User testing (usability testing)

User testing is probably the cheapest way to improve your online store and should be a regular task in your calendar annually or biannually. If you do 4-5 user tests, you will probably have identified the top 3 conversion killers on your webshop/website. By "conversion-killer" we mean "the stumbling blocks that prevent a user from converting".

What is a user test?

A user test is simply asking someone to try out your website. It can be as simple as saying "I want you to buy a pair of men's Nike running shoes in size 43 and pay with MobilePay". When the user starts the task, the user must "think out loud". In other words, say what he/she is thinking. It could be "I'll use the search function, it's faster" and "where the hell do I find the MobilePay payment?" and so on. The user should not say "a red button is a bad idea, it converts poorly". In other words, the user should not provide their usability input, but only say the things they think in connection with solving the task.

Depending on the size of the site you're testing, you might consider recording the user test. You can then edit the biggest conversion killers into a short movie and show it to the people who interact with the website. That way, they don't have to spend 4-6 hours watching the user tests, but can be served the biggest "recordings" in 5-10 minutes.

Tips for your user test

It is important to instruct the user well. For example, it can be helpful to say "Don't feel stupid if you can't move on. It's the website that's being tested, not you". In addition, you should instruct them that they will probably get stuck thinking out loud and you will ask "what are you thinking now?".

Finally, the user should not ask for help, but should only be helped if you can see that the person has completely stopped / gone astray.

Important when user testing

Unfortunately, too many people forget to user test the experience on mobile devices. They user test on desktop because it's easy to see and forget all about mobile. But more than 50% of traffic today is on mobile devices. That's why it's crucial to user test the experience on mobile too.

Learn more about user testing

Steve Krug (the man who wrote the legendary Don't Make Me Think) has written a book about user testing. It's called Rocket Surgery Made Easy. It covers just about every aspect of user testing.

Steve Krug has made a usability demo and posted it on YouTube. You can watch it below:

We know online marketing in Shoporama

We've been working with online marketing ourselves for decades. As the only shop system in the country, we have spoken multiple times at conferences such as Marketingcamp, SEOday, Shopcamp, Digital Marketing, E-commerce Manager, Ecommerce Day, Web Analytics Wednesday and many more.