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A topic I've discussed with User Replay before is the importance of using qualitative data alongside our quantitative insights.
As an analyst, I’m part of a community that loves numbers—we search for outliers, spot trends, and bring meaning to data to drive change. But how often do we get tricked by the numbers in front of us? We trust them because they stand so confidently on the screen. Yet, how often do we insist on actually seeing users perform the behaviors we find interesting?
The Power of Qualitative Data
Numbers tell us what is happening, but they don’t always tell us why.
When analyzing a funnel, we might see a significant drop-off at a certain step and immediately prioritize it for optimization. But how many of those users have we actually watched in session recordings to understand their experience? What friction points are they facing that the numbers alone don’t reveal?
Or take copywriting—how often do we truly analyze the language our users use in reviews, social media, and support tickets? Sentiment analysis can highlight key emotional triggers and pain points that influence behavior far more than we might assume from simple engagement metrics.
Linking Data Across Platforms for a Unified View
One of the most powerful ways to connect quantitative and qualitative insights is by linking user IDs across platforms like Google Analytics, Hotjar, FullStory, and Glassbox. By doing this, you can track the same cohort of users across multiple tools, allowing you to:
✅ Identify a drop-off point in Google Analytics, then watch real user sessions in Glassbox to understand why it’s happening.
✅ See an unusual interaction pattern in Hotjar heatmaps, then dive into GA4 to understand which traffic sources or segments are driving that behavior.
✅ Analyze a recurring negative sentiment in reviews, then cross-check session replays to spot usability issues causing frustration.
Bringing these tools together provides a 360-degree view of the user experience, bridging the gap between data-driven decisions and real human behavior.
When A/B Test Results Don’t Match Expectations
A/B testing is often seen as the ultimate way to validate changes, but what happens when a new variant underperforms against expectations? Did the new experience truly deliver what was intended?
Watching live session recordings of users interacting with the new version can reveal crucial insights:
- Was there an unexpected usability issue that wasn’t caught in QA testing?
- Did a specific demographic, device type, or browser segment struggle with the new design?
- Were users confused by changes that seemed intuitive on paper but didn’t translate well in reality?
Numbers alone won’t always tell you why a test failed—or even if it truly failed. Maybe the wrong segment of users was impacted, or an unforeseen usability issue skewed the results. By combining qualitative insights with A/B testing data, we can make more confident, informed decisions about what really works.
The Right UX & Analytics Tech Stack
If you're only using Google Analytics to optimize your website, you may be missing a large piece of the puzzle. Combining session recordings, heatmaps, sentiment analysis, and digital analytics gives you a full picture of how users experience your site—and why they convert (or don’t).
At Net Impression, we help businesses implement, integrate, and maximize UX and analytics tools to create seamless, high-converting digital experiences.
💡 Want a free consultation on the right UX tech stack for your business? Feel free to reach out—we’d be happy to help!
