Usability Testing for Business Success: an in-depth review

Usability Testing for Business Success: an in-depth review 

Usability Testing

When operating a human-centered design in your business, it is not enough to empathize with people and build prototypes based on the designer's observation of the users.
The goal is to understand if your product design is usable and easy to interact with. Therefore, a usability test is conducted.  

What is Usability Testing? ​

Usability testing is a process of testing your product with real users by assigning them tasks and documenting their interaction. The purpose of this test is to evaluate how easy and user-friendly your application is. In simple words, watch them use your products. 
While carrying out a usability test, you will understand whether your users are familiar with the product design, how to move from one page to the other, what buttons to use and when to use them. Can they use all the app features without help or interference? Is there a glitch in the prototype? Are the colors aesthetically pleasing? Is the interface easy to navigate? All these questions will be answered after the exercise. This process may also be called User Experience (UX) testing. ​

How do you measure Usability Success? ​

There are different metrics used to calculate the success of a usability test. These systems of measurement show the effectiveness and efficiency of the digital products, as well as users' satisfaction. 
Normally, the metrics are evaluated based on the data collected during user experience (UX) testing. The project manager assigns a task to a group of people. The founder of Nielsen Norman Group, Jacob Nielsen recommends 20 people for usability testing. These people are watched closely and may even be recorded to analyze the process over and over again. 
One of the metrics for calculating the success of a usability test is the User Score or Success Completion. Success Score simply shows that a user completed a given task. This may be calculated thus: 
Success Score= No of Completed Tasks 
                              Total No of Attempts 
Success scores may be an effortless way to calculate the success of product testing. It however requires additional analysis on the part of the project manager to arrive at a more accurate result. 
For instance, some users may have partially completed their tasks. A user who can order a bag on the website but has done so in the wrong color has partially completed the task. It is therefore important that the UX designer groups people with comparable results separately. This group may carry the tag - Tasks performed with errors. No usability test is expected to produce a 100% success result as errors are unavoidable.  
Understanding the different types of errors and what was responsible for the errors will open the eyes of the designer to other problems.  
Another tester of usability success is the error rate. These are the number of errors made while using the product. Errors may be made with the right goal (slips) or the wrong goal (mistakes). Examples of these are typos and a mix-up of birth date and age number in the wrong gaps, respectively. Like Success Score, the error rate is calculated by dividing the number of errors by the total number of attempts. 
Task time is an important metric of usability success. Whether you are an online business owner or customer, everyone knows time is of the essence. Nobody wants to spend 15 minutes trying to order food on a website. How fast can the user use the features of your product? ​

What are the goals of Usability? ​

The goal of usability testing is peculiar to your product. Have a breakdown of your objectives and have accurate questions prepared.  
As a product designer, the goal of your product testing should always be in focus. It may be to understand how efficient your software is, how effectively users can interact with your product, how pleasing the user interface (UI) is, or simply how easy it is to learn your product features. 
Whatever it is, it must be clearly defined and should guide the entire process. There is no one size fit when it comes to usability goals.  ​

Signs that your business lacks Usability ​

Depending on your product, numerous signs signal to you that your business lacks usability. And this has nothing to do with the size of your business. Have you rushed to a website to read about a big name, and you are completely discouraged by the user interface? Any business can get its UX wrong.  
Here are some of the signs that your product lacks usability: 
 
Frustrating User Experience 
Sometimes, customers complain that they cannot seem to understand what is going on or what they are looking for on a website. This is because every piece of information is packed together and there are no sections to make their navigation very easy.  
Have you ever wondered why customers are not returning to purchase your product or why you are likely to see your products trashed? Does your complaint department get more calls than usual or does a significant percentage of your customers return your products angrily? If yes, you may need to know what it is about your products that are frustrating your users. 
 
Slow Responsive Time 
In a world where people are busy and trying to get their tasks done in the shortest possible time, creating a digital business that takes forever to load the site is a big mess. As a result of the problem encountered, users will likely not return to the brand. 
 
Complexities 
Unnecessary complexities will make UX frustrating. In a bid to be creative and different, some UX designers pile up unnecessary information and stock pictures. If a user can go from point A to B to make a purchase, why make them visit points B, C, and D before reaching B?  
 
Lack of Engagement 
When people visit your website, they are there to engage you with it. If they find the website boring or devoid of engagement features, they are going to log out without fulfilling their purpose. 
Does your website or app have a live chat? Is there a quick help icon or section where visitors can ask questions? 
 
Lack of Authentic Images 
This is one incredibly significant aspect of usability that every project manager should focus on. When you empathize with your users, you may realize that one feature of your business they cannot seem to interact with is the use of images that are alien to their understanding of the world.  
Instead of downloading stock photos, why not create images that they can relate with. For example, if you are creating products for Asians, using images that conflict with their cultural perception will most likely drive them away.  
These are some of the signs you should look into as a business owner. However, they are not limited to the ones mentioned in this article. If you do not find where the problem is, you may need to consult with an expert.  ​

​Final Thoughts

When operating an online business or any business at all, it is important to get accurate statistics when carrying out a usability test. It will help you understand what you are doing wrong and how best to improve the product designs so that they meet the user's needs.
Gain more insights on usability testing when you take a UX/UI design course at the GoCreate USA product design Bootcamp. Join the waitlist today for the upcoming bootcamp. ​