Steps for Your First User Test – What are steps and what type of user tests available?

Steps for Your First User Test

The user testing process involves real users performing specific tasks under realistic conditions. This is done to assess the usability of the website or app and decide if the product can be launched to real users. To get relevant results, testers should not be directed and allowed to interact with the app or website naturally. This will allow them to determine whether it is intuitive enough and easy for unfamiliar people.

There has never been a lower barrier to user testing. Don’t worry about your budget or size. Companies that interact with their users regularly will be able to swim while others will sink. Despite being easy to enter, many companies still ignore testing and rely solely on internal opinions to guide product decisions.

Although investing in user researchers is ideal, it shouldn’t be a barrier. To start, look to your team for a strategist and a good listener. The value of a test will become clear when you see the results and get aha moments.

 

 

Why is user testing valuable?

User testing allows you to observe, hear and review your customers’ interactions with your design.

Your employees, designers, and others involved in creating your product, feature, or prototype testing may find it intuitive, but your customers might not. You can use user testing to determine where your product is not working for your target audience. This will let you know where your customers need clarification or clarification.

User testing is done before you release your product. You can then use that information to improve the product until you have a great user experience (UX).

You may be curious about how to conduct user testing on your product. You might be wondering how to perform user testing on your product. Every prototype, feature, and product is unique.

 

What are the steps for your first user test?

Know when to Test & What to Test

You can leverage user testing by understanding the best times to test and what time to test. It takes a bit of planning to make user testing more effective.

 

Rely upon the Scientific Method

Your test approach should be based on scientific methodology. This will ensure that your testing is sound and rational. Put, understand the problem your product faces, develop hypotheses, test them, then make adjustments and test again.

 

Ask the Right Question: Creating Hypotheses

Hypotheses can be derived from many sources, including user research, customer journeys, and team insights.

Based on the data that you have gathered, identify the problems. You don’t have to test it if you know it is a problem. Prioritize the problems you want to address during the next round of user testing. Sometimes, unexpected results from Test A can be used as hypothesis seeds for Test B.

This stage can be a bonus because it is a place where all team members can get on board, create consensus, and get buy-in around testing activities.

 

Consider Test Length

Your tests should be kept to a manageable length. You want to get the most from each test. However, users will experience test fatigue after about 12-15 minutes in unmoderated environments. You will learn more about creating the right length tests, as some tasks are more difficult.

You may need to create multiple tests to test 15 hypotheses.

 

Avoid Unnatural Test Flows

The test structure is another thing to be aware of. Begin with the basics (such as searching, browsing the homepage, adding items to a basket, and then move on to more complex tasks in a logical and connected manner.

It would be absurd to ask someone to create an account, find an item, check out, search the site, and then evaluate the global navigation options. It would be more sensible to assess the global navigation, search the site, find an item, create an account, and checkout.

To avoid users feeling that the product is not working or impossible to complete, you might consider placing the task at the end of the test.

 

 

Be aware of the Leading Language

Leading Language is a simple way to create a useless test.

A leader language is a word or term that directs users to do a simple task. It minimizes the need to think, problem-solve or use natural behaviors.

Take this example: What test would you use to determine if a user can follow a company’s Twitter account?

When writing tasks for tests, be mindful of your words. Be aware of what you’re testing and how to lead.

 

Find the Right People

Your product may not be suitable for young women with high-tech skills. You can test it with middle-aged technologists who are less skilled.

To get the best results, map your potential test subjects to market research or existing personas. It is worth investing the time to identify, recruit and screen the right test subjects.

 

Check-in with Your Dev Team

Your dev team can help you prepare your testing environment if you’re testing a complex flow.

Your team members can be your friends, so ensure they are included in test planning and implementation. If the back end still needs to be ready or built, I recommend that you get feedback on your prototypes. You can test your prototypes on the web or mobile with users using prototyping tools such as TestFlight and Justinmind Prototyper.

 

Time to conduct a pilot test

Before you release your test to the public, have someone familiar with your product and testing approach test it. Grammar errors, unclear task writing, misinterpretations, and technical product issues you didn’t know about will be revealed. After the pilot test, you can tweak your test to get better results and increase your test creation skills in a low-risk manner.

 

Different types of user testing

UX research (Usability testing)

What is usability testing? UX research definition: The usability test concept can be described as the ease and efficiency with which a user uses a website or electronic interface (or e-commerce site) to meet their needs.

 

Surveys

Surveys are another type of user testing. These surveys allow you to get feedback from customers about your product and help you improve it. Because customers can take the survey from any location, they can provide feedback.

 

A/B Testing

This is one of the most effective and fastest ways to increase conversions. A/B Testing refers to sending two versions of the same email to different subscribers. Remember that only one version of an email must be sent to each group, not both. They must also be sent on the same day. Track customer reactions to determine which variant is most effective in meeting your goals. You will discover a lot about your visitors and what type of content they like best by testing A/B.

A/B testing aims to discover as much about customer preferences and behavior as possible. Put all you’ve learned into practice to achieve the desired results.

 

Focus group

Focus groups are qualitative research techniques that involve discussing a topic with 8-10 people. This usually lasts for between 1 and 2 hours. This method can provide detailed information about the motivations and behavior of interest groups.

 

Beta testing

Beta is the final version. It is not considered the full version due to insufficient testing and errors. The Beta version is intended to complete the performance testing and identify errors that may have occurred. The software’s beta testing is done with other testing tools, such as a computer or another device.