Many users struggle with navigating websites effectively.
And when a site is hard to navigate, it can drive potential customers away.
Therefore, conducting website usability testing is essential for creating easy-to-use and intuitive sites.
In this article, we'll go through the fundamentals of website usability testing and analysis to boost customer satisfaction!
What is Website Usability Testing?
Website usability assesses whether an online experience is intuitive and enjoyable.
Imagine navigating through a city without a map or street signs!
This is how real users feel when they encounter an unclear and confusing website.
In this context, website usability testing helps prevent unclear navigation or potential issues.
Key aspects of usability testing involve digital experiences' navigation, design, functionality and content.
How Does Website Usability Testing Work?
1. Definition
Before you start testing–it's crucial to identify what you want to achieve.
You can assess user-friendliness and the functioning of a feature or identify a recurring issue.
Clearly defining your objectives will help you design proper tests and garner pertinent data.
2. Selection
Select an effective usability testing method that suits your needs.
Some common approaches include:
A. Moderated In-Person Testing
In moderated testing, participants complete tasks while a moderator gets insights into their behavior.
This process allows teams to gather in-depth insights and direct interaction with users.
A company could use it to assess how their new e-commerce website works for specific tasks.
Examples could include navigating the catalog, adding products to the cart and completing the check-out process.
B. Unmoderated Remote Testing
Unmoderated testing involves using online tools to record users' screens and voices while they complete tasks.
It allows you to test with more potential users, as you’re not bound to a physical location or tight time constraints.
Unmoderated remote testing offers greater flexibility while gaining insights into a larger sample size.
A business might use unmoderated remote usability testing to gather feedback from users across different locations and devices.
C. Guerrilla Testing
Guerilla testing involves approaching potential users in their natural setting and asking them to complete quick usability tests.
For example, a college could ask students on campus whether they find its new website design easy to navigate.
A coffee shop looking to test its redesign could also visit one of its locations to meet with its audience.
This approach to testing is ideal for projects with tight or nonexistent testing budgets.
Guerrilla testing allows you to gain a more accurate understanding of how users will actually use the product.
Here, some edges include the challenges they may encounter and the features they find most useful.
This can lead to identifying pain points that might not have been evident in a controlled testing scenario.
D. Eye-Tracking
Lastly, eye-tracking testing uses special tools to monitor users' eye movements.
This allows businesses to obtain valuable insights into which elements of a digital product catch their attention.
An online retailer could implement eye-tracking testing to know whether users are focusing on crucial information or not.
3. Recruitment
Recruiting participants that reflect your target audience is essential for getting useful feedback.
Consider factors like age, background, tech skills and the device with which they’re most likely to navigate your website.
You can find participants through online panels, social media, or by contacting your existing customers directly.
4. Development
In the development stage, you should build realistic tasks that reflect how users interact with your website.
Ensure the tasks are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
You could ask users to achieve detailed goals, such as "finding a product in 'X' category and adding it to your cart."
5. Testing
During the test, observe participants' behavior and listen to their feedback.
Note important UX KPIs, such as task completion rates, success rates, time on task, error rates, and user satisfaction.
You can also use screen recording software to watch users' actions in real time.
After the test, consider asking users to complete a questionnaire or quick user interview to get even more feedback.
Why is Website Usability Test Important?
Website usability testing helps you design and build user-friendly sites.
Jakob Nielsen said it best: "Usability is a necessary condition for survival on the web."
A user-friendly website can also significantly impact sales.
When users can easily find products on your site, your conversion rates are likely to improve.
What’s more, usability testing yields valuable user insights for better design decisions.
By looking at this data, you can ultimately minimize the likelihood of expensive User Experience redesigns.
A real-life example can be the Shopify Experts Marketplace.
The design team conducted usability tests and interviews to learn what vendors needed and expected.
The team then used card sorting and tree testing to optimize the Information Architecture (IA).
Lastly, they tested again, this time asking users to find and hire an expert on Shopify’s platform.
The team evaluated the marketplace’s functionality, ultimately making it more enjoyable and effective.
Website Usability Testing and Usability Analysis of a Website
While many people use the terms interchangeably, there is a difference between website usability testing and usability analysis.
Usability testing is a specific method for identifying usability issues by observing real users interact with a website or prototype.
It's a hands-on approach that focuses on user behavior, where they struggle, and what confuses them.
Further, it typically involves tasks for actual users to collect direct user feedback.
Conversely, usability analysis is a broader process that evaluates a website's usability and identifies areas for improvement.
This procedure includes expert reviews, eye tracking, heatmap analysis and surveys, with usability testing being just one option.
In short, usability analysis is the overall framework, while usability testing is a specific method within that framework.
Conclusion
Website usability testing and analysis are ongoing processes focused on improving digital products. By doing so, you can boost your business's success.
We are a UX-driven Product Development agency with over a decade of experience. We know how important usability testing is for improving customer experience!
Reach out if you want to improve your website's User Experience!
