Website usability testing guide

Website usability testing guideDecember 2007

Copyright © 2006 Abcam plc. www.abcam.com

Aims

• Find problem areas on the website

• Find things that work well for customers

• Test how easy it really is to use our site

• Get customer feedback on our site

• Quantify this “usability” in some way• % success

• time to perform task

• survey data

Copyright © 2006 Abcam plc. www.abcam.com

Methods

• Task-based testing• Clear START and END (success) point

• Defined goal(s) of task

• Have a “script” – an outline of the questions you’ll ask and what you expect them to do

• Measure success rate and time

• Observe behaviour during task

• Record comments during task

Copyright © 2006 Abcam plc. www.abcam.com

Selecting users

• Potential and existing customers

• Doesn’t matter if used site before (record though)

• Look for “typical” Abcam website users

People to avoid

1. Website people

2. Experienced (internal) users

3. Anyone who may be biased in any way

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Reassure user

• Don’t call it a “test” – “User feedback session” is less scary!

• Make sure they know what you’re going to do, what you’re recording and how we’ll use the data

• Things to say at the start:• “We won’t necessarily be able to answer questions or help you with

the task. We’re not trying to be rude, just it’s more useful to see what you do on your own. In real life you wouldn’t have us here to help you”

• We’re not testing you, it is the website we’re testing. You can do nothing wrong.

• If you’re having any problems or are confused by what you see, please tell us. It is useful for us to know!

Copyright © 2006 Abcam plc. www.abcam.com

Encourage user to vocalise

• “Think out loud”

How to help

• Demo how to do this (google example)

• Ask questions• What were you expecting to see here?

• What are you looking for?

• What are you trying to do now?

• Try not to ask “WHY?”

Copyright © 2006 Abcam plc. www.abcam.com

Recording and writing up

• One person times and records

• One person asks questions (and records if poss)

What to record

• Problems and actions

• Comments (positive and negative)

• Times to different success points

• Browser type, operating system and screen size

• Personal details (job, experience of Abcam etc)

Write upSee User testing write up