the nature of the project and whether it's related to a specific product or service.

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Qualitative Market Research Methods + Examples

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Qualitative market research is one of the most effective ways to understand consumer sentiment . If you really want to know how people feel about a product or business; and the ‘why’ behind it, qualitative research will tell you what you need to know.

This guide covers qualitative market research methods, including the different tools and techniques, their benefits, and examples of qualitative research in action.

What is qualitative market research?

Qualitative market research uncovers key insights into how people feel about a product or brand. It’s more of a touchy-feely type of market research than quantitative research , often performed with a small, handpicked group of respondents.

There are many different ways to conduct qualitative research. These include focus groups, interviews, ethnographic, observational research, and even biometrics. Although it takes time to conduct and analyze results, it’s one of the most popular types of market research .

Qualitative market research methods

Market research surveys are the most widely used qualitative market research method. Perhaps that’s down to their ease of use, availability, or the low cost of getting them out, in, and analyzed. But let’s be honest; all types of market research have pros and cons, which is exactly why picking the right technique is key.

Focus groups

What it is: Focus groups can be done in person or online. Participants are selected from within a target market or audience. Typically, people answer questions about the how, what, and why of a specific topic. While focus group formats vary, participant numbers should always be limited to ensure each person has the chance to contribute.

Best for: This type of qualitative market research is beneficial for testing new concepts or products in a market. It’s also good for getting feedback on existing products and things like usability, functionality, and ease of use.

Good to know: Online focus groups are becoming increasingly popular. As no interaction is required between participants, running them online allows responses to be collected in minutes without impacting data quality . It also reduces costs and means more people can attend due to fewer travel or time constraints.

What it is: Interviews are a tried-and-trusted qualitative research method that can be done in person or over the phone. It’s a highly personal approach that takes a conversational format between just two or three people. Researchers ask pre-set questions designed to collect intel and insights for further analysis. Interview formats vary depending on the research questions .

Best for Granular feedback from people within a target market or a target persona. Researchers obtain details about a person’s intentions, beliefs, motivations, and preferences.

Helpful Scroll to the qualitative market research examples section and view a copy of our template for customer interviews at Similarweb.

Read more: 83 Qualitative Research Questions & Examples

What it is: Most people have used or consumed case study content in the past without necessarily realizing it’s a type of qualitative research. It analyzes contextual factors relevant to a specific problem or outcome in detail. Case study research can be carried out by marketing professionals or researchers and typically follows a structured approach, exploring a problem, the solution, and its impact.

Case studies can take anything from one month upwards to a year to develop and often involve using other types of qualitative market research, such as focus groups or interviews, to inform key content.

Best for: They’re more commonly used as a marketing tool to showcase a solution or service’s impact within a target market or use case. But, new product or service developments are two other popular applications.

What it is: One of the lesser-known methods of qualitative market research is biometrics. There’s an article about this on Bloomberg , showcasing how Expedia uses biometrics in its market research stack. The format for their project takes the trusty focus group scenario, adding a modern twist.

In this example, research participants were asked to attach a set of skin response sensors to their hands. But there could also be eye-tracking, emotional analysis, heat mapping, or facial sensors being used to track responses in tandem. Individuals were tasked with surfing the web; a researcher requested they do specific tasks or carry out a search in a self-directing manner. Responses are recorded, analyzed, and translated into meaningful insights.

Depending on the tech being used, the direction, and the goal of the research, this type of qualitative market research can show:

• How people surf the web or use a site
• The way people react in a specific situation
• How they respond to content, CTAs, layouts, promotions, tasks, or experiences
• Insights into what drives people to take action on a site

Best for: Larger digital-first companies with a budget to suit; those who want to perform UX testing to improve the content, customer journey, experience, or layout of a website.

Insightful The adoption of biometric technology in market research was at an all-time high in 2020. With the technology becoming more widely available, the adoption cost will likely fall, making it more accessible to a larger pool of organizations.

Ethnography

What it is: Enthnograprhic market research (EMR) is one of the costliest types of qualitative research. An experienced ethnographic researcher is needed to design and conduct the study. It analyzes people in their own environment, be it at home, an office, or another location of interest.

Research can take place over a few hours, months, or even years. It’s typically used during the early-stage development of a user-centric design project. But it can also be useful in identifying or analyzing issues arising once a product or service has gone to market.

Best for: It’s widely adopted within useability, service design, and user-focused fields. Getting under the skin of a design problem helps develop a deeper understanding of issues a product should solve. Outcomes help to build improvements or new features in products or services.

Grounded theory

What it is: Researchers use various qualitative market research methods, such as surveys or interviews, and combine them with other types of secondary market research to inform outcomes. Typically, participant groups are between 20-60, making it a larger sample size than focus groups. Responses are collated, and a series of specialist coding techniques are used to formulate a theory that explains behavioral patterns.

