User testing is one of the most impactful things you can do to improve your website or app‘s user experience (UX). Consider these statistics:
- Every $1 invested in UX returns $100, or an ROI of 9,900% (Forrester)
- 88% of online shoppers say they wouldn‘t return to a website after a bad user experience (Amazon Web Services)
- Well-designed user interfaces could raise your website‘s conversion rate by up to 200%, and better UX design could yield conversion rates up to 400% (Forrester)
Despite the clear benefits, many organizations still don‘t do UX testing regularly. One reason is the misconception that user testing has to be difficult or expensive. But thanks to the variety of tools available today, it‘s easier than ever to collect rapid user feedback at every stage of the design process.
Why User Testing is Essential for UX
User testing allows you to:
- Validate design decisions with data, not opinions or assumptions
- Identify and fix usability issues before they cause bigger problems
- Optimize user flows to increase conversions and task completion
- Ensure your content is clear, scannable, and useful
- Improve accessibility for users of all abilities
- Boost user satisfaction, loyalty, and retention
As UX expert Jakob Nielsen said, "User testing with 5 people will typically uncover 85% of usability problems." You don‘t need a huge budget or sample size to start seeing major improvements.
The key is to test early and often, so you can make informed iterations at every step, from initial concept to live product. Below we‘ll explore a variety of user testing methods and tools to help you collect actionable UX insights in 2024.
User Testing in the Concept Stage
Testing early-stage designs, wireframes, or prototypes helps ensure you‘re building the right thing before investing significant time and resources. After all, fixing a UX issue in development costs 10x more than in design.
With just a simple mockup, you can start gathering feedback on users‘ first impressions, expected behaviors, and emotional responses. Aim to answer questions like:
- Does the overall concept resonate with our target audience?
- Is the most important information easy to find and understand?
- Are the navigation labels and CTAs clear and intuitive?
- Does the look and feel match our brand personality?
Here are some of the quickest user testing methods for this stage:
First Click Testing
In a first-click test, you give users a specific task, then show them a design and see where they would click first to complete the task. Since the first click is a strong indicator of success, this reveals whether your CTA and navigation are guiding users down the right path.
Tools like UsabilityHub and Maze make it easy to upload a design and have users complete the test unmoderated. Maze even provides built-in analysis showing the percentage of users who clicked on the right spot.
5-Second Testing
A 5-second test involves showing users a design for just 5 seconds, then asking them what they remember. This helps gauge how well your design communicates key information and leaves a lasting impression at a glance.
If users can‘t recall your main message, hero image, or primary CTA, those may need more prominence. Usability Hub and Wynter are great tools for running 5-second tests with your target audience.
Preference Testing
Preference tests are ideal for comparing two different design directions and identifying which elements users like best. Simply show participants two variations side-by-side and ask which one they prefer and why.
UserZoom and UsabilityHub make it a snap to set up a preference test and analyze both quantitative and qualitative results. Look for patterns in users‘ reasoning to understand what makes them favor one option.
In addition to testing visual designs, you‘ll also want to evaluate your information architecture (IA) at this stage. That‘s where card sorting comes in.
Card Sorting
Card sorting uncovers how users naturally categorize and label your content, so you can create an intuitive site map. In an open card sort, you give users a list of "cards" with different page topics and ask them to group the cards in a way that makes sense and give each group a label.
This shows you the best way to structure your main navigation and subpages based on users‘ mental models. Optimal Workshop‘s OptimalSort makes it effortless to run and analyze open card sorts with 20-50 participants.
Tree Testing
Once you have a draft IA from card sorting, validate it with tree testing before moving to high-fidelity designs. Tree testing gives users a task to complete using only the text of your proposed site map.
If users take a long time or fail to find the right section, you know you need to re-work your categories and labels. Treejack and Maze are popular tools for unmoderated tree tests.
User Testing in the Prototype Stage
As you start designing more detailed page layouts and interactions, you‘ll want to keep testing to see if users can complete core tasks and navigate smoothly. At this stage, focus on questions like:
- Can users find what they need and understand how to use the interface?
- Are there any points of confusion or frustration in the primary user flows?
- Does the content answer users‘ key questions and build trust?
- Are there opportunities to streamline or remove unnecessary steps?
Let‘s look at some helpful testing methods for prototypes:
Unmoderated Usability Testing
Unmoderated usability testing is an efficient way to see how users navigate your interface without direct guidance. You give participants a goal to achieve (like "find a dress for a wedding"), then observe how they attempt to complete the task.
Since users complete the test on their own time, you can gather a lot of data quickly without the scheduling constraints of live sessions. Look for tools that offer features like:
- Screen and voice recording
- Clickstream analysis
- Automatic note-taking
- Mobile testing capabilities
UserTesting, Userlytics, and Lookback are all strong options for unmoderated tests.
