How to Apply Customer Research to Marketing and Product
Atlas/Maps/Demand Curve Growth MOC
- Once you’ve identified the job that your product should solve, you can apply your insights to optimize your marketing funnel.
- We recommend the psych framework here, which comes from growth expert Darius Contractor. Though Darius uses the framework for landing page optimization, it’s applicable to the entire marketing funnel.
- Applying the psych framework is easiest for companies that have a customer journey map. Looking at the customer’s timeline and your research, consider:
- What barriers exist when users try to learn about your product?
- How long does it take for users to go through the signup/purchase process?
- How long does it take for users to get their job done after hiring your product?
- Where might users become the most excited or frustrated in their journey? Why?
- The ultimate goal of the psych framework is to ==identify friction along the customer journey—and then get rid of it for maximum user “psych.”== According to the framework:
- A user’s experience with a brand and product affects their emotional energy.
- You can think of and measure ==emotional energy as units of “psych.” ==The highest level of emotional energy is 100 psych.
- Poor marketing/product elements lower users’ psych while good elements raise it. Someone with 0 psych is exhausted by the experience, and will not continue using it. High levels of psych lead to continued use.
- Companies must optimize their marketing and product to preserve users’ psych, not drain it.
- Here’s how that might look in practice—once again, we’ll use Shopify as an example.
| Stage | + Psych Elements | Psych Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring | - “There’s so much demand for my products—I bet I could sell even more online” - “I’ve heard Shopify can help you open an online store even if you’re not a tech expert” | - Misconceptions and doubt about the potential ROI of setting up an ecommerce shop - Administrative work attached to opening a store, e.g., registering your business |
| Considering | - “Shopify is the first result in Google when I look for info about starting an online shop” - “I’ve noticed some of my favorite stores say they’re ‘powered by Shopify’” | - “Shopify ads are appearing everywhere” - Shopify competitors have compelling social media posts - Downloadable resources on competitor blogs |
| Deciding | - A close friend recommends Shopify - Shopify’s website includes case studies and real-life example - Receiving an exclusive Shopify promotion via email | - There’s no free plan available - A negative YouTube review about Shopify - “The signup process asks for so much info” |
| Consuming | - Easy-to-read guides and video tutorials - Beginner-friendly templates - A customer success manager reaches out to offer help | - Receiving too many emails from Shopify - “Shopify SEO is hard to figure out” - Transaction fees reduce revenue - Limited customization options |
| Loyalty | - A fast email response from customer service - Lots of easy integrations with Shopify | - Transaction fees - Limited customization - Speaking with a rude or unhelpful support team member |
- Not all psych elements are in your control, like when people encounter a problem for the first time in the exploring phase. Some elements are also inherent to the problem or the market, like if there’s a large number of competitors for people to pick from.
- Despite this, the psych framework is great for ==identifying elements that are within your control==, which may have been overlooked otherwise. You may find that negative psych elements outweigh the positive in one stage, meaning more optimization work is needed.
# Focus on your customers, not your product
- Many founders justify focusing on their product and its features by claiming that the product will sell itself. We’ve seen this across all niches and industries, including new trends like blockchain, AI, and the Internet of Things.
- But to hold people’s interest, new features and technologies aren’t the most important thing. Novelty only gets you so far, especially as competitors catch up.
- The biggest takeaways for market and customer research:
- The ==problem your product solves== is what makes your company important to customers.
- Without understanding this problem, you won’t be able to identify your target audience.
- Use the JTBD framework and research to find out the problem your users most want to solve. Then build or refine your product based on your findings.