Best for: Organizations can better understand a target audience by using research to generate a theory. The findings provide explanations that can inform design decisions or spark new innovation through features or improvements to products or services. A typical use case could be when particularly heavy use of a product occurs or frustrations arise with usability – grounded theory is then used to explore the reasoning behind these behaviors.

Observational

What it is: Contrary to belief, this type of qualitative market research can occur remotely or on-site. A researcher will observe people via camera or being physically present in a shopping mall, store, or other location. Systematic data are collated using subjective methods that monitor how people react in a natural setting. Researchers usually remain out of sight to ensure they go undetected by the people they observe.

Best for: Low-budget market research projects. Suited to those with a physical store or who seek to examine consumer behavior in a public setting. Researchers can see how people react to products or how they navigate around a store. It can also provide insights into shopping behavior, and record the purchase experience.

Useful to know: Observational research provides more effective feedback than market research surveys. This is because instinctive reactions are more reflective of real-world behaviors.

Online Forums

What it is: A web message board or online forum is quick and easy to set up. Most people know how they work, and users’ names can be anonymized. This makes it a safe space to conduct group research and gain consensus or garner opinions on things like creative concepts, promotions, new features, or other topics of interest. The researcher moderates it to ensure discussions remain focused and the right questions are asked to thoroughly explore a topic.

Organizations typically invite between 10-30 participants, and forums are open for anything between 1-5 days. The researcher initiates various threads and may later divide people into subgroups once initial responses are given.

Here’s an example.

If a group of male participants indicates they dislike a specific content on the forum. The moderator would create a subgroup on the fly, with the intent of probing into the viewpoints of that group in more detail.

Best for: Discussing sensitive research topics that people may feel uncomfortable sharing in a group or interview. Getting feedback from people from a broad area and diverse backgrounds is easy. And a more cost-effective way to run focus groups with similar aims and outcomes.

What it is: For a survey to be considered a type of qualitative market research, questions should remain open and closed-ended. Surveys are typically sent digitally but can also be done in person or via direct mail. Feedback can be anonymous or with user details exposed. Surveys are a type of primary research and should be tailored to the research goals and the audience. Segmentation is a great way to uncover more about a select group of people that make up a target persona or market.

Best for: A low-cost way to question a large group of people and gain insights into how they feel about a topic or product. It can be used to flesh out usability issues, explore the viability of new features, or better understand a target audience in almost any sector. Surveys can also be used to explore UX or employee experience in greater detail.

Read more: 18 Ways Businesses Can Use Market Research Surveys

Diary or journal logging

What it is: When you think about it, almost all qualitative research methods aim to help you understand the experiences, lives, and motivations of people. What better way is there to connect with how people think and feel than a journal? Yes, it’s pretty much exactly what it claims to be; a simple note-taking exercise that records regular input, insights, feelings, and thoughts over a period of time.

A survey or focus group captures sentiment at a single point in time. Whereas journal logging gives way to more frequent input without any pressures of time to consider. It’s also more reliable data, as there’s no requirement for people to think about and recall data, as input occurs at the moment. Popular formats include digital diaries, paper journals, and voice journals.

Key parameters are set out from the start. And offer prompts so people know what to record, how often they need to make an entry, the time of day (if relevant), how much they should write, and the purpose or goal of the research.

Best for: Measuring change or impact over time. They’re also a great tool to establish things like:

• Usage scenarios
• Motivations
• Changes in perception
• Behavioral shifts
• Customer journeys  

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Benefits of qualitative market research

• Flexible – It can be adjusted according to the situation. For example, if the questions being asked aren’t yielding useful information, the researcher can change direction with open questions and adapt as needed.
• Clear and open communication –  Forums like these can help a brand and its customers communicate effectively. The voice of the customer is paramount, and participants are encouraged to express their values and needs freely.
• Provides detailed information – One of the biggest draws of qualitative research is the level of detail given by respondents. Data collected can be vital in helping organizations gain an in-depth understanding of consumer pain points and perspectives.
• Improve retention – Qualitative research gets under the hood, helping an organization know how consumers think or feel about a business or its products. The intel can shape future offerings or improve service elements, thus boosting loyalty.

Qualitative market research examples

Whether you’ve carried out qualitative research in the past or not, it’s never a bad idea to look at what others are doing. Who knows, it could inspire your research project or give you an example of qualitative research in action to use as a base.

Here are three qualitative market research examples in action!

Example 1: This Voice of Customer questionnaire is an example of qualitative research we use here at Similarweb. 

Example 2: A market research survey used in retail. It’s sent out with a digital copy of a store receipt and aims to explore how people feel about their in-store experience.

