How to conduct user research for (almost) free

User research for UX design is critical to building great products — but let’s be honest, it doesn’t always get the funding we’d want for it. Whether you’re in an early-stage startup with tight resources, navigating corporate bureaucracy, or dealing with stakeholders who don’t prioritize research, budget constraints can be a challenge.

But here’s the good news — not every research method requires expensive tools or hefty incentives. There are still plenty of ways to gather valuable insights without breaking the bank.

I’m going to use this blog post to explore and share some practical, low-cost (or even no-cost) methods for conducting user research.

Start with the right UX research questions

Before talking about research methods, let’s talk about the foundation of good research — asking the right research questions:

The less budget you have, the more focused your research needs to be. Every minute and resource spent should be intentional. And your research questions should be:

• Specific enough to avoid collecting irrelevant insights
• Broad enough to uncover new, unbiased perspectives

For example, instead of a vague question like, “How do users feel about our product?”, refine it to, “What are the top three frustrations users experience when completing a purchase on our website?”

The more clearly you define what you’re studying, the more efficient — and cost-effective — your UX research will be.

Low-cost UX research methods

Here are some of the best low- or no-cost research methods I’ve found so far:

• Desk research — Leverage existing reports, studies, and public data
• Reusing internal data — Review past research, analytics, and user feedback
• Guerrilla testing and interviewing — Approach users in their environment for quick feedback
• Lean user interviews — Conduct low-cost digital interviews with in-product users
• Low-cost surveys — Use free tools like Google Forms for short, targeted surveys
• Engaging with communities — Tap into forums, LinkedIn groups, and subreddits

I’ll now break these down further:

Desk research

Desk research might not be glamorous, but it’s one of the most cost-efficient research methods out there. Industry reports, academic studies, and existing UX case studies can provide valuable context for your work.

A common pushback, though, is — “But it’s not specific to our users.” True, but we often over-index how unique our product or audience is. If you’re working on an ecommerce platform, for example, most established research on ecommerce trends will still apply in some way.

Some useful (and free) sources for desk research include:

• Google Scholar (for academic research)
• UX research publications and industry reports (for UX-specific insights)
• Baymard Institute (for e-commerce usability research)
• Government and NGO reports (for industry-specific data)

Before launching expensive research, check if someone has already done the work for you!

Leverage internal data

Before launching a new research initiative, check what insights already exist. Past usability tests, product analytics, support tickets, and user feedback are all goldmines of information.

For example, product analytics can tell you:

• Where users drop off in your conversion funnel
• Which features get the most engagement
• How user behavior changes over time

While I often talk about acting fast on research insights because they go obsolete over time, data ages. The market, product, and users change. But in the face of a limited budget, even a year-old research study is better than starting from scratch.

Guerrilla testing and interviews

You don’t need incentives or any research setup to talk to users. Guerrilla research is all about going where your users are and striking up a conversation.

When I worked on a retail chain’s mobile app, we didn’t have time for formal research. So, I stood outside the store for half a day and asked customers if they used the app. If they did, I asked a few quick questions.

Tips for guerrilla research:

• Keep it short and focused (1-2 key questions)
• Offer a small incentive (like a discount code or free coffee)
• Approach users in a relevant context (e.g., a grocery store for a grocery app)

The key is to just keep it short. A couple of minutes is usually all you’ll get — so make it count.

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Lean user interviews

If in-person research isn’t an option, digital user interviews can be a great alternative. The trick is to recruit directly from your product. Keep in mind:

• Use push notifications, in-app messages, or emails to invite users to interviews
• Offer in-product incentives like credits or free trials instead of cash

For example, if you’re testing a B2B SaaS product, offering a free month of service can be more valuable than a $50 gift card.

Low-cost surveys

Surveys don’t have to be expensive. Free tools like Google Forms work perfectly for quick, lightweight surveys. And then, you can recruit users via in-product requests (e.g. modals), marketing communication (e.g. emails) or guerrilla outreach (e.g. communities).

For better response rates, just:

• Keep it under two minutes long
• Make the survey length crystal clear — users are more likely to complete it if they know it’s short

And if you need to ask multiple questions? Break it into several short surveys instead of one long one.

Engaging with communities and power users

Some of the best user insights come from people who are already deeply engaged with your product category. Just:

• Join relevant LinkedIn groups, Reddit threads, or product communities
• Identify and engage your most active users to form a customer advisory board

Many users are happy to contribute feedback just for the sake of improving the product — especially if they feel heard and valued.

A quick summary:

Hard truth: We got comfortable

Let’s be real. Many of us got used to having research budgets. From 2020-2022, UX research had a moment. Companies were investing in:

• External agencies that do recruitment for us
• UX research consultants to refine questionnaires
• Dedicated budgets for participant incentives

Now, a lot of those resources are gone. But that doesn’t mean we can’t achieve the same quality of insights with UX research. It just takes more effort.

Engaging communities takes time. Guerrilla research requires stepping outside and talking to people. Filtering through tons of available data online to fish out relevant data points is tiring.

But here’s the silver lining. Constraints force clarity. With fewer resources, we’re pushed to be more intentional about our research and ruthlessly prioritize. And that, then, helps us focus on what matters — both in the UX research and in design.

And, honestly, not having a research budget is, to some extent, liberating. A lack of budget doesn’t mean a lack of insights from the research methods. It just shifts the cost from money to effort.

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