Usability testing is one of the greatest allies in providing an excellent user experience. If your goal is to get people to navigate your site and perform actions without hindrance, it is worth paying attention to this resource.
This study takes into account the interactions of real people with websites, e-commerce, applications, software, and other digital tools. It works basically like a market research focused on focus groups, this way data on behavior is collected, allowing you to measure the reactions of users to the layout and functionality of your e-commerce.
In this article, we present 3 tips on usability testing to improve your e-commerce and provide good user experiences.
What is usability testing?
It is a research method widely used in UX Design. With it it is possible to understand the behavior of the end user when he interacts with an interface.
The usability testing usually has 3 main goals which are: identify problems in the design or product; discover opportunities for how to improve; learn more about the user, including their behavior and preferences.
When a user browses your e-commerce site, he needs to perform certain tasks to continue advancing in the purchase journey, right?! It is during this moment of navigation that usability testing will absorb relevant information to improve the user journey and make it more intuitive.
3 Steps to conduct a usability analysis
When applied, a usability test can identify several factorsdepending on the purpose of the analysis. It is possible to understand if there are problems and correct them, perform comparison parameters through benchmarking, competitive testing of two or more versions to understand which one achieves better results. There are also heatmap tests, which analyze the user's mouse movement in order to understand the navigability.
Before you choose the method you will use, these 3 steps are paramount to having a complete survey with valuable insights, they are:
Determine what needs to be measured
First of all, it is necessary to plan so that your team avoids wasting time and resources, making mistakes that would be easy to avoid if planning was done beforehand.
Identify your goals with usability testing. Do you want to know if the layout is pleasing, if the product page is attractive and easy to buy, if the checkout is straightforward enough, or if fewer steps are needed to complete the purchase?
All of this can be measured during the tests, as it encompasses the quality of navigation, efficiency of the sales processuser satisfaction, and many others.
Identify the best method
Only after planning the objectives and goals to be measured, will you choose the best method for usability testing. In addition to the methods mentioned above, there are also variable face-to-face, individual, or group formats.
Here you will also consider the period that these tests will be conducted, the investment required, and the platforms, pages, or sites that will be tested.
Analyze your results
After the tests have been conducted, it is time to analyze the data obtained and understand the findings.
At this stage it is interesting to have a UX design professional to understand the usability needs of your site and make adjustments and adapt the interface to better suit the users.
Keep in mind that each method will bring you one type of information, so plan well.
If you want to continue learning about Design and UX, download our "Guide to design and UX for e-commerce"in which one of our specialists discussed the importance of this study and the biggest trends for the year.
