Methods and Tools for User Experience (UX) Testing

User experience testing sometimes frightens marketers and entrepreneurs. The task seems daunting, especially if a portal or website has a lot of pages or resources, but it is critical for those who want more conversions. 

It is similar to running a store with a physical location. Many of those stores measure UX testing with digital tools to know the aisles that attract the most customers, what shelf height moves the most products and the type of signage that drives customers to make a purchase. In the same way, user experience testing for online businesses helps in identifying weak areas and improving them.

User Experience Best Practices

User experience testing is a process that evaluates aspects of user experience to create the best means for consumer interaction with the website and its components. Portal and website owners gather feedback for things such as first impression, time on a page, and more. The heart of user testing is to determine what influences visitors to buy or otherwise dissuades them from purchasing your services and products. Fulfilling users’ needs increases sales. Some of the factors that contribute to potential buyers completing the checkout process are:
  • Clear navigation
  • Easy product information access
  • An easy checkout process
  • Symbols of trust
  • Social proof
  • Responsive web design for mobile devices
This list is not exclusive; audiences differ in what they need. Following best practices is not something a portal or a website owner follows blindly. Best practices and advice are starting points. The best approach is to form a hypothesis about what needs to be tested on a user base. The user interface (UI) is a component of user experience (UX) which is the experience a visitor undergoes, starting from landing on a site to leaving it. UI can be seen as the specific ways a user interacts with the elements on a page. User experience is an umbrella term, and the user interface is one of the spokes.

User Experience Testing Methods

Usability testing follows the scientific method. Identify a need or question, develop a hypothesis, set up an experiment, conduct the experiment, and analyze the results. While it sounds complicated, we have the tools that make UX evaluation easier to understand. The most common are:
  • Card Sorting
  • Moderated User Testing
  • Unmoderated User Testing
  • Voice of the Customer
Card sorting is a way of determining how to organize the elements of a website. You develop a hierarchy and navigation that meet users’ specific needs. You jumble cards with information such as information content, support pages, and product descriptions on one side, and then you have users categorize the content. It is possible with an online tool or in person. Moderator user testing involves a person who is the moderator of a group discussion or an individual with participants in a room. Moderators answer questions from participants. They guide the process and provide insight into what a site hopes to achieve. It is useful in explaining how an interface or product works. The moderator reports what he or she observed. Some people feel unmoderated user testing is better. Some people are more comfortable sharing their feelings when someone is not in charge. This can allow for unfocused participant behavior and user error. A combination of unmoderated and moderated testing makes the results more accurate. Sources for the voice of the customer include:
  • Service or product reviews on the site
  • Third-party website reviews
  • Phone calls and emails
  • Feedback forms
Our user experience evaluations help to ensure your business’s portal features user-centered design optimized for human-computer interaction in the modern world of business. Whether your customers are shopping in the digital marketplace on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device, the quality of their experience can determine whether they return or even complete the first transaction. Make sure their experience is the best it can be and contact the Base22 team to get started today.

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