SpinSix Strategic - Marketing Design

Usability is the extent to which an intended user can meet his or her goals using a system, device such as—in most of our projects—a Web site. In other words, can your Web site visitors find the information they're looking for? Can users easily navigate to the right products? Do visitors get lost or frustrated when trying to complete a purchase online? Usability tests help to answer these types of questions before any potential problems have a chance to negatively impact your bottom line. (Some people confuse usability testing with focus group testing, but they're quite different.)

The best times to perform usability tests are:

• Before a Web site is built (testing a design comp, for example)
• During Web site development (to ensure that no critical issues arise that can be prevented)
• When you need usage data to make a design or development decision/change
• When there isn't consensus within your team (or your boss needs information) before a site, feature, or other component is built

Unlike focus group testing, usability tests are conducted on a one-on-one basis, are task-driven, and rarely last more than an hour. In order for test results to be accurate, it is imperative that participants have never seen the site being tested before. Our seasoned usability testers specialize in conducting tests so that they keep participants engaged and on track while ensuring that each participant is allowed to perform the specified tasks in their own way.

SpinSix's experienced usability testers design and conduct tests using the following process:

• Define the goals/objectives of the usability test
• Identify and recruit non-biased participants for each session
• Develop the usability test script and a list of tasks each participant will be asked to perform
• Reserve a test facility
• Conduct the tests
• Compensate participants on your behalf
• Analyze and create a report summarizing key findings

See Also:

A/B Testing, Analytics, Competitive Research, Data Mining, Market Research, ROI Marketing, Website Analytics,