Website Usability Testing

Want to make sure your website visitors are getting to where they want to go?  And doing what you intend for them to do?  And not getting confused and leaving your site in the process?  Don’t just assume your site is a breeze to navigate; make sure with usability testing!

 

What is Usability Testing?

 

Usability Testing involves having users, preferably potential users of the site who have no relation to it and haven’t seen it before, perform a set of tasks on the site while being observed by a usability professional.  Much like a focus group, the observer should stay neutral and not give any direction or make leading comments.

 

According to Jakob Neilsen’s Alertbox, five users being tested is usually plenty, and even testing one user can often lead to uncovering most usability issues on a site.  A professional usability lab like the one at University of Akron (see below for more details) is the ideal environment for conducting usability testing since the observer can watch without disturbing the user.

 

The Importance of Usability Testing

Web users seem to be increasingly afflicted with some form of online-only ADD, so it’s important that your website is as quick and easy to use as possible.  (Don't worry - if you got this deep into our site and this far down a page on web usability, our ADD comment doesn't apply to you.)  Possible reasons why users may be leaving your website include:

 

  • The site is slow to load
  • They can’t tell what the company does within seconds of entering the homepage
  • The navigation is difficult to find/use
  • They can’t find what they are looking for within a few clicks
  • The copy is difficult to read

 

Benefits of Usability Testing

 

  • Lowers support costs
  • Decreases need for redesign
  • Helps to improve user experience

  • Increased customer satisfaction

Need to do some Usability Testing?  TKG can help!

 

TKG has partnered with the University of Akron to conduct usability testing in their usability lab located in the Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing.  Give us a call or fill out the form on this page to get more info!

Questions?