Example 3: A case study report published by Forrester Consulting. It highlights the ROI of Similarweb following a period of use and a forward-looking estimation.

A smarter way to get Similar results in less time

While different in nature, qualitative and quantitative research go hand in hand. In short, qualitative can explain what quantitative research shows. While qualitative research costs vary, it takes time to plan, conduct, and analyze. Not everybody has the luxury of time or the resources to carry out their own qualitative market research. And with how fast markets and consumer behaviors shift, it’s not always the optimal solution.

Feature spotlight: Audience Analysis 

Similarweb’s audience behavior research tool shows you where people in your target market spend their time online. Uncovering critical, unbiased insights at pace.

• Audience metrics show you demographics , geographics , audience loyalty , and interests.
• Competitive insights allow you to see any rivals’ reach and unpack their successes.
• Visualize your target market like never before – layered with insights that show where and how they spend time online.
• Segment your audience to see industry-specific consumer interests.
• Discover untapped audiences to acquire and grow your share of market.

As a single source of truth, Similarweb Research Intelligence lets you get the measure of the digital world that matters to you most. At a glance, you can see what’s happening in any market, and drill down into any rival or audience group to spot trends, analyze changes, and inform key decisions; fast. As far as market research tools go, it’s the only platform that brings together feedback from mobile web, desktop, and mobile apps in a single place. Giving you a complete and comprehensive picture of your digital landscape.

Wrapping Up…

Compared to quantitative research, the qualitative approach can take more time and cost more money. But, there are distinct benefits that make it hard to dismiss. While statistical research can show you the ‘what,’ ‘who,’ and ‘when’, qualitative research complements this and helps uncover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ – giving you the complete picture.

From the high-hitting budget owners to the SMBs who need to research a market or audience, qualitative research is a vital tool that’ll help you uncover insights and focus on growth.

Digital intelligence platforms like Similarweb can give you a framework to outline a story that can be filled in with qualitative research later down the line.

What’s the difference between quantitative and qualitative research methods? Qualitative market research is a type of primary research method that explores how people think and feel about a topic. Quantitative research is statistics-based and analyses numerical data.

What are the different types of qualitative market research? The most popular types of qualitative market research include Focus groups, interviews, ethnography, case studies, grounded theory, observational, online forums, open-ended surveys, biometrics, narrative, thematic analysis, diary or journal logging, thematic analysis, and phenomenological study.

How is qualitative research used in marketing? Qualitative market research serves as a tool that helps marketing teams identify consumer needs, refine product messaging, generate ideas for campaigns, discover new channels, and develop targeted campaigns that resonate with target audiences.

What Types of Questions are Asked in Qualitative Market Research? Qualitative market research often focuses on open-ended questions that allow respondents to provide detailed answers about their attitudes, opinions, and experiences. Examples of questions include: What factors influence your decision to purchase a particular product or service? How do you use a product or service? What do you like or dislike about a product or service?

What are the Limitations of Qualitative Market Research? Qualitative market research can be subjective and may be limited by the number of participants and the amount of time available for research. Additionally, qualitative research does not provide quantitative data , which can be useful for measuring and comparing consumer behavior.

by Liz March

Digital Research Specialist

Liz March has 15 years of experience in content creation. She enjoys the outdoors, F1, and reading, and is pursuing a BSc in Environmental Science.

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Qualitative Market Research: Methods, Applications, and Tools

• Updated on July 21, 2024

Qualitative market research provides deep insights that quantitative data often overlooks. This comprehensive guide will explore the methods, applications, and tools of qualitative market research, helping market researchers, business owners, students, and marketing professionals understand its value and how to use it effectively.

What is Qualitative Market Research?

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite product launch? Understanding consumer preferences goes beyond just numbers. Qualitative market research delves into the “why” and “how” behind consumer behavior, uncovering the rich tapestry of thoughts, feelings, and motivations that drive purchasing decisions.

Unlike quantitative research, which focuses on numbers and statistics, qualitative research is all about unstructured, in-depth exploration . Imagine it as having a conversation with your target audience, where you listen attentively and gain valuable insights into their perceptions, experiences, and needs.

Here’s a breakdown of the key characteristics of qualitative research:

• Focuses on “Why” and “How”: While quantitative research tells you “what” percentage of people prefer a certain feature, qualitative research helps you understand the reasons behind those preferences.
• Unstructured and Exploratory: Unlike surveys with fixed answer choices, qualitative research allows for open-ended discussions and discovery of unexpected themes.
• Smaller Sample Sizes: Qualitative research typically involves smaller, targeted groups, allowing for deeper dives into individual perspectives.

By employing various methods like focus groups, in-depth interviews, and even observing consumers in their natural environment, qualitative research provides invaluable insights for:

• Product Development: Understanding user needs and pain points to create products that resonate.
• Marketing and Advertising: Crafting compelling messages that target the emotional drivers behind consumer decisions.
• Brand Strategy: Building a strong brand identity that connects with your target audience on a deeper level.

