I got into a really interesting discussion yesterday where I found myself defending lightweight usability testing. My core point:
Analytics are great for What’s. For example, “A is better than B”, or “this is a problem area”
What analytics do less well is help you understand Why’s. If you don’t understand the root cause, you can end up spinning your wheels or missing big opportunities.
I’m a firm believer in needing both. Analytics keep things grounded in real behavior, but qualitative user interactions provide those needed intuitive leaps.
p.s. for an interesting presentation on user testing, check out Meetup VP Andres Glusman’s deck from last SXSW.