Usability testing helps you eliminate assumptions and get real data on the user experience of your app, website, or product. It is a commonly used technique to bring your product to the users, have them engage, think-out-loud, and provide feedback.
Usability testing helps in identifying issues in product before it is launched which reduces cost for expensive redesigns and reduces wastages of resources and by testing it ensures that users can easily navigate and use the product which increases user satisfaction leading to higher engagement and user loyalty and through well-designed usability tests, product teams can build impactful products that not only solve users problems but also creates a stronger, more trustworthy brand experience that keeps users coming back.
There is a lot to learn about Usability Testing but we are here to show you exactly where to start. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know as we will provide a detailed introduction to Usability testing, when to conduct Usability testing and 5 best practices of Usability testing.
What is the purpose of Usability Testing?
The purpose of Usability Testing is to find any usability issues, collect qualitative and quantitative data and assess how satisfied the participants are with the product and by identifying it designers and developers improve the product or website. But it’s not just a tool to help your design and development teams make decisions. It enables you to build a better product that appeals to and works better for more people.
Moreover, Usability testing helps you find answers to specific questions like:
- If they get stuck and confused along the way, where does this happen? And What causes the confusion?
- Is the user interface intuitive?
- How do users interact with the website/app? What are they thinking when using it?
- Whether or not a product allows a user to reach their goals?
When Should you do Usability Testing
Usability Test can be conducted at any time like in early stages, on your design prototypes, during the development or later in the development process. You should carry out usability testing continuously throughout the lifecycle as it makes sure that your product stays user friendly, efficient and meets users needs.
Here are some common stages of testing the usability of products:
1. Before you start designing:
It is great to conduct Usability testing before the start of designing to identify users needs and to understand them through surveys and interviews which helps ensure that the product is user friendly and it leads to better design choices. Also, making changes in design after the development will be costly because of expensive redesigns so by doing usability testing early it helps to identify issues before they become too expensive.
For example, Imagine you are designing a mobile banking app without usability testing, so you may think that users prefer a complex dashboard with many features. However, testing might reveal that users prioritize a simple interface with quick access to balances and transactions so if you understand this early by testing, you can make designs to match real user needs which saves time as well as money.
2. During prototyping:
The early prototyping stage in usability testing involves creating simple models of a product that can be low-fidelity, like sketches or paper mockups, or high-fidelity, like interactive digital designs and the goal is to test ideas quickly and cheaply with real users. During this stage, usability testing focuses on understanding user needs and behaviors as users interact with the prototype while observers note their actions, thoughts, and feelings; this feedback helps identify usability issues early.
Early testing helps avoid costly changes later in the development process as it allows teams to refine features and improve user experience by refining navigation, layout and interaction flows before full-scale development. For example, a ride-sharing app prototype might reveal that users struggle to find the fare estimate feature. Addressing this issue during prototyping prevents costly redesigns after launch.
3. Before launching or Beta testing:
In beta testing, the product is released to a limited audience outside the company so this group is called beta testers in which they use the software and provide feedback. The purpose is to identify issues before the final release.
It helps identify last minute issues which helps improve product quality. Testers report bugs, suggest features, and share user experiences so their feedback is crucial for developers to make necessary changes and make the product or design better.
For example, a social media app may conduct beta testing with a select group of users to identify issues like slow-loading posts or unexpected crashes. Based on feedback, developers can fix these problems which ensures a smooth experience for all users at launch. Beta testing also helps gauge user satisfaction, validate feature usefulness and it ensures the software is stable also it meets user needs before the official launch but for unbiased feedback, recruit real potential users not just internal teams.
4. After Launching the product:
Usability testing after the launch is important as it helps identify any issues that users experience in real world situations so feedback from actual users can uncover user frictions that internal testing may have missed. And observing how users interact with the product can guide updates and can make continuous improvements.
Moreover, it builds trust with users by showing that a company is committed to improving the product based on feedback that can enhance customer loyalty and lead to positive reviews from the users which can increase the brand image leading to long term success.