In the next sections of this blog, we’ll explore the various qualitative research methods you can employ, along with practical applications and the tools available to streamline the research process.

Key Methods of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research offers a rich toolbox for uncovering the motivations and experiences of your target audience. Here’s a look at some of the most popular methods, along with examples of their applications:

In-Depth Interviews

Imagine having a focused conversation with a potential customer, where you delve into their thoughts and feelings about your product or service. In-depth interviews provide a personal and insightful way to gather rich data. These interviews are typically one-on-one, allowing you to explore nuances and follow up on interesting leads.

Applications: Understanding user experience with a new product prototype, exploring brand perception among existing customers.

Tools: Prelaunch is a concept validation platform that gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to ‘co-create’ with their audience by engaging in exactly these types of in-depth interviews. The platform is set up to schedule, host, analyze interviews conducted with a select group of folks who have already confirmed their purchase intent.

Focus Groups

Gather a small group of individuals who represent your target audience and guide a discussion around a specific topic. Focus groups allow you to observe group dynamics and witness how ideas and opinions are formed and challenged within a social setting.

Applications: Generating new product ideas, testing marketing messages, understanding customer needs within a specific demographic.

Tools: Online platforms like UserTesting or Lookback allow for remote focus groups with features like screen recording and live moderation. Prelaunch is also set up for these types of calls with options for one-on-one or group interviews. As your interview is recorded and stored in the platform’s database, summaries on what each participant has said is generated, as well as a transcript and other insights. What’s more, whereas other platforms are set up solely for focus groups, Prelaunch offers a more comprehensive approach that allows you to gather and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.

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Ethnographic Research

This immersive approach involves spending extended time with your target audience in their natural environment. Imagine observing a group of athletes to understand their training routines and equipment preferences. Ethnography provides a deep understanding of behaviors, habits, and cultural contexts .

Applications: Understanding customer journeys within a retail setting, uncovering unmet needs in a specific industry.

Tools: While ethnography is often low-tech, note-taking apps like Evernote or OneNote can be helpful for researchers to organize their observations.

Online Surveys with Open-Ended Questions

While surveys are often associated with quantitative research, incorporating open-ended questions allows you to gather qualitative data alongside quantitative metrics. This method is particularly useful for gathering initial insights from a larger sample size .

Applications: Understanding initial reactions to a new product concept, gauging customer satisfaction with existing services.

Tools: Survey platforms like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms offer features for creating open-ended questions and analyzing qualitative data. But there are also concept-validating platforms like Prelaunch that build quick surveys with targeted questions into their funnels for both cases when users decide to purchase a product. So, for those looking to kill many birds with one stone, setting up a landing page on Prelaunch and tracking engagement can provide you with a wealth of new data. 

Text Analysis and Social Listening

The digital age provides a wealth of qualitative data in the form of online reviews, social media comments, and forum discussions. Text analysis tools can help you identify trends, themes, and sentiments within this data.

Applications: Understanding customer feedback on a recent marketing campaign and analyzing brand perception on social media.

Tools: Social listening platforms like Brandwatch or Sprout Social offer features for analyzing online conversations and brand mentions. Another useful tool to keep in mind is Prelaunch’s AI Market Research Assistant which analyzes what buyers on Amazon have to say about competitor products. 

Remember, the most effective qualitative research often employs a combination of these methods. By triangulating data from different sources, you can build a comprehensive picture of your target audience and gain valuable insights to inform your business decisions.

Applications of Qualitative Market Research

Qualitative market research isn’t just about understanding the “why” – it’s about translating those insights into actionable strategies. Here’s how companies leverage qualitative research to achieve real-world results:

1. Product Development

Imagine a company developing a new fitness tracker. Through in-depth interviews with potential customers, they uncover a desire for a tracker that goes beyond just steps and heart rate. They learn that users crave features that track sleep quality and offer personalized workout recommendations. This qualitative research informs the product development process, leading to a more well-rounded fitness tracker that caters to the specific needs of the target audience.

2. Marketing and Advertising

A streaming service wants to launch a new original series but needs to understand what kind of content resonates with their audience. Focus groups with potential viewers reveal a hidden hunger for historical dramas with strong female leads. This insight allows the streaming service to tailor their marketing campaign, emphasizing the show’s historical setting and powerful female characters, ultimately leading to a more targeted and successful launch.

3. Brand Strategy

A sustainable clothing brand wants to solidify its position as an environmentally conscious company. Ethnographic research involving observing customer behavior at eco-friendly markets reveals a strong preference for brands that not only use recycled materials but also actively support environmental causes. This research informs the brand’s strategy, prompting them to partner with environmental organizations and highlight their social impact initiatives in their marketing efforts.

