Photo by Cookie the Pom on Unsplash
As you may know, a great website can be an incredible asset to any small business. So how can you determine if a site is user-friendly? The answer is Usability Testing. If you’ve never heard of usability testing, it’s the process of having outside, ordinary people, most likely those in the specific target audience of your business, use your website and giving feedback on the ease of use. Steve Krug, one of the leading experts in usability testing, gave an online presentation of the subject and he says that for a website to be deemed usable it must,
- Be able to be used by someone of average ability and experience with using websites,
- Can figure out how to use things for the intended purpose, and
- Without it being more trouble than its worth
In other words, the average person should be able to manage a website with ease. Krug explains that as a developer, content creator, or business owner it can be hard to distinguish whether or not a site you’ve put hours of work into is usable to an outside consumer. This is where Usability Testing can come in handy! During his presentation, Krug conducted a live usability test of a medical group website and showcased how a website can make or break a business. This website was incredibly well developed with multiple links, drop-down menus, etc., however, the participant had a hard time performing a specific task through the website due to the overwhelming amounts of content. This is just one example of how a usability test can be a crucial part of the development of any website, especially for a business.
Now that you know what usability testing is, how can you make it work for your business? A great resource I came across in my research is an article called Usability Testing from a company called VWO. VWO is a leading expert in all kinds of usability tests and this article has anything and everything you could want to know about Usability Testing as it can relate to improving a business website. The guide published by VWO gives a crash course on how usability tests work and how you can conduct your own to improve your business website.
Below I’ve gathered three benefits of usability tests for business websites that are outlined by this resource from VWO.
1. Get feedback from real people on your website prior to launch!
Getting user feedback can be a huge asset for your business website or product, especially if you have yet to launch. As Krug mentioned in his presentation, developers need to be open to receiving constructive criticism in order to create an effective website. Through usability testing, you can see what sort of impression your website will have on your target audience before launch, which can highlight some weak areas you may not have noticed or thought of before. Doing this before you launch can minimize tweaking and fixing after the fact, which will only save you time and money in the long run.
2. Gain insight into your potential customers and what they expect from you and your website!
Just like the sticker in the photo above says, don’t guess what your customers want, find out straight from them! Consumer data can only tell you so much, and if there are certain features your customer is expecting or used to, you want to make sure you’re providing that for them. Usability testing is the perfect opportunity for you to gain insight into what your customers expect from you and your website. Your website could be perfect in your eyes but if it doesn’t work for your customers it is not going to be very effective in getting and keeping their business. In doing this usability testing you can figure out which parts of your site are working and what parts aren’t, thus helping you focus your energy and time effectively.
3. Identify user issues and help create an over all better user experience!
Usability testing is a sure-fire way to improve your site and can help you create an overall positive customer experience. Creating a better user experience for your customers can lead to them coming back again and again to use your site or product. Not only that, but it will also create a positive experience for brand new incoming customers and they’ll be more likely to recommend your site or use it repeatedly. Adapting to your customer base is crucial in developing your business and allows you to have a successful, effective website.
If you want to learn more about Usability Tests or even how you can conduct your own, check out VWO’s beginners guide to Usability Tests here.
**NOTE: This chapter is a revised version of a blog post titled The Benefits of Usability Testing for a Business Website on Journey to the Center of the Web blog
