The aesthetics and design of a software product are two very important aspects. How well a program looks often translates to how well it works.
There are many applications today that, once launched, fail due to being unstable, not user-friendly, and generally difficult to use overall. Usability testing identifies these issues early on in the software development cycle and can help a product from being a failure.
So what is usability testing?
In essence, usability testing is a method to measure how user-friendly and easy a software application is to use. A team of expert testers uses the program in a way that helps reveal any problems in terms of usability.
Usability testing consists of five phases: planning, recruiting, usability testing, data analysis, and reporting.
Several usability testing methods exist to help identify software application problems and concerns. The two most commonly used techniques are laboratory usability testing and remote usability testing.
The following are the differences between the common types of usability testing methodologies.
A usability test can either be qualitative or quantitative.
In qualitative usability testing, researchers prioritize gathering insights, anecdotes, and findings on how people utilize the software product. This type of usability testing practice is suited best for identifying problems related to user experience.
In quantitative usability testing, the focus is on collecting statistics that relate to the user experience. The two most common metrics collected in quantitative usability tests are the time spent on completing tasks and task success rate. This kind of usability test is best used for obtaining benchmarks.
Although there are different methods of accomplishing usability tests, all of them fall into either remote or in-person testing.
In remote testing, the tasks assigned to participants are completed without the presence of a usability moderator. This type of testing is ideal when you have difficulty in finding the right testers, want to obtain results quickly, or have a relatively small budget.
In-person testing happens when the users are physically present and a moderator is available nearby to observe and record user interactions. In comparison to remote testing, in-person tests provide researchers with additional data points since they can observe and analyze facial expressions and body language.
Nowadays, we can easily find terms being used in product discussions such as usability testing and user testing. These two types of tests are not interchangeable and should not be confused with one or the other.
In user testing, the goal is to test the utility of the application. It involves learning and testing the product. It is done to identify behavior patterns along with responses and thereby, determine how they plan to use the product.
On the other hand, usability testing is done when the product has been made and is ready for review. This type of testing is often performed during the middle portion of the development phase in most projects.
Website usability testing is an approach wherein user behavior is observed to test the functionality and design of a website. This kind of testing lets you learn whether website visitors understand how to navigate the website, are able to complete tasks across various pages, and if they encounter any problems in their customer journey.
Testing the usability of a website can be done in different ways. These are:
Providing better customer experiences and increased conversions are the most common benefits of running usability tests. Another benefit of usability testing is that it ensures that a software program offers an intuitive and engaging interface.
Creating and providing good experiences for users is important for converting them. If you want people to be led through a specific journey, then you need to make that as easy for them as possible.
Since usability testing aims to identify software bugs, it helps save time for both the providers and end-users since these issues can be fixed before a software program is introduced to the market.
Catching usability problems early on is less time-consuming and allows you to solve the issue as quickly as possible.
Despite its benefits, usability testing also has its own disadvantages.
The main disadvantage of usability testing is it does not fully represent real-life scenarios since it is primarily qualitative. This type of testing does not provide large samples of feedback compared to a questionnaire format.
Another major concern in usability testing is that it can sometimes cost a lot to get meaningful insights. A lot of time and resources are necessary for setting up a usability test lab.
Meanwhile, recruiting and managing usability testers can also prove to be costly.
There are many best practices to apply for usability testing to be effective. Here are some to consider:
There are many platforms one can use when performing usability tests. Here are some of the top usability testing tools to consider:
There are many different usability testing methods today, and it can be difficult to choose the right one for your software application.
The good news is that there are quality assurance experts who can help you obtain the full benefits of usability testing without the associated hassle and cost of setting up.
At QASource, we can put your software program through a comprehensive and objective evaluation to ensure its usability against your industry’s standards of performance, user aptitude, and relevance.
When you outsource your usability testing needs to us, you can maximize your chances of creating the best user experience for your product.
If you want to know more, contact QASource today!