4. Customer Experience (CX) Improvement

A bank aims to improve customer satisfaction with their mobile app. Through online surveys with open-ended questions, they discover user frustrations with a complex login process and a lack of intuitive navigation. This feedback allows the bank to redesign their mobile app with a focus on user-friendliness and streamline the login process, ultimately leading to a more positive customer experience.

5. Innovation and New Product Ideas

A company that manufactures household cleaning products conducts focus groups to explore consumer cleaning habits. Surprisingly, participants express frustration with the harsh chemicals present in traditional cleaning solutions and a growing interest in natural cleaning alternatives. This qualitative research sparks a wave of innovation, leading the company to develop a new line of eco-friendly cleaning products that cater to this growing market demand.

By using qualitative research to get inside the minds of their customers, companies can develop data-driven strategies that resonate with their target audience and ultimately drive business success.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research offers a powerful tool for understanding the “why” behind consumer behavior, but it’s important to acknowledge both its strengths and limitations. Here’s a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages to consider when designing your research approach:

• Rich and In-Depth Insights: Qualitative research delves deeper than surface-level responses, uncovering motivations, feelings, and thought processes that drive decision-making.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Unlike rigid quantitative methods, qualitative research allows you to adapt your approach based on emerging themes and can explore unforeseen areas of interest.
• Understanding Context: By observing behaviors and conversations in natural settings, qualitative research provides valuable context to quantitative data, offering a more holistic picture of the research topic.
• Generating New Ideas: Qualitative research excels at sparking creativity and uncovering unexpected insights that can lead to innovative solutions and product ideas.

Disadvantages

• Limited Generalizability: Findings from qualitative research may not be applicable to a larger population, as sample sizes tend to be smaller.
• Subjectivity: The researcher’s interpretation and analysis of qualitative data can be influenced by personal biases. Mitigation strategies like member checking and triangulation are crucial.
• Time-Consuming: Data collection and analysis in qualitative research can be labor-intensive, requiring careful planning and dedicated resources.
• Difficulty in Quantifying Results: Qualitative data is not easily converted into numerical values, making it challenging to compare results across different studies.

Choosing the Right Method

The decision to use qualitative research often depends on your research objectives. If you’re aiming to understand the “what” and prevalence of certain behaviors, quantitative research might be a better choice. However, if you’re looking to explore the “why” and gain deeper insights into motivations and experiences, qualitative research offers a valuable approach.

In many cases, researchers employ a mixed-methods approach , combining qualitative and quantitative methods to leverage the strengths of both and address potential limitations.

Examples of Qualitative Market Research

Understanding how qualitative research is applied in real-world scenarios can provide valuable insights into its practical benefits and limitations. Let’s look at some examples of qualitative research conducted via the Prelaunch concept validation platform.

Agwa , an AI-powered indoor gardening system designed for growing fresh greens at home, revealed surprising insights through Prelaunch analytics. Subscribers liked the compact size for easy placement under tables or in corners, but actual buyers preferred larger models for practical growing needs.

The qualitative market research also concluded that people want to buy it for the purpose of feeding their pet rabbits, guinea pigs. Surprisingly, people who enjoy fishing overlap with people who have an interest in the product. (This insight proves especially useful when thinking about running targeting ads.)

Fuell Fllow

Fuell Fllow , an electric motorcycle tailored for urban commuting, originally targeted young tech professionals concerned about environmental impact. However, Prelaunch revealed a higher conversion rate among retired individuals aged 60+ with a history of using gas motorbikes. These users were less focused on environmental concerns, viewing the motorcycle more as a recreational gadget than an eco-friendly commute solution. 

Tools and Resources for Qualitative Research

The qualitative research toolbox is brimming with resources to streamline your data collection, analysis, and reporting processes. Here’s a look at some helpful tools and platforms:

Data Collection

• Online Scheduling Tools: Platforms like Calendly or Doodle can simplify scheduling interviews with participants, saving you time and effort.
• Remote Interviewing Platforms: Conducting qualitative research remotely is becoming increasingly common. Tools like UserTesting or Lookback facilitate online focus groups and interviews, often with features like screen recording and live moderation.

Data Analysis

• Transcription Services: Converting audio and video recordings of interviews and focus groups into text allows for easier analysis and identification of key themes. Services like Rev.com or Trint offer accurate and efficient transcription solutions.
• Text Analysis and Social Listening Tools: Platforms like Brandwatch or Sprout Social help analyze online conversations and social media mentions, providing valuable qualitative insights into brand perception and customer sentiment.
• Qualitative Data Analysis Software: Powerful tools like NVivo , ATLAS.ti , and Dedoose can help researchers organize, code, and analyze large volumes of qualitative data, identifying patterns and extracting deeper insights.

