Usability Tests

Lenny de Rooy is a specialist in Website Usability. She knows everything about Usability Tests and the best ways to perform them.

What are Usability Tests?

With a usability test you can find out if your website is user-friendly, by having members of your target audience test it in practice.

There are many theories about how to design a website in order to achieve optimum ease of use. However, no one can give you any guarantees that these guidelines will work for your website too. That’s because of the unique nature of your website and target audience.”

What does the Tribal service Usability Tests entail?

There are several variations of usability tests:

• user tests
• eyetracking tests
• A/B and multivariate tests
  
  

User test
In a user test, a number of people from your target audience are asked to use your website in practice on the basis of various assignments. We then look at the points where they experience problems and what these are caused by. Through their actions and an oral explanation, the testers give direct feedback on the website.

Eyetracking test
Also in an eyetracking test, a number of people are asked to use your website. This test is more quantitative in nature: special equipment registers exactly which parts of the website people look at and which ones escape their attention. It is also registered how long and how often they look at certain elements.

A/B and Multivariate tests
With A/B and Multivariate tests it is possible to test the performance of multiple versions of a single web page. Via the Google Website Optimizer the various versions of the page are alternately shown to your visitors. We register if visitors who saw version A yielded more conversions than visitors who saw version B.

What businesses is the service Usability Tests suited to?

A usability user test is basically always a good idea, whether you have a website already or are in the process of developing a new site. The latter is true because user tests can also be performed on prototypes.

An Eyetracking test is suited primarily to solve problems that are related to the design.

A test with the Google Website Optimizer can be applied if you want to improve one specific page. A page that you use as the landing page for an AdWords campaign, for instance.

There are a few conditions that your website must meet in order to be able to set up tests such as these via the Google Website Optimizer. We are happy to look into the possibilities with you.

What can I achieve with a Usability Test?

By subjecting an existing website to a usability test, you can find concrete bottlenecks that lead your visitors to leave the site prematurely. By solving these problems you ensure an increase in the number of conversions and thus an increase in your turnover. In other words: you will get more results out of your current visitors.

If you decide to perform usability tests while a new website or design is still in its developmental stages, you can save a lot of development cost and repair time. After all, it will take less time and money to make adjustments halfway through the process than when this has to be done when the website is finished completely. Therefore, a usability test is a good investment.

What is the step-by-step plan for Usability Tests?

The step-by-step plan varies with the type of test:

User tests and eyetracking tests
Prior to a user and eyetracking test, we evaluate with you which tasks the visitors will have to perform during the test. Subsequently, Tribal will arrange the recruitment & selection of the test subjects and the required equipment. You can also choose to recruit the test subjects yourself. Usually, the test takes place at the Tribal offices. After prior consultation with us it is possible to attend the tests or to have them take place at your premises. The latter does not apply to eyetracking tests.

Afterwards you’ll receive an extensive report containing practical recommendations, possibly supplemented with video footage of the test sessions. The lead time of a usability user test is 4 weeks on average. This includes the recruitment of the test subjects and the writing of the report.

Google Website Optimizer
A test with the Google Website Optimizer can be designed in various ways, depending on your wishes. You can request that Tribal sets up and monitors the test for you from start to finish. We can also advise you regarding the versions to be tested: in what ways could your current landing pages be improved? If desired, we can develop these page variations for you as well.

An A/B or Multivariate test with the Google Website Optimizer usually lasts 6 weeks at the most. The test’s exact lead time also depends on the number of visitors and the conversion percentage.

What is the cost of Usability Tests?

Usability tests are always tailor-made products. The prices for user tests depend, amongst other things, on the number of test subjects and the payment they receive for their participation, as well as the number of tasks that have to be performed.

Please feel free to contact us without obligation for more information on usability tests or a tailor-made offer.

Print