User interviews - A basic Introduction

So you know your users. You understand them, what they do and what makes them tick. Really?

It's surprising how few people have a real understanding of who's using their site. Yes, there is demographic data but to really know your users you must have direct contact. Knowing your users means you know what to do to keep them happy, and keep them returning to your site. Knowing your users is the first step in a fast track to a successful site.

WHY INTERVIEWS?
The aim of interviews is to discover:
- Users' needs and goals
- How users complete tasks on your site (or would do if functionality was available)
- What users think the site offers them (and what more they really want/need)

Interviews help guide future site development by highlighting user needs through increased understanding. This understanding helps you make better decisions, both in general site management and when developing your site further.

“Why not just put out a questionnaire? I'll get the opinions of more people.” You will, but interviews give you so much more detail. It's depth versus breadth. Interviews give you access to greater levels of information and a more complete picture than you could ever gather from a questionnaire.

Questionnaires help you know about users, interviews help you understand them.

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