How user testing can help your online business in 2021

When a website or app is created, it’s often difficult to know if there are issues with the code or functionality until someone tries to use it. This is where user testing comes in. But what exactly is user testing and how can it benefit your online business in 2021? Read on…

User testing is important because website and app developers need to know how their creations function in the “real world” when users interact with them. If a test user has an issue that causes a crash or a bug, or if the functionality is confusing or doesn’t work exactly as it should, then user testing can help to shed some light on these problems, before the website or app goes live.

User testing can be undertaken a number of ways, each producing different results. “Guerrilla testing” is usually done in the early stages of a product or app’s development, with the focus on gauging how people react to your idea or concept. Large numbers of the general public are ideally sampled during guerrilla testing, although they may not all be located within your preferred target market.

Lab usability testing involves a moderator obtaining in-depth information from users as they interact with your product. The main downside of this kind of user testing is that it tends to be expensive and time consuming, and while it can lead to detailed responses, not every company can afford to utilise it. However, its main strength is that it will render a large amount of focused information that can quickly highlight any potential issues.

Another popular form is remote user testing, where participants are given tasks to complete by themselves on their own computers/devices. Remote testing offers the convenience of guerrilla testing and the ability to obtain results from large numbers of people, and as the product likely already exists, these results are specific to the product and are not simply general feedback. It’s also possible to specify certain demographics for users so that you can target the testing to the people most likely to use your product.

The first step for a company to take in user testing is to create a test plan which explains your objectives and the questions you need answered, such as how easily users are able to interact with your product or what functions need more work. As seen above, user testing can be implemented at almost any stage in a product’s development, so you don’t have to wait until you are ready for release; in fact, you want to know about your product’s usability or issues well before this time anyway.

After you have gained insights from users about their experiences, it comes time to analyse them and discover if the product can be enhanced at all. The greater the breadth and focus of the first step, the more information you will have to analyse at the completion of user testing.

Testmate is a leader in user testing, working closely and collaboratively with businesses to help them find potential issues, improve conversion rates, and discover new ideas. Get in touch for a quote or request a free demo today.