Quantitative Vs. Qualitative Market Research: Which Should You Use?

Everyone wants to keep a pulse on their customers

But the research community doesn’t always agree on the best way to do it. 

There are benefits to using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods. So if you’re gearing up to engage in market research, you might be wondering: 

• Which method should we use — quantitative or qualitative? 
• Should we use both? 
• If we use both, which approach should we start with?

Read this article to understand the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research and when to use each approach (or both).

Quantitative market research 

Quantitative research focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis. It results in structured, measurable data, often bringing to light key patterns and trends. 

If you need to take a gauge on performance or identify weak spots, quantitative research can help you do it. For example, survey results could indicate an issue with the front desk experience at a hotel, or accessibility issues with a mobile app. 

However, a survey won’t help you understand exactly why an issue is happening. Quantitative research can identify issues, but isn’t an effective way to diagnose the root cause.

Types of quantitative research 

Quantitative market research often takes the form of a survey, poll, or questionnaire. They use mainly multiple-choice questions to deliver definitive results and statistics.

The key to accuracy is reaching a wide enough audience. For surveys, aim for at least 385 participants as a baseline, to get to the industry standard of a 95% confidence rate with 5% margin of error for a single audience. (Compare this to the 20–30 participants you might include in a qualitative study). 

For larger or more complex audiences, scale the sample size to get a statistically significant read on consumer trends. Some surveys go deeper — incorporating feedback from 2,000 or more participants.

Invite the right voices to the table - With fewer participants in qualitative research, how can you get a representative sample? Learn how to include a variety of perspectives in market research.

Examples of quantitative research 

In the customer experience space, we often see quantitative market research take the form of customer satisfaction surveys that ask customers about their overall experience. 

Specific examples include: 

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): These surveys ask customers, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [company/product/service] to a friend?”
• HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems): Healthcare providers use CAHPS surveys, with HCAHPS being the most well known.
• Customer Effort Score (CES) : Retail and e-commerce brands often use this survey, which asks customers, “How easy was it to complete your purchase or resolve your issue?” with a scale ranging from "very difficult" to "very easy."

Benefits of quantitative research 

With the limitations of quantitative research — including restricted depth of insights and inability to diagnose the causes of issues — why is it a popular approach to market research?

Quantitative research methods offer some advantages:

• Large sample sizes: Researchers can hear from hundreds or thousands of people in little time. ‍
• Numerical results: Statistics are objective, making them easier to interpret than interview transcripts or observational data. (For example, “72% of customers prefer X over Y.”)‍
• Efficiency: Data collection is relatively passive, when compared with interviewing or ethnographic observation. Researchers can also analyze the data quickly, especially if all of the questions are multiple-choice. ‍
• Cost-effectiveness: Efficiency often brings cost savings (even for large sample sizes).‍
• Pattern spotting: With the large sample sizes that are intrinsic to quantitative research, researchers can find clear trends in consumer thinking, such as geographic and demographic patterns that provide deeper insights.

Despite these benefits, solely focusing on quantitative research comes at the expense of truly understanding consumers. Ultimately, this will limit the results of your customer experience efforts. 

Qualitative research gives you more pieces of the puzzle so you can see the full picture.

Qualitative market research 

Qualitative research is exploratory, focusing on depth of responses over volume of responses. 

The personal nature of interviewing and observation builds connection and trust between the researcher and participant, opening space to discuss the most important element of an experience: the emotional aspect.

This approach also lets researchers ask follow-up questions and probe deeper into peoples’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. As a result, researchers can uncover rich insights and unique findings that no one could have predicted. 

Types of qualitative research 

Qualitative market research uses open-ended questions, often in a face-to-face format. 

This approach can take several forms:  

• In-depth interviews: one-to-one conversations between a researcher and participant
• Focus groups: conversations between 4-8 participants, directed by a moderator 
• Journey mapping workshops: collaborative workshops that bring people together to map the customer journey (learn more)
• Ethnographic studies: observing behaviors in real-world settings
• Mobile ethnography: asking participants to document experiences via smartphone recordings
• Ride-alongs: accompanying consumers during their experience, like at an appointment or shopping trip, to view it from their perspective

Sometimes, qualitative research combines multiple methods. 

What are the differences between interviews and focus groups? How do these approaches differ, and which should you choose in your qualitative study? Here’s our take on the focus group vs. in-depth interview debate.

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Benefits of using qualitative research

Qualitative research methods require more time to collect and analyze the data, but it’s worth it for these benefits:

• Deeper insights: Qualitative studies uncover emotional drivers and motivations. This method helps researchers understand the “why” behind consumer decisions.
• Flexibility: Researchers can adapt questions, follow up, and probe deeper during interviews and workshops. This isn’t an option with surveys or polls.
• Results: Brands that deeply understand their market and consumer base can make better-informed decisions that impact business results. 
• Grounded theory: Qualitative research uses grounded theory, which means insights emerge from themes and patterns in the data. But quantitative research often uses deductive reasoning, which means assumptions may guide the design of the study (and its findings). 

Differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods

FAQs about qualitative and quantitative research

How many participants are needed in qualitative research to justify the results?

Unlike quantitative research, which relies on statistical significance, qualitative research focuses on depth over volume. But smaller sample sizes can still yield meaningful insights — if done correctly.

The key is reaching theoretical saturation: the point at which knowledge in the research becomes patternized and no new meaningful knowledge appears (researchers start hearing the same themes repeated with no new insights). 

Studies suggest that, in well-designed qualitative research, this typically happens within 8-12 interviews per subgroup.

Is a survey quantitative or qualitative research?

Surveys and questionnaires fall under quantitative research because they use multiple-choice questions to gather numerical data. There’s also no opportunity to follow up or probe on participant’s answers with a traditional survey.

Surveys and questionnaires alone won’t give you a full understanding of your audience’s needs, emotions, and behaviors. Trend reports provide interesting stats, but authentic customer quotes and answers to probing questions provide deeper insights. 

What are the similarities between qualitative and quantitative research?

Both methods aim to understand consumer thinking and decision-making by asking people questions and looking for patterns. They also both require a certain threshold of participants or repetitions in order to reach statistically significant results. 

Which approach is best?

Quantitative research uncovers broad trends and statistics. Qualitative research uncovers deep insights into motivations and behaviors. 

Often, using both qualitative and quantitative research together results in the most accurate, widely applicable data. First, conduct qualitative research through interviews, observations, or workshops. Then validate the findings on a larger scale with a quantitative survey.

Looking to understand your customers on a deeper level?

Want to get an authentic read on your audience’s emotions, needs, and decision drivers? Learn how Cast & Hue uncovers rich consumer insights that drive business strategy.