This document discusses how companies can tune into customer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It recommends speaking to customers regularly through surveys and interviews to understand how their needs have changed. Companies should focus on understanding current struggles and how needs have evolved over time rather than trying to anticipate the future. The document provides suggestions for conducting remote user research during this time, such as giving participants more time and showing empathy.

1. User Needs & COVID-19
How to tune into your customer needs
during rapidly changing times
Presented by AJ Davis, Founder of Experiment Zone

2. In Kind

3. Agenda
What we’ll cover
▪ Customer impact of COVID
▪ How to stay aware of your customer needs
▪ Understand what customers need today
▪ Anticipate emerging needs
▪ Adjustments to your research approach

4. Intro to AJ Davis
Experiment Zone
AJ loves helping brands improve their conversion rates
by improving customer experiences.
Expertise:
- User research, analytics, and conversion rate
optimization
- Finding user experience issues & solving them
Reach me
aj@experimentzone.com
LinkedIn

5. Customer Impact of COVID-19

6. Customers + COVID-19
Rewind

7. Customers + COVID-19
2020 Changes
Major shifts
▪ Where & how customers spend
their time
▪ Priorities (health)
▪ Online vs. Offline
Images Source: Bain. Sept 23, 2020. Available at: https://www.bain.com/insights/shaping-the-consumer-of-the-future/

8. Customers + COVID-19
2021 and Beyond
Big Questions remain.
▪ What sticks?
▪ What continues to shift?
▪ What new problems emerge?
Source: Bain. Sept 23, 2020. Available at: https://www.bain.com/insights/shaping-the-consumer-of-the-future/

9. Customers + COVID-19
Should we care?
COVID-19 is making an impact
▪ You could lose competitive advantage
▪ The market won’t look the same “on the other side”
▪ Old customer data doesn’t reflect current needs

10. What about your customers?

11. Your Customers
Ask - and Listen
Customer needs are changing:
- Quickly
- Differently by customer segment
- Difficult to anticipate
Talking to customers is more important that ever before.

12. Intro to User Research
What is it?
User research focuses on understanding:
▪ behaviors
▪ needs
▪ motivations
….through observation techniques, task analysis, and
other feedback methodologies.
Definition adapted from Usability.gov (https://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-research.html)

13. Toolkit
How do we find answers?
Adapted from NNGroup’s A Landscape of User Research Methods
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/
A/B Testing
Usability Testing
Analytics Analysis
Email SurveysInterviews
Intercept SurveysFirst Impression Testing
Card Sorting &
Tree Testing
Click Tracking Analysis
Heuristic Review
Expert Review
Why
Behaviors

14. Needs today

15. Pulse on today
Why does it matter?
Life has changed rapidly - professionally and personally.
The pain point you solve may not exist.
- May exist in a new form.
- May exist alongside new problems.
You can make a bigger impact by keeping your ear to the
ground.

16. Pulse on today
How to understand
Schedule regular “listening sessions.”
- Ask the same questions to 3-5 customers each month
to identify emerging pain points early.
- Create simple survey questions in the context where
your customers are.

17. Pulse on today
Questions to ask
1. How are you using [our product] today?
2. What has surprised you about using [our product] in 2020?
3. What impact does [our product] have on your
personal/professional life?
4. If you could make any change to our product today, what
would it be and why?

18. Anticipating future needs

19. Future Needs
How to uncover
Customers don’t accurately predict their future
behavior.
Focus instead on:
- Current struggles
- Changes since pre-COVID
- How needs evolved throughout COVID
Keep the conversation going!

20. Future Needs
Who to ask
1. Current Customers.
Understand how they have been impacted & emerging pain points.
2. Target Niche.
Confirm their pain points continue to align with your offer.
3. Cast wider net.
Think broader. New opportunities are emerging rapidly.

21. Future Needs
Questions to ask
Ask your customers:
- How has 2020 impacted your life?
- How does this make you feel?
- What has brought you the most joy this year?
- What has brought you the most pain this year?
- What has changed the most in your life this year?
- What has surprised you the most between
March/April and today?

22. Research tips for 2020

23. User Research
COVID-19 Context
Anxiety levels are high.
▪ Give research participants
enough time to do tasks and
answer questions.
▪ Show compassion & empathy.
▪ Set clear expectations for the
conversations.
Images Source: Accenture, April 28, 2020. Available at: https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/consumer-goods-services/coronavirus-consumer-behavior-research

24. User Research
During a Pandemic
#1 - Focus on connecting remotely.
#2 - Increase your frequency to check in with customers & their needs.
#3 - When talking, leave time for exploring the anxiety / emotions around
2020. Avoid questions that could be tone-deaf.
#4 - Ask about concrete differences instead of anticipating future behavior.
#5 - Explore broader context in conversations with customers.

25. Remote User Research
Tools & technology
Usability Testing Tools
Participant Recruitment Platforms Additional Tools

26. Next Steps
Visit Us
Need help understanding customer needs?
▪ Find out about what we do at ExperimentZone.com
▪ Listen to AJ’s new podcast about user research:
SoundCloud.com/StartupInsights
Or let’s get a virtual coffee! Message me at aj@experimentzone.com

27. Questions?