User Experience Testing: What and How to Test UX
User Experience testing is an essential task that many entrepreneurs and marketers are often afraid of.
It is a daunting task and can be extremely difficult to be executed when your website is loaded with a variety of products or pages.
But user experience testing can’t be overlooked as it is essential to ensure an increase in conversions and generation of revenue.
Many famous names in the industry had conducted extensive user experience testing on their sites before they went live and found a significant rise in conversions.
Studies had also shown that when people had a poor user experience, they were most likely to abandon the particular website and the shopping cart they built on it.
So, it is pretty clear that user experience testing is directly linked with conversions, but how can we show the link?
Through this post, you will come to know about many things related to user experience testing. So be sure to keep reading!
What is User Experience Testing (UX testing)?
User experience testing is a method to test various aspects of the user experience to decide upon the best and the most effective way for a website and its relevant elements to engage the audience.
It is very much similar to managing a brick-and-mortar store.
As a manager, you would be interested in knowing which aisles attract the maximum number of customers , from which shelves are most products moved, and what types of visual signage convince the potential customers to convert.
Many stores make use of digital tools to get an idea about user experience testing in-store.
For various sorts of online businesses, user experience testing helps find the loopholes and focus on fixing them.
These tools allow businesses to test their websites for trust, first impressions, comparison, time on page, and many more such things.
When data compilation begins, a pattern surfaces you can use that to improve the user experience.
What makes UX Testing important?
When you start to think about your website’s goals, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
Indeed, it is a boost in sales. But how can you make it happen?
It isn’t as simple as clicking on a link and getting to see a whole lot of cash getting dumped in your bank account.
The key lies in determining what the consumers find attractive or unattractive about your site.
It directly influences their decision about buying products and services from you. This is why user experience is vital .
The intent behind user experience testing is to increase sales.
This is possible only when you ensure that the user gets all the right things served to him.
Suppose, if you are a user yourself, what are the few things that you will like to see in a checkout process on a website? A few things that will come to your mind will have to be:
- Hassle-free navigation.
- Ease of access to product information.
- Hassle-free checkout processes.
- Trust symbols.
- Social proof.
While these are just a few things from the list, they are essential.
The audience’s diversity may also reflect that one might need one of these things, and the other may not. So, you can’t just blindly follow the best user experience practices and expect great results.
Advice and best practices indeed help you start the process and test your theories with your users.
Usability Testing methods to elevate your website’s UX
The scientific method is the basis of user experience testing.
You distinguish an inquiry or need, produce a theory, set up the examination, run the test, and break down the outcomes.
Sounds confounded, correct? It doesn’t need to be. There are vast loads of web design tools accessible to help you better comprehend usability testing, yet we’ll get to those later.
To start with, let’s see the essential methodologies for user experience testing.
1 – Card Sorting
Card sorting is a good and effective way to visualise the organisation of elements on your website.
All you need to do is develop a site hierarchy and navigation that satisfies the participant’s usability needs.
In the beginning, some cards won’t seem right, but as you test usability, you will learn and organise the best ones. It is all a trial-and-error method.
2 – Moderated user testing
It is a method where somebody moderates the usability testing experience.
It very well may be a person in a space with participants or a moderator in a discussion group.
Whatever the case, moderators can respond to inquiries from members, help manage the interaction, and give knowledge into what the website needs to accomplish.
Moderated user testing is additionally helpful when you need somebody to clarify how a product or interface functions.
On the off chance that disarray exists, there’s likely an issue with UX. A moderator can report back on what the individual in question saw during the test.
3 – Unmoderated user testing
While moderated user testing provides visible results directly, many experts don’t support it.
They believe that unmoderated user testing is more promising. This is mainly because people can easily share what they feel when no one is keeping a watch on them.
Though it is true, there are boundaries to it. One must not forget about user error and unfocused participant behaviour.
Adopting both moderated and unmoderated testing methods can provide some great results.
4 – Voice of customer
Customer feedback highlights a few gruesome facts.
For example, less than 5% of unsatisfied participants contact the company to complain.
That means over 96% keep mum, and as per a study, 90% never really come back to the said business.
An effective exercise in user experience testing can learn how to listen to your customers. You can get the relevant information from:
- Product or service reviews on your website.
- Reviews on third-party websites.
- Emails and phone calls.
- Submitted feedback forms.
Ignoring these points of customer feedback can never be helpful to you.
Instead, note them down and include them in your database as you continue with the process of user experience testing.
5 – Asking your users
While getting feedback from your participants helps user experience testing, you don’t need to set a time and date for that.
Set a poll or survey and ask what your users feel directly.
This can be done on your blog , homepage, or wherever you like.
