
The What and Why of Creating Website User Personas
Creating Website User Personas may be the most important step of building your website. They help everyone involved make better decisions.
Uhh, what?
Unless you’re a math genius or science buff, those two words probably aren’t part of your daily vocabulary. They’re difficult to pronounce and even harder to write! (Thank you spell check.)
Are these fancy words just more gobbledygook to make us web designers look smart? Or, do these two types of data have meaning and value in the website research phase? This will come as no surprise, but I’d argue the latter.
Here’s the 101 behind qualitative data and quantitative data as it relates to gathering research for the design, redesign or improvement of a website.
The landscape of research methods as outlined in Mr. Mulder’s book
Qualitative data is non-numerical data. It shows you the why and how.
In his book, The User is Always Right, Steve Mulder explains that qualitative data can be thought of as insights.
These insights are extracted directly from people through face-to-face conversations, phone calls or virtual meeting software.
Talking to end-users in focus groups and then observing their website behavior in usability and eyetracking studies are excellent qualitative exercises (image credits: GiltUX, TryDevKit)
Some popular activities to obtain qualitative website data:
Quantitative data is the flip side of qualitative — it’s numerical. It shows the who, what, when and where.
Quantitative data is statistical and provides validation — a more scientific approach.
Rather than extracting this data from people, it can be found in programs such as Google Analytics, SurveyMonkey, CrazyEgg and conversion optimization tools like Optimizely or Unbounce.
Gathering numerical quantitative data through analytics, surveys and heatmaps helps you see what’s actually happening on your website
Some popular activities to obtain quantitative website data:
So, what do you do with all this wonderful data? Use it!
By gathering both types of data, you’re laying the groundwork for the creation or sharpening of your user personas — one of the most critical deliverables to your website strategy phase. You can also apply your findings to improve the existing user experience by fixing problems or making enhancements.
Creating Website User Personas may be the most important step of building your website. They help everyone involved make better decisions.
Today’s website requires more than “oohs and ahhs” to be successful. It needs, no, demands, a data-driven design approach.
If you’re currently designing, redesigning or improving a website, I urge you to collect and utilize real insights and validation — not opinions.
Using both qualitative and quantitative data will make for a better website experience for your audience and generate the results that matter.
Years in business
Minimum growth in quality leads our clients see after an engagement
Websites we've created, supported, or consulted over the last decade
The jargon we speak (we'll approach conversation like a layperson)