Moderated User Interviews
Moderating live user testing sessions takes more time but allows you to dig deeper into users‘ behaviors, needs, and pain points. As you guide participants through your prototype, you can ask follow-up questions, have them think aloud, and test specific scenarios.
Aim for at least 5 hour-long sessions to uncover most major issues. Use a tool like Zoom to conduct remote interviews so you can share screens and record the sessions.
Eye Tracking
Eye tracking provides a heat map of where users look on your interface, how long they fixate, and the path their eyes travel. This shows you which elements capture attention, cause confusion, or get ignored completely.
While traditionally done in labs with expensive hardware, new tools like EyeQuant and Tobii Ghost make remote eye tracking a lot more accessible. EyeQuant even lets you upload static designs to predict how users‘ eyes will move before you have a live prototype.
User Testing Post-Launch
Launching your product is a huge milestone, but it‘s really just the beginning of your UX journey. Once you have real users interacting with your live site or app, you gain a wealth of new data and opportunities to improve.
At this stage, blend quantitative analytics with qualitative insights to understand not just what users do but why they do it. Aim to answer questions like:
- Which user flows have the biggest drop-off and what‘s causing it?
- What are the most common user behaviors, pain points, and feedback trends?
- How are key UX metrics like task success rate, time on task, and conversion rate trending over time?
- What experiments can we run to optimize the areas with the most impact on our goals?
Below are some powerful methods for continuous UX optimization post-launch:
Web & App Analytics
Quantitative analytics tools help you see the big picture of how users interact with your product. Use a platform like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to track metrics like:
- Most and least visited pages or screens
- Top user flows and drop-off points
- Goal conversion rates
- Average session duration and pages per session
- Bounce and exit rates
For example, if you notice that 70% of users exit on your pricing page, you know that‘s a critical area to focus on improving. Or if users who visit your help center have a higher retention rate, you might want to make self-service support easier to access.
Session Recordings
Where analytics show you the "what," session recordings help you understand "why" users behave the way they do. These tools capture video of real users‘ screens as they navigate your product, so you can see Every. Single. Interaction.
Session replays are perfect for:
- Identifying usability issues and points of friction or confusion
- Discovering unexpected user behaviors and dead ends
- Investigating rage clicks, U-turns, and error messages
- Finding optimization opportunities for key flows and CTAs
Lookback, Hotjar, and FullStory are popular apps that combine session recordings with other helpful features like heatmaps and conversion funnels.
On-Page Surveys
On-page surveys let you collect feedback from users while they‘re actively engaged with your content. Use them to ask questions like:
- What‘s the main reason for your visit today?
- What‘s preventing you from [taking a key action]?
- How would you rate your experience today and why?
- What‘s the one thing we could do to improve?
Tools like Qualaroo and Hotjar make it easy to trigger targeted micro-surveys at specific points in the user journey (e.g. after scrolling 50%, on exit intent, after completing a task).
Just remember to keep surveys short and relevant to the page content. You can even use a plugin like User.com to route different user responses to the right team member to follow up on.
A/B Testing
A/B testing lets you compare two versions of a page to see which one performs better. Whenever you‘re considering a UX change, A/B tests help you validate the impact with real data before fully rolling it out.
Common things to A/B test include:
- Page layouts and element placement
- Messaging and microcopy
- Images and visual design styles
- Forms and checkout flows
- Navigation structure and labels
For example, you might A/B test putting your sign-up button above vs. below the fold or changing its color and copy. Even small tweaks can make a big difference in conversion.
Google Optimize, Optimizely, and VWO are all great A/B testing tools that integrate with your analytics and make it easy to interpret results. As a rule of thumb, run each test until it reaches 95% statistical significance.
User Feedback Interviews
No matter how sophisticated your analytics get, regularly talking to users remains a UX research gold standard. Schedule live feedback sessions at least quarterly to understand users‘ goals, unmet needs, motivations, and frustrations.
The key is to get a representative mix of participants, including new, power, and churned users. Try to identify recurring themes and issues across a variety of perspectives.
Use an interview guide to keep sessions focused but not too rigid. See if you can uncover insights like:
- What are the key factors that influence users‘ purchase decisions?
- Which product features are most and least valuable to users and why?
- What barriers prevent users from getting the most value out of the product?
- What do users wish the product could do that it can‘t today?
Tools like Lookback and User Interviews make it easy to recruit participants and moderate sessions. Consider offering a gift card or account credit as a thank-you for their time.
Putting It All Together
There you have it – a complete roadmap to user testing at every stage of the design process. By making UX research a regular habit, you‘ll consistently create experiences that truly resonate with your audience.
Remember, even the most successful companies continuously test and iterate on their user experience. As Braden Kowitz, Design Partner at Google Ventures said:
"User research isn‘t a one-time thing. It should be a constant, ongoing process that informs every design decision."
So what user testing method will you try first? Pick one that fits your current stage and resources, and see how the insights impact your next iteration. Trust me, once you start designing with real user data, you‘ll never look back!
