User Experience Testing Services
Why are my customers dropping off on this same page? Why are customers suddenly leaving? How good is my app performing? How do I get someone to test out the app before I even actually release it?
All of these questions often spoken (or sometimes whispered in confused fret) in marketing spaces by indie developers, UX teams, and indie business owners alike can find answers in user testing. And looking into it can be the problem solver of the greatest retention or conversion puzzle in your company’s marketing jigsaw. And it’s better that it be a problem solver first (proactive) than a lifeline (reactive) when your customers might have one foot out the door (that’s if they even had peeked a toe in for the case of brand new apps or site pages).
What is user testing or usability testing?
User testing in the realm of marketing content, products, services, and the like typically examines many facets of the functionality, accessibility, usability, and compatibility of your apps, mobile pages, and desktop pages. In so many words, “Is your platform as well-designed, clear, and seamless as it can be to ensure your customers or site visitors the best well-designed, clear, and seamless browsing and user experience (UX/UE)?”
Running a user test will give you more insights into what’s working and what’s not working as great.
How can you get user testing done, and why should you?
You should look into a user experience testing checklist for the best execution, starting with clear goals in mind as to what you want to learn or tackle and solve in the website, app, or on a webpage. Then you should decide the methods of the testing and environment you’d like a test to be executed in, such as in a moderated space where you’re observing or a very natural setting where you let a person test it remotely in their own space for as realistic of a trial as possible.
Tying into that decision process would be deciding on testing scenarios next that you will give your tester to essentially see how well a user flow (a set of steps such as landing on a page and then completing an action you desire for them like logging into an account on an app, selecting a product or service within the app, placing it into checkout, and then completing the order) can be executed. A scenario can be as simple as just examining one page or commenting on the overall look of an app or page in a very casual dialogue.
Basically, you’re trying to get as wide or as niche of a testing insight in the way you desire to see if the entire app or page or parts of it are working as you and, most importantly, your audience desire. And as the WebAIM organization that governs accessibility/WCAG standards puts it, you want the experience to be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. A.k.a., a good accessible user experience is:
- easy to read functionally and visually (see “easy to understand” below)
- easy to operate with clear mechanics, steps, and buttons/navigational elements, for ALL users (from those with low vision to those who might be a bit hard of hearing)
- easy to understand from a design, layout, content, and functional standpoint with clear steps, language, details, colors, and placements
- easy enough for all to maneuver and interact with
And to that point, a universal design is key.
From there, you’d send out your recruiting messages and requests either directly to possible interested testers in even something as everyday as a forum, or you can go in the other direction and contact user testing companies who can pool testers for you based on the key persona demographics you have in mind. Then, let the games (or tests or sometimes literal games if that’s a product you’re offering) begin!
What different user testing services can offer
As mentioned above, the various types of user testing and ways to reach them are endless. As someone who has user tested over the years, my website, mobile, and app testing consists of:
- A screen-recorded mobile/app/desktop testing scenario picked by you or a desktop/mobile page selected by me
- Continuous dialogue during the test
- Reviewing like an everyday user for a more realistic case study that matches your audience
Deeper review reports with findings (including screenshots) and suggested action steps (if you request either a usability and/or accessibility audit as an additional service) will be sent through Google Sheets and/or Google Docs.
PLEASE NOTE that I don’t perform transactional or password-dependent tests or test scenarios. So, please message me with brand info, persona material you might have (mention if you have more than 1 persona), and your industry (to ensure it’s in my expertise!). This will help me better help you with very relevant content and suggestions. Also, contact me to discuss custom requests.
Which leads us to…
THINK YOU’RE FINALLY READY TO BETTER REACH YOUR PERSONA’S MOBILE AND WEB EXPERIENCE?
Let’s talk.