Introduction

The world has evolved and businesses must keep up with the latest trends and technologies to remain relevant. One of the most significant shifts in the world today is remote work. The phenomenon has become more popular with the advent of the pandemic which affected the whole world. This shift also affected user research and gave rise to remote user research.

In this article, we will discuss the concept of remote user research, what it means, how to adapt it, the various types of remote user research, and the pros and cons of using it. Most importantly, we show you how Formplus can help you achieve remote user research seamlessly.

What is Remote User Research?

Remote user research is a form of study that adopts a no-boots-on-the-ground approach. This means that without visiting any physical location you can gather candid feedback from your targeted audience in real-time from any part of the world via digital tools. 

With remote user research, you can recruit your respondents in a matter of hours rather than the regular days and time required to put a team together. It is usually adopted when there is a barrier to physical contact just like the pandemic or when working with a  global audience.

Online surveys, screen sharing video conferencing, and screen sharing are some of the tools that facilitate remote user research. User research can take many forms from remote interviews to remote surveys, remote usability testing, and so on.  For example, in remote usability testing, participants are given tasks to complete, while the researcher monitors the process from wherever they are and takes notes.

Remote user research is just as viable as in-person research, as long as the technology works well, and users have been trained on what to expect with a remote study. It eliminates the need to travel therefore eliminating the cost that is associated with other research methods.

Read More – User Research: Definition, Methods, Tools, and Guide

Types of Remote User Research & Testing

There are various types of remote user research and testing methods that businesses can use to gather insights from users. Here are 8 of the most popular methods:

• Card Sorting

In this method, participants are given a set of cards with alternate information on them and are tasked with sorting or arranging the cards in a way that seems logical to them. Card sorting is a method of arranging content on a website or app. The goal is to aid businesses in understanding how users expect to navigate through a website or an app.

• Preference Testing

Preference testing is a remote user research method that entails sharing multiple designs with participants to see which they like the most and the reasons why. It gives insight into a user’s perception, of a product or service, in terms of visual appeal content, and overall perceived quality. 

• Concept Testing

Concept testing is used to test a new product or service. It is done by asking customers questions about a concept and ideas for a product or service before the design or production phase. It tests value and usefulness from the user’s perspective. This helps organizations gauge the level of acceptance and willingness to buy a product before they go all the way to launch or develop the product.

Read More – Concept Testing: Types, Methods + Examples

• Usability Testing

Usability testing is a method of testing the functionality of a product or service. It is conducted on the usability of a product or website. Participants are asked to complete tasks on the product or website while being observed by a researcher, so they can identify any issues and resolve them before the product is released to the general public. 

• User Interviews

User interviews are a method of testing that involves gathering or selecting a sample of people who represent the select target audience. Afterward, open-ended questions are asked over the phone, or with video conferencing tools.

• Tree Testing

Tree testing is a method used to test the effectiveness of a website navigation button. Here, participants are given the navigation menu of a website in a simplified form, without the design elements. Participants are given a set of tasks and asked to find the information they need using a navigation menu, to see if they can find the correct path to completing their tasks based on the navigation labels. That way they can tell if there are hitches encountered in the process.

• Prototype Testing

Prototype testing is a method of testing a sample version of a product or website to identify any issues or areas of improvement. The essence of this testing is to spot any issue early in the process of development so that it can be addressed. This way the final output would meet the goal of the designers or developers of the product.

• Content Testing

Content testing is a method of checking the content on your website or an app, to see if it aligns with the readers and users, in terms of providing adequate information and speaking directly to their pain points. Content testing checks to see if your target audience can find, understand, and interpret your content. It can involve a variety of methods like A&B testing to compare two variants of the same content to see which performs better in terms of engagement and conversion.

How to Conduct Remote User Research?

Here are some steps to follow when conducting remote user research:

1. Define your research objectives

This is the first step before conducting remote user research. Outlining and establishing your objectives or goals of the research would aid you in sourcing the appropriate information and help you direct your research efforts in the right direction.

2. Select your research method

Select the most appropriate research method based on the goal of your study. The type of information you need to gather would inform the kind of research method you will use. The tools you’ll use should also be taken into cognizance at this stage.