For example, after launching a new e-commerce app, the company notices through user analytics and feedback that many customers abandon their carts at the payment stage. Usability testing reveals that the checkout button is not easily visible on mobile screens. Based on this insight, the company redesigned to make the button more prominent which reduced cart abandonment and improved conversion rates.
5. When User Complaints or Drop-offs Increases:
Usability testing is essential when user complaints or drop-offs increase as increased complaints indicate that users are facing challenges that hinder their experience or make it difficult for them to complete the task. Usability testing identifies pain points that may not be noticed with analyses alone. This strategy provides immediate response and identifies areas that want development.
By addressing the issues found during testing businesses can increase user satisfaction which leads to higher engagement and decrease drop-off rates also regular usability testing helps maintain a positive user experience by changing the designs according to the users needs.
5 best practices for Usability Testing
Usability testing assesses how easily users can interact with a product. There are 5 main best practices to follow in Usability Testing:
1. Run a pilot test:
Pilot test is a small scale usability test which is conducted before the actual test to identify issues, observe users behaviour and encourage them to think out loud like by finding leads on Twitter using hashtags. Conducting a pilot test helps improve the process, refine your tasks and questions, and identify any issues with your current testing setup.
For example, if users struggle with Twitter’s search filters, update the task instructions to guide them better. Adjust the test setup accordingly before running the full usability test to ensure accurate and actionable results.
2. Recruit diverse participants:
Users with different backgrounds bring unique perspectives and ideas which leads to better problem solving and decision making. In addition, it reflects the real world and improves understanding of different participants. This helps organizations to avoid groupthink and challenge biases. Diverse teams can reach broader audiences and improve engagement.
For example, A Twitter lead generation course, recruits a mix of users like a small business owner new to Twitter, a freelancer who networks occasionally, a marketing expert, a Gen Z entrepreneur, and a non-tech-savvy user. This diversity ensures feedback from different experience levels, uncovering usability issues and improving accessibility.
3. Write questions and tasks for users:
Usability testing tasks are divided into two categories:
- Exploratory Task: These are open ended questions that don’t have a right or wrong answer. This task gives you an insight into how people think and interact with your website and what they feel about it. For example, They ask users to browse an online store and find a gift under $50 for a friend. Explain how you make your choice so this helps identify usability issues, such as difficulty in finding relevant products, confusing navigation, or ineffective filtering options.
- Specific Task: This task usually has a right or wrong answer also, look at how to perform a specific task and how easily users can do this. For example, They ask users to Use the search bar to find a blue t-shirt under $30 and add it to your cart. So this task focuses on evaluating how effectively users can use the search bar, filter results, and complete an action (adding to cart).
Asking write questions is important as it helps uncover the pain points, user friction and helps in improvement. Ask questions that are clear, open ended questions and focused on user experience. For example:
- Did you struggle to complete any of the tasks?
- Why did you use this feature rather than that?
- Which of these options was the easiest for you? Why?
- Which device do you use?
4. Set up the Environment:
Ensure that the test platforms are like Zoom or User testing they are ready and functional as participants will interact with the tools and technology they will use later so this reduces confusion and improves feedback quality. And the place should be quiet as a well-prepared space limits distractions which helps participants to focus on the task.
5. Decide what metrics to measure:
When deciding what metrics to measure it is important to focus on key indicators like task success rate, time on task, error rate, user satisfaction (through feedback or surveys), navigation path where users get stuck, and system usability scale (SUS) scores. These metrics help assess usability and identify areas for improvement.
However, Usability testing is necessary to ensure that your product is easy to use, and the real user meets requirements which will eventually reduce costs and increase customers satisfaction. By identifying the issues early leads to a smoother customer experience and increases the brands loyalty.
Now that you understand the goal and best practices for the Usability test, it’s time to include it in your product development process. Start preparing the tests early, recruiting different participants and refine your product based on real user feedback. With a well defined test approach and the right metrics you can create meaningful products that not only address problems, but also promote positive relationships with your users.
