Every development process, if done properly, should include usability testing. Performing tests on prototype and release phases is very important and could save lots of money and time. Usability testing helps to avoid problems with design and user experience.
To get a well-designed and user-friendly site or application, you should know about usability testing. In this article, we’ll talk about the key benefits of usability testing in ergonomics and how to get started with it.
What is usability testing?
Generally speaking, usability testing is a tool that helps developers to see if the product is user-friendly. This method can be used with pretty much everything, not only software but everyday items as well.
Such testing can be beneficial. It can make the project easier to use, which can make customers happier, and, therefore, increase sales.
There are two ways to perform usability testing. If the company has enough funding, it’s better to do both.
- Expert testing: In this type of testing, the product is evaluated by professionals in the industry. This way of testing is usually performed before a product is made available to the general public
- User testing: it’s also a good way to see how the target audience will interact with the product
Developers from Inoxoft say that testing is a very powerful tool that should be used during all development processes. As it’s always better to notice errors before launching the project to the masses. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of usability testing.
Why such testing is important?
The ability to gauge how simple it is for users to interact with your product or service makes usability testing crucial. Testing with the target audience allows you to determine what functions as intended and what requires improvement. If you want to make a service that everyone will love to use — obtaining feedback is crucial.
Any company that wants to keep up with the users’ needs should take into account feedback as an essential component in the improvement process. A great way to acquire this input is through usability testing. Perform the testing, see how your audience interacts with your good or service, and collect valuable feedback.
Main benefits of usability testing
There are lots of benefits in usability testing, let’s see the 5 main
- Product improvement
- Implementing better design decisions
- Understanding your needs
- Observe user-product interaction
- Finding and fixing bugs before launching
How to start usability testing
There are many platforms you can use to perform usability tests. And we’ll discuss the most common scenario.
Usability research is much simpler to begin than you would imagine. Firstly, you should choose the main research goal, what are the things that might need improvement. You must set objectives and decide the direction your research will follow.
Choosing a suitable research methodology is crucial for further evaluation of the obtained results. Focus groups, surveys, unmoderated testing, and interviews are just a few examples of a big variety of approaches. Choose the approach that serves your objectives the best, then stay with it.
Finding your research group is a simple process if you know what are you looking for. It must be an accurate reflection of your target audience. Finding the right people can be more difficult, but many platforms have special sections that can assist you in conducting research with a suitable audience.
After developing a detailed plan, identifying the objectives, and finding the target users — it’s time to start the research phase. You can learn more about the opinions of your potential customers by asking them about your company, services, products, designs, and other research-important things.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s crucial to analyze the obtained results. You must carefully examine the reviews you have received to find any information that could improve your project.
Mistakes to avoid during usability testing
During usability testing, there are a few basic errors that can happen. Preventing mistakes from happening or avoiding them will increase the accuracy of obtained results.
Asking wrong questions
When performing testing, be sure to pose targeted, focused questions in charts. General inquiries, such as “What do you think of this product?” won’t provide you with specific feedback that will help improve the usability and design of a product.
Mesh up with the target audience
Perform your testing among members of your specific target demographic group. You won’t get proper results to work with from testing with participants who are not your target users.
Moreover, feedback from just random people who are not your potential customers can make improvements based on it being useless.
Not enough testing
Testing for usability is a continuous approach. To achieve the best reliable results, you should start the tests early and do them frequently. Only performing one or two tests is insufficient.
Failing to evaluate the feedback
It’s crucial to spend time reviewing the findings of your usability tests after they’ve been completed. Doing so will open your eyes to areas that require additional work.
Not implementing improvements
After reviewing the results of your usability tests, you must modify your user interface in light of what you discovered.
It may sound obvious, but not making improvements won’t make your platform as comfortable for interaction as it might be.
Final Thoughts
As we defined before, usability testing is a very important and powerful tool to check if your platform is user-friendly and simple to use in general. Performing such tests can save lots of money and help avoid making critical mistakes.
Usability testing has various advantages, from which we defined the most beneficial 5:
1. Discovering user wants and needs
2. Improving user experience and satisfaction with your product
3. Identifying and resolving usability problems before the release
4. Testing and implementing new design ideas
5. Increasing conversion rates
If you were not ready for performing usability testing, our team hopes that this information encouraged you to at least try. Because it’s a great tool that in some cases may be crucial to outplay competitors and make customers happy with the product.