If you have good followership on social media platforms, ask your users to interact with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
6 – Availability and accessibility
A 404 page not found error is something that you must have come across in your life.
It is annoying to see the error, and it indicates a problem with the site’s accessibility.
Possibly you’ve additionally visited a website where you click on what you accept that is a link. However, it doesn’t take you anyplace.
Or on the other hand, maybe the link to the About page in the navigation pane leads you to the contact page.
Inspecting for accessibility and usability is fundamental for user experience testing.
7 – Aesthetics
We all are familiar with the saying ‘Never judge a book by its cover’.
But it is actually what happens when the visuals on your site are not at all appealing.
Aesthetics is, therefore, an essential part of user experience testing.
The definition of beauty differs from person to person, and that is why making a decision based on a single user’s experience is a wrong move.
It would help if you had a representative sample to sort out what stylish aesthetics your particular audience likes.
8 – Brand Consistency
At the point when your brand shows up, sounds, or carries on uniquely in contrast to one page of your website to the following, you hazard befuddling — or more terrible, estranging — your target audience.
It’s sort of like your #1 comedian.
You’re utilised to his particular brand of jokes. At that point, you purchase tickets to his latest show, and you’re floored. He sounds in no way, such as himself.
Furthermore, you may never purchase tickets to one of his shows again.
Why? You wouldn’t realise what’s in the store since his credibility has been broken.
9 – Comparison/Preference Tests
Comparison/Preference Tests are directed to assess at least two other options, like two design comps or your design versus a competitor’s.
These quick A/B tests at the design stage can rapidly show which alternatives work best, assisting designers with settling on choices quickly and with certainty.
User data is caught employing online studies with users in the target segment OR face to face, with an observation of the user breaking down the two designs.
Comparison Tests are directed after a hypothesis has been shaped. Results are broken down alongside data assembled during participants interviews, expert reviews, and usability investigation.
The test is utilised to approve or nullify the hypothesis.
10 – Automated Visitor Screen Recording
Automated Visitor Screen Recording is utilised to imagine the user’s experience through a screen recording, seeing complex interactions and product pain points.
The strategy goes past examining what users are doing and gives some knowledge into why and how they are getting along with it.
Software solutions require adding a little embed code to your site to begin recording user interactions and usability pain points.
The collected data uncovers stream issues, reveals click behaviour, and educates the design interaction generally.
Best User Experience Testing Tools
Since we’ve covered some user experience testing techniques, what would it be advisable for you to use to play out the accurate tests?
Picking the UC testing tools is fundamental since you need top-notch data, comprehensive created analytics, and a strong company behind the instrument.
We should take a gander at some of the mainstream and popular user experience tools!
1 – Optimizely
Optimizely charges markets as the “world’s greatest experimentation stage.”
It offers tons of tools you can use to run usability experiments, dissect them, and apply the subsequent ends.
It has a ton of integrations and partners, which is incredible on the off chance that you as of now utilise those tools.
You can utilise it to test a variety of things, from marketing materials to product onboarding processes.
It’s additionally an incredible tool for personalisation.
2 – GTmetrix
You must probably be aware that page load speed can represent the deciding moment for a participants conversion.
At the point when consumers get aggravated with moderate loading pages or modules, they click away quickly.
Furthermore, they’re probably going to your competitors.
You can utilise GTmetrix to test your page load speed time, and afterwards, sort out the thing that may be turning out badly.
It’ll bring up blunders like CSS botches, JavaScript issues, and picture compression issues.
3 – Validately
Validately is one of the less complex competitors with regards to user experience testing tools.
It centres around taking care of the multitude of details while the organisers of the examination can zero in on the undertakings and questions.
The stage enables its real users to pause for a minute or two and build up the standards for who can step through the exam, allowing Validately to mind the rest.
It starts, sets up, and completes the usability test with no hiccups.
For participants who need to be more included, Validately goes to the extent that you need it to.
User experience testing is quite possibly the most effective approach to improve your conversion rates , increment brand loyalty, and drive more traffic to your site.
Luckily, there are a lot of tools accessible to assist you in getting the data you need.
UX testing includes deciding the ideal approach to address your users’ issues.
If you meet — and surpass — their assumptions, you’ll have won yourself a faithful customer.
You will likely improve the website experience so users can discover what they need when they need it.
A few visitors may be at the top of the conversion pipe. They’re searching for data.
Participants at the bottom of the channel are looking at your products and searching for a pardon to purchase.
Realising your conversion channel will assist you in applying these usability tips all the more adequately.
Author Bio: Amit Bhosle is a blogger and social media expert. I enjoy jotting down ideas and facts, and in the endeavour of doing the same, I come up with various articles on topics related to Social Media and Web Design . You can check out my content on Belgeard .
