Every time I start working with a company I always hear the same: “We know our users.”
And it makes, doesn’t it? If they didn’t know their users they wouldn’t be in this business. They wouldn’t be able to sell to them.
Yet, every time the initial research period ends, they always are surprised by the findings. Either some behavior surprises them (not what they expected or wanted), or the demographic, or the way people use or don’t use their product.
Without fail, there’s always something new they learn. Usually multiple somethings.
So do not assume you know everything there is to know about your customers, your industry, or even your website.
People will always find ways to surprise you. That’s what they do, daily.
Even the simplest email form with a confirmation field could be surprising.
The moral of the story: always go for research and be receptive to what it finds out. Even if you’ve been doing this for decades, when given a chance, do some more research. You’ll learn something new, again and again.
