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Follow Nigel T Packer Internet Marketing Author, International Business Speaker and Managing Director of Business for Business Internet Marketing on: |
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INTERNET MARKETING |
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Usability Testing No-one would launch a new product onto the market without testing it, yet every day, websites are published that have broken links, obstacles and barriers to the user, confusing architecture and more. Usability testing is concerned with the experience that your users have. In general it aims to predict likely problems your users will encounter on your website. Testing with users achieves this by actually observing normal people (or those in your target group) using your website. We offer website testing on two levels Expert heuristic evaluation A usability specialist tests, reviews and evaluates the website focusing on the user experience. Cognitive walk-throughs, identification of barriers to the user completing tasks, architecture, user interface, navigation and orientation. Readability of the text content and more. Qualitative User Testing By carrying out user testing, it conclusively identifies the problems that users do have when using your website. No speculation, no arguments or debates between the development team and marketing department, or between the client and the web developer. Conclusive evidence. User testing involves recruiting people (users) who will use your website under observation. They are in as realistic a situation as possible (as this improves the results) and are asked to carry out tasks that are specifically developed to be relevant to the website being tested. The users are facilitated through the process and observed by a usability expert. The results are collated and analysed and feedback is provided. The emphasis is firmly on the qualitative as this has been proven to produce the most cost effective results for small-scale testing. As this type of testing is looking for insights and barriers that contribute to the next stage of development, then it has been demonstrated that testing with 5 users is sufficient, and it is preferable to carry out multiple tests, rather than with more users. This means that qualitative user testing, sufficient for most projects is quick and inexpensive to carry out. Quantitative User Testing Metrics and Quantitative recording or users activity can also be carried out. However, it is important to note that the only point of producing metrics or measurements of any kind is to make a comparison with another set of metrics: between an existing site and a redesign, between different options or between your site and your competitors. In order to ensure data accuracy a minimum of 20 users must be tested, and preferably a higher number. Note that usability testing is NOT carrying out focus groups. In a focus group situation - where people are asked their opinion of things and their likes and dislikes, there is a common tendency for the participants to respond in a way that they think is socially acceptable in the situation, or to agree or disagree with someone else present. That is not to say that focus groups are no good, but they are not particularly useful when it comes to testing a website. In short, when it comes to using the internet, what people say they will do and what they actually do in a real or simulated situation are often very different.
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Please note all prices are subject to VAT at the current rate
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"It never really occurred to us that there might be so many small issues that we simply hadn't noticed, of course we couldn't see the wood for the trees really...having this done was well worth it," |
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PRICES Heuristic evaluation from £250+vat Qualitative user testing from £1000+vat Quantitative testing projects from £5000+vat
Contact us now to test your website. |
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© BUSINESS for BUSINESS Internet Marketing Limited 2011
Business for Business INTERNET MARKETING Limited | Registered in England and Wales No. 06225488 | VAT no GB 978 3981 45
First Floor | SA12 Business Centre | Seaway Parade | Baglan Energy Park | Port Talbot | SA12 7BR | 01639 820984 | 08450 550510 | info@businessforbusiness.co.uk