Survey Tools with Open-Ended Questions

While primarily used for quantitative research, survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms allow incorporating open-ended questions to gather qualitative data alongside quantitative metrics.

All-in-one Tool: Prelaunch

Prelaunch is a unique online platform that caters specifically to the needs of qualitative researchers in the pre-launch phase of product development (hence the name). Prelaunch offers a suite of tools designed to help you:

• Identify target customers: Conduct online surveys and screener questions to recruit the perfect participants for your research.
• Gather in-depth feedback: Facilitate online discussions, concept testing, and card sorting exercises to gain rich qualitative data.
• Analyze and report findings: Prelaunch provides tools to organize your data, identify key themes, and generate clear and concise reports.

Advantages of Prelaunch

• Streamlined Recruitment: Prelaunch’s built-in audience helps you find the right participants quickly and efficiently.
• Remote Research Capabilities: Conduct research online, eliminating geographical limitations and allowing participation from a wider range of demographics.
• User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed for ease of use, allowing researchers of all experience levels to collect and analyze qualitative data effectively.
• Cost-Effective Solution: Prelaunch offers a subscription-based model, potentially reducing research costs compared to traditional methods.

Remember, the most effective research strategy often involves a combination of tools and resources. Choosing the right tools depends on your specific research objectives and budget.

Qualitative market research offers valuable insights into consumer behavior. By understanding the deeper motivations and emotions behind customer actions, businesses can make informed decisions and create effective marketing strategies. Whether you’re a researcher, business owner, student, or marketing professional, utilizing qualitative research methods provides a competitive edge in today’s dynamic business environment.

Explore the qualitative research methods and tools discussed in this guide to enhance your research strategies and gain deeper customer insights. The skills you gain can drive better decision-making and lead to greater business success.

Additional resources and tools are available for those interested in further exploring qualitative research. Whether you’re new to qualitative research or refining your techniques, there’s always something new to learn in this evolving field.

Alice Ananian

Alice Ananian is a Content Strategy Lead and B2B Content Expert specializing in crowdfunding, market research, and product innovation. With over 10 years of experience in content development, she currently drives high-impact content initiatives at Prelaunch and The Crowdfunding Formula (TCF), where she develops top-ranking B2B. Alice's unique blend of creative storytelling and strategic thinking helps innovative companies articulate their vision and connect with their target audience.

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The Complete Guide to Qualitative Market Research

So what exactly is qualitative research? At a glance, this type of research method seeks to gather in-depth data about a phenomenon without focusing on numerical data or on quantities.

But there is much more to this kind of study method. Learn holistically about qualitative market research with this complete guide.

What Defines & Makes Up Qualitative Research?

Qualitative research is centered around experiences, ideas and opinions. As such, it does not focus on statistical or quantitative outcomes. Instead, it seeks out an in-depth understanding of an issue, occurrence or phenomenon.

Thus, this research method zeroes in on the “what” and more importantly, the “why” of a research subject. (Unlike quantitative research, which focuses on the “how much”).

Here are some of the applications of qualitative research:

Understanding an issue in greater depth

Finding the reason behind an occurrence (whether it’s desirable or undesirable)

Uncovering trends in target market opinions

Forming educated solutions to address customer/studied subject concerns

Discovering the causes of certain actions

Qualitative research generally relies on a smaller sample size in order to get a deep read of happenings, causes and motivations. This kind of research method functions through the usage of open-ended and exploratory questions.

Understanding the “why” behind an issue is then used to make decisions on how to resolve the issue or how to improve on an existing productive situation.

Qualitative data must occur in natural environments. This denotes a kind of environment in which participants discuss their opinions at length and at ease, which researchers use to gain deeper knowledge and form inferences around a topic.

Prior to the internet, this kind of research was conducted in-person, but with the advent of the internet and innovations in market research, qualitative data has been collected online. The digital space can also serve as a natural environment.

The Five Main Types of Qualitative Research

Just as with quantitative research, there is not a single approach to conducting qualitative research. On the contrary, there are five main varieties of performing qualitative research. Aside from their methodology, these sub-categories also seek different types of answers and conclusions.

1. Narrative Research

This research is used to form a cohesive story, or narrative, by way of consolidating several events from a small group of people. It involves running in-depth interviews and reading up on documents featuring similar actions as a means of theme-searching.

The point of this is to discover how one narrative is shaped by larger contextual influences. Interviews should be conducted for weeks to months and sometimes even for years. The narrative that the researcher uncovers does not have to be presented in sequential order.

Instead, it should be projected as one with defined themes that attempt to reconcile inconsistent stories. This method can highlight the research study’s ongoing challenges and hardships, which can be used to make any improvements.

