Web Design User Testing
User testing is an increasingly important component of web design that asks: is your website logical, easy and a pleasure to use? When you create a positive experience for your visitors, you encourage them to take the next step and engage with your business as well as make a repeat visit. Of course, the only way to know for sure whether your website creates a positive experience – or not – is to have it tested by actual users and to collate their feedback.
For starters, here are four key areas on a website that should be given the “human test”:
- Navigability. How easy it is to reach the pages users are looking for?
- Order of focus. Which parts of the page catch the eye first and where is interest lost?
- Readability. What key information stands out on the page?
- Accessibility. Does the website display correctly on a computer or mobile device? Is it quick to load?
As a website designer or website owner it’s easy to lose perspective on your own design. You can ask friends or clients for their thoughts, but receiving focused reviews from experienced individuals is usually better, and a number of services can do this for you.
Feedback Army. Provides a quick and easy scattergun response from a range of user testers, and is best suited for building up a general picture. For $20 you get 10 responses, which allows you to see if certain issues are consistently noticed.
User Voice. Adds a voting system to responses, so you can see whether a suggestion or opinion is popularly shared. Requires a monthly subscription.
UserTesting.com. Has a focus on more in-depth responses that truly analyse your website from the perspective of someone using it for the first time. The testers can be of any demographic and create a narrated video as they navigate through your site, talking about what they notice and responding to your specific questions.
You can also perform user testing yourself, particularly when you already have a reasonably good picture about which areas you have concerns about. The key to a successful user test is to set out extremely clear tasks for testers to complete, and to ask questions that gain both a broad and specific picture of important issues. If you need a little help setting up the test, there are dedicated apps and services that can do that. There are also specialist testing services designed specifically for feedback on landing pages, navigation and copy.
User testing is a great way to ensure your website is hitting the right target for visitors, and provides feedback that increases satisfaction and hopefully website conversions.
