{"id":4213,"date":"2013-03-12T10:28:26","date_gmt":"2013-03-12T14:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meetcontent.com\/?p=4213"},"modified":"2017-04-20T00:23:07","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T04:23:07","slug":"web-focus-groups-know-your-users-know-your-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meetcontent.com\/blog\/web-focus-groups-know-your-users-know-your-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Web Focus Groups: Know Your Users, Know Your Content"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Do you know what web content your users care about? If not, it’s time to ask!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For most organizations, the go-to method of content analysis is web analytics. People love numbers: 2,000 inquiries, 500 sign-ups \u2014 oh, baby! Unfortunately, these numbers don’t tell the whole story, and if we base our content strategy on quantitative data alone, we’re missing a big piece of the content measurement puzzle. <\/p>\n

Web analytics is great at answering "What?"<\/a> What pages do people view on our website? What actions do they take? But it doesn\u2019t adequately answer "Why?" Why do people view a webpage? Why do they take action \u2014 or not take action? And these are questions we need answers for if we\u2019re going to make smart decisions about our content.<\/p>\n

To understand what content our users care about and how our website can meet their needs, we have to ask them. All the web analytics insights in the world can’t replace a single user telling you why they came to your website and why they left. Focus groups help us find these answers. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about planning and conducting web focus groups for user research and how to make sense of your findings.<\/p>\n

1. Define the Purpose<\/h2>\n

Just as with all forms of analysis, in order to find answers, you need to first define the questions. What is the purpose of your web focus group? Are you preparing for a full website redesign? Are you looking to update and improve your career services website? Are you trying to figure out how to best use social media to support your website goals? Before moving forward, clearly define your purpose.<\/p>\n

2. Decide Who to Invite<\/h2>\n

Choose web focus group participants based on their direct knowledge of the content being assessed. For example, if you are assessing admissions content, try to find newly admitted students who recently experienced your website as part of the admissions process. <\/p>\n

The more removed participants are from the subject matter, the less relevant their responses will be. In the previous example, you can use current students instead of newly admitted students (which is a common and practical alternative), but their opinion of your website will change significantly the moment they arrive on campus. It\u2019s worth the effort to find fresh opinions, if possible.<\/p>\n

To get started, create a list of web user attributes that will help you select appropriate participants. For a student focus group, you might consider age, gender, geographic location, area of study, on\/off-campus housing, graduation date and so on. It’s nearly impossible to have the perfect mix of attributes in your focus group, so it\u2019s important to prioritize them to make sure you get the best mix possible.<\/p>\n

3. Choose a Size That Fits<\/h2>\n

I find eight to ten participants to be a good focus group size in most cases. You want the group to be small enough to encourage open discussion but big enough to provide adequately diverse opinions. It’s common for a participant to change his or her answer after hearing others talk \u2014 and that\u2019s a good thing. Open dialogue is important to uncover insights that both you and focus group participants didn’t know to look for. (More on this later.)<\/p>\n

4. Get People to Help<\/h2>\n

Food and gift cards! It’s hard to turn down a free pizza and an Amazon gift certificate.<\/p>\n

However, what you really want are dedicated, interested participants who are motivated to help \u2014 not just any hungry student. Talk to knowledgeable staff or faculty for recommendations. Or, if you’re really stuck, you can always ask student staff to help while on the clock. But, yeah, food and gift cards will help seal the deal.<\/p>\n

5. Decide What to Ask<\/h2>\n

When defining your questions, focus on the purpose of your web focus group and what you want to learn. The questions you ask will shape the discussion and affect the outcome, so take care in crafting them. Consider a funnel approach: Start with broad questions that will foster engagement, then offer more specific questions to guide participant responses. <\/p>\n

Focus group questions are most successful when they are open and neutral.<\/p>\n

Sample questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n