2. Ethnographic Research

The most common qualitative research method, ethnography relies on entrenching oneself in various participant environments to extract challenges, goals, themes and cultures.

As the name suggests, it involves taking an ethnographic approach to research, meaning that researchers would experience an environment themselves to draw research. Using this firsthand observation, the researcher would not need to then rely on interviews or surveys.

This approach may seem to be far-fetched where market research is concerned, but it is doable. For example, you’d like to see the effectiveness or frustration that customers face when using your product. Since you can’t follow them home, you can request videos that show them using it. Many big brands have call-outs on their websites (ex: on product pages) for their customers to send in videos of their interactions with the products.

3. Phenomenological Research

This qualitative method entails researchers having to probe a phenomenon or event by bringing lived experiences to light and then interpreting them. In order to achieve this, researchers use several methods in combination.

These include conducting surveys, interviews and utilizing secondary research such as available documents and videos on the studied phenomenon. Additionally, as in ethnographic research, phenomenological research involves visiting places to collect research.

These will help you understand how your participants view your subject of examination. In turn, you will gain insight into the participants’ motivations.

In this research type, you would conduct between 5 and 25 surveys or interviews, then peruse them for themes. Once again, you would scrutinize experiences and sentiment over numerical data.

4. Grounded Theory Research

In contrast to phenomenological research, which seeks to fully form the core of an issue, grounded theory attempts to find explanations (the why) behind an issue. To achieve this, researchers use interviews, surveys and secondary research to form a theory around the issue/occurrence.

The sample of this study tends to be on the larger side, at 20-60 participants. Data extracted from this type of research is interpreted to determine the reasoning behind, for example, heavy usage of or frustration with a product. These types of studies help a business innovate an existing product by getting into the weeds of how it’s used.

5. Action Research

This type of research involves researchers and participants working collaboratively to bring theory to practice. Also called participatory research, collaborative inquiry, emancipatory research and action learning, this method entails the act of “learning by doing.”

This means a group of researchers come together to find and address a problem, resolve it and then study the success of their endeavors. If they underperformed or their outcomes don’t satisfy their expectations, they would then reattempt the process.

In action research , a researcher spends a considerable amount of time on collecting, analyzing, and presenting data in an ongoing, periodic process. This involves researchers coming up with their own surveys and interviews around a subject matter, then presenting their findings to one another to draw conclusions and solutions.

They would put into practice the means to improve a situation and continue measuring their success throughout the process.

Examples of Questions for Qualitative Research

When working within the capacity of any of the above research types, it’s crucial to ask the right questions. Here you’ll find the questions you can use when conducting each of the five types of qualitative research.

Bear in mind that some of these questions will appear to be similar in nature; some are even interchangeable. That is normal, as researchers may search for the same answers, but apply a different approach in their research method.

In any case, all of the below features questions that fit within the larger qualitative research framework.

Learn more about asking insightful market research questions . Here are a few examples of the questions within the five categories:

1. How do people who witnessed domestic violence understand its effects in their own relationships?

    Variable: Views of domestic violence on one’s own relationships

    Demographic: People in relationships, who’ve witnessed domestic violence

    Qualitative Research Type : Narrative

2. What are the lived experiences of working-class Americans between the ages of 20 and 40?

    Variable: Experiences and views of a working-class background

    Demographic: Working-class Americans ages 20-40

3. How do Asian Americans experience reaching out to address mental health concerns?

    Variable: The experiences in seeking out care for mental health

    Demographic: Asian Americans seeking help for mental health

    Qualitative Research Type: Ethnographic

4. What do you enjoy about this product or service?

    Variable: The positive experiences of using a particular product/service

    Demographic: The target market of a product or service

5. How have people who have experienced poverty changed their shopping habits when they entered the middle (or higher) class?

    Variable: The changes or stagnation in shopping habits

    Demographic: those who experienced poverty, but climbed the social ladder

    Qualitative Research Type : Phenomenological

6. What was it like when you had a negative online shopping experience?

    Variable: unpleasant shopping experiences

    Demographic: a group that is most likely to shop at a particular online store

7. What influences managers in private sectors to seek further professional advancement?

    Variable: Motivation for seniority

    Demographic: Managers in the private sector

    Qualitative Research Type: Grounded Theory

8. How do women in third world countries set up financial independence?

    Variable: Efforts at reaching financial independence

    Demographic: Women in third-world countries

9. What impact does collaborative working have on the UX optimization efforts of a telecommunications company?

    Variable: effects of collaboration on the UX of a telecommunications company

    Demographic: workers in the telecommunications space

    Qualitative Research Type: Action Research

10. What strategies can marketing managers use to improve the reach of millennial customers?

    Variable: Strategies to improve millennial reach and their outcomes

    Demographic: Marketing managers

When to Use the Research and How to Analyze It

The qualitative research method has specific use cases. You ought to consider which is best for your particular business, which includes your strategy, your marketing and other facets.