3. Recruit participants

Finding the right audience for your research is another key step. The success of your research depends on this step. To do this, identify your target persona and put up ads on sites or channels they usually frequent. Social media, online panels, and the like can be used to recruit your participants.

4. Sort out your research materials

Put together your resource materials, like your prototypes/sample materials like your questionnaires, etc. Make sure that they are easy to understand and suit or fit the research method that you are using.

5. Conduct the research

Carry out the research and make sure that the respondents have a clear understanding of their role in the research. You can employ the use of remote communication tools to make the process seamless.

6. Analyze and interpret the data

Data analysis of all the data gathered is the last phase in carrying out remote user research. You can use advanced software to interpret and analyze the results collected. 

This way you can achieve proper insight into the behaviors, motivations, and attributes of your users. You can then apply the results to not only identifying pain points but also proffering custom-fit solutions to them.

When to Use Remote User Research 

Remote user research is recommended in the following scenarios

• Geographical constraints: When you experience challenges or instances that prevent a physical visit to a location, like natural disasters, topography, etc. In such instances, it is better to use remote user research to reach participants.
• Time constraints: When pressed for time, due to tight project timelines, remote user research is a quick way to optimize the situation and get results in real time.
• Limited Budget: If faced with sparse resources when conducting a survey due to a limited budget, this is the time to use remote user research, as costs like travel, accommodation, refreshments, etc are eliminated when using remote user research.
• Security concerns: In situations where in-person research may not be possible due to security concerns, that can hamper safety, like a war or civil unrest. In such cases, remote user research is a viable alternative.
• Access to special user groups: Remote user research can help researchers reach a special or diverse group of participants, like high net-worth individuals or persons of interest who might be unable to grant a physical audience.

Pros & Cons of Remote User Research

Pros:

• Cost-effective: Remote user research is most times more cost-effective than regular in-person research methods, as it eliminates the need for travel expenses and reduces facility costs.
• Accessibility: Remote user research allows businesses to reach a broader range of target audiences, irrespective of their location/time zone. In this case, the research can be held at a time convenient for participants.
• Flexibility: Remote user research allows businesses to conduct research on a global scale and reach participants with restricted mobility or busy schedules.
• Data accuracy: Remote user research tools, can facilitate accuracy in data collection as the responses are recorded automatically, thereby eliminating any potential human error.

Cons:

• Lack of total control: Remote user research can be limited, as researchers do not have complete control of any issues that may arise especially concerning technical issues like connectivity, and software glitches which can affect the outcome of the study.
• Limited physical contact: The limitation faced by remote user research includes the inability to observe participants’ non-verbal communication and physical reactions, closely which can offer valuable insights into user behavior.
• Reduced Engagement: Remote user research can affect the level of engagement that a physical meeting provides especially if the participants are not familiar with online tools. There must be some level of awareness with digital tools, if not it may affect the total result.
• Limited context: Remote user research can limit the context in which research is conducted, as participants may be in their environment rather than in a controlled research setting.

How Formplus can help with Remote User Research

Formplus is an advanced data collection software that features a wide array of form templates that can be used to design and create surveys, questionnaires, and feedback forms for remote user research. 

It also features a code-free kanban-style drag-and-drop form builder that allows users to customize the form to remove or add fields based on their unique specifications. Features like advanced form logic, skip logic, and branching, help you present appropriate questions to users, based on their feedback.

Our forms also foster collaboration, with tools like team sharing which allows teamwork. Lastly, our superior data analytics tools and dashboards can help users analyze and interpret data to identify patterns, themes, and deviations and ultimately help users glean the right results from the data collected.

Conclusion

Remote user research is a fast and sustainable way to research your user’s perception of a product or service in real-time. It eliminates the need for travel and all the associated costs with a traditional research method. Unlike other methods, participants for this kind of research can be sourced for and recruited in a matter of hours. There are various types of remote user research, and the choice of which to use depends on the objective of the research.

Just like any other research method, there are pros and cons of employing remote user research methods.

Formplus is a powerful online tool that can facilitate the whole process of remote user research from start to finish. Sign up with Formplus here to get started with your remote user research survey.