The core of qualitative research is to understand a phenomenon (a problem, an inadequacy, and a slew of other occurrences) including its causes, its motivations, its goals and its solutions. Researchers do this by observing smaller portions of a population.

Researchers should use this form of research whenever you need to get the gist of a particular occurrence or event. It is particularly useful for studying how your target market experiences certain situations and how it feels about them.

There are several more specific ways that elucidate why this research style is valuable if not completely necessary. Here are some of the most crucial ways this method of research is vital:

Helps brands see the emotional connections customers have with them

Allows brands to find gaps in customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX)

Enables brands to create experiences that are more tailored to their target market

Helps businesses understand how they can improve on their product, service or CX

Finds experiences that customers had that highlight sensitive topics/language for them

Shows businesses how customers compare them to their competitors

Identifies possible solutions and innovations based on customer attitudes and experiences

To analyze qualitative research, you should first identify your subject of study and decide on the type of research you need to conduct based on the five types of research that fall under the qualitative category.

Then, brainstorm several questions that you can use to form the base of your studies. During the process make sure to jot down (either digitally or otherwise) your observations. For example, record interviews and store surveys in an organized database.

Make sure you ask open-ended questions in surveys, interviews, focus groups, et al. Aggregate secondary research such as government database documents, articles in your niche,  images,  videos and more.

Search for patterns or similarities within your findings. When you group them together and organize them by demographics, you can start drawing conclusions and proposing solutions.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can be extraordinarily beneficial. But as with other aspects of research and beyond, it too comes with a set of drawbacks. As a business owner, marketer or market researcher, you should know both the pros and cons. Here are some notable ones:

More intimate understanding of context and causation: besides understanding “what” in a granular way, you also learn the “why” and “how” of a particular situation.

Understanding key experiences: Open-ended questions lead to unique answers, exposing things numerical-based surveys can’t answer.

A foundation of deep insights: The design of the study is made to understand how customers relate to particular occurrences, events, ideas and products.

Context-driven: Finding insights on motivation and past behaviors allows researchers to understand what their target market needs and what it tries to avoid.

No need to find and create the correct measuring units: Open-ended questions don’t require a scale, a number range or any other measuring tools — one less thing to worry about.

Smaller sample size: Smaller sample sizes allow researchers to study responses more thoroughly to form more accurate hypotheses and conclusions.

Inspirational : The responses received can also help researchers form new studies.

Flexible and detail-oriented : Since questions aren’t based on scales and other units, you can ask more creative and in-depth questions. Questions focus on details and subtleties for robust insights.

Relies on researcher experience: It relies on the researchers’ experience; not all are familiar with industry topics.

Not statistically representative: Only collects perspective-based research; does not provide statistical representation. Only comparisons, not measurements can be executed.

Difficult to make copies of data.  Individual perspectives make it hard to replicate findings, making it it more difficult to form conclusions.

More likely to have researcher bias: Both conscious or subconscious of the researcher can affect the data. The conclusions they draw can thus be influenced by their bias. (This can be avoided by using controls in data collection.

The Final Word

Market research is a wide-spanning undertaking. It has a wide swath of aspects, practices and applications. As such, researchers should know its main categories and qualitative research is one such category of significance.

As opposed to quantitative research, which has four methods, qualitative research has five — not all of which will be of use to your particular market research needs. In any case, this type of research involves imbuing as much context and particularities around a phenomenon as possible.

As such, researchers should create questions more specific to the aforementioned examples of this article. That is because those are more encompassing, generalized questions that researchers can attempt to answer after conducting all of their research and parsing of the findings.

But prior to that, researchers should ask several related questions around a particular topic and tailor those questions as best as possible to the target audience.

Frequently asked questions

What is qualitative research.

Qualitative research is a type of research that is conducted to gain deep or unexpected insights rather than focusing on numeral or quantitative data.

Why is qualitative research conducted?

Qualitative research is conducted to find the “why” of the research subject, rather than the “what’ of that subject. For example, qualitative research might be conducted to understand an issue more deeply, to understand why something is happening, or to learn how to address a target market’s concerns.

What is narrative research?

Narrative research is a type of research that is used to create an in-depth story about a phenomenon or event. It is conducted by interviewing a small group of people who were directly involved in the event.

How is ethnographic research conducted?

When conducting ethnographic research, the researchers use firsthand observations of an environment to more deeply understand the goals, challenges, or opinions of the target audience.

What is action research?

Action research is a type of qualitative research in which researchers and participants collaborate to better understand a phenomenon. Together the group works to find and solve the problem by gathering information on an ongoing and evolving basis.

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