{"id":139753,"date":"2021-09-02T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/?p=25147"},"modified":"2023-03-09T15:04:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T21:04:11","slug":"run-usability-test-wordpress-site-how-to","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/run-usability-test-wordpress-site-how-to\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Run a Usability Test on Your WordPress Site"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Usability testing is all about understanding how your users interact with your website, what decisions they make, and most importantly, why they make those decisions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong>Here are three quick reasons why usability testing ROCKS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It allows you to dive into your visitor\u2019s mind<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It points out usability flaws you hadn\u2019t thought about<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It improves user satisfaction<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In essence, usability testing allows you to create the best experience for your visitors. When you receive good service, you usually tell others, right? You\u2019ll probably also return to that place. Guess what? The same applies on the web.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Usability Testing: The Best Bang for Your Buck<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While there are many aspects of your website that you can test, we thought we\u2019d point out the most important three.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Intuitive Navigation<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This principle applies not only to your WordPress site, but to any product. People want a simple design that follows their natural thought process.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/01\/test-usability-problems-map.jpg\" alt=\"two people planning on paper map with laptop and camera\" class=\"wp-image-25390\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Start by looking at your links and buttons. Ultimately, that\u2019s how your users will navigate through your site. Then, answer the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are your labels simple, direct, and easy to understand?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do your links take your visitors to a relevant page?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are your links easy to locate? (Not hidden in the footer, deep in a dropdown menu, or even worse, not on your home page?)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you have clear labels for your links and you place them correctly, your visitors won\u2019t have to hunt for their treasure. Most importantly, they won\u2019t have to click the back button on different pages of your site. If a user clicks a back button to navigate your site, that definitely highlights a navigational problem.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Always remember that visitors are busy and that they what to find their solutions QUICKLY. If they can\u2019t find what they\u2019re looking for, it\u2019s back to Google search.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Efficiency of Use<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ever wanted to fill an application only to realize you had to fill out 12 dreadful pages of information that&#8217;s already on your resume? Even if an interface is easy to use, it still shouldn\u2019t demand much of the user\u2019s time. In the world of web, this is crucial as studies have shown that <\/span><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/time.com\/3858309\/attention-spans-goldfish\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">users attention spans are shortening<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So how can you ensure your site is efficient to use?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minimize the number of steps needed to accomplish a task.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minimize the number of times a user has to switch between the mouse and keyboard.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minimize the number of pages a user has to navigate through.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optimize mobile usability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Think about the last time you had to book a flight. You could accomplish quite a bit on the first page, right? Even if a user is interested in taking an action and that action is easy to perform, if it takes too long, there\u2019s a good chance they\u2019ll drop it altogether and look for another source.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Attention Level<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/01\/test-usability-problems-clutter.jpg\" alt=\"person working at very messy desk on design project\" class=\"wp-image-25389\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You might want to know which areas of your website are capturing attention and which areas aren\u2019t. There are two possible way of measuring this:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Track the areas of your website that are most hovered over. The position of the mouse is closely aligned to the user\u2019s visual attention.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check which buttons and links are clicked most often.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This tells you a few things, such as which areas of your website are active and which areas aren\u2019t. Most importantly though, it allows you to reflect upon your desired goals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are your visitors following your designated funnel? If you have multiple funnels, which ones are the most successful? You can dig further and further, but hopefully, you get the idea of how useful this is.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracking your user\u2019s visual attention is not the end of the story. You still have to figure out the \u201cwhy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Conducting Your Test: Online or in Person?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In general, you can test your website online, in person, or combine both methods. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so we\u2019ll point out the pros and cons.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>In-Person Usability Testing<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This method offers the most control and flexibility in terms of how you\u2019d like the test to run. It allows you to dig deeper into basic questions and to indulge in conversations you hadn\u2019t thought about previously. It\u2019s ideal when you don\u2019t need to conduct too many tests.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/01\/test-usability-problems-mobile.jpg\" alt=\"woman with red nail polish and tea with fruit in jar on mobile phone\" class=\"wp-image-25388\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nevertheless, this option is usually the most expensive, both time-wise and financially. You have to prepare the environment for every user, meet them at a convenient time, and give them a reason to participate. Users may also be influenced by your proximity and feel pressured to answer in a way that pleases you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Online Usability Testing<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online usability testing allows you to deploy your test to as many people as you want. People can conduct the test wherever they are and whenever they want; you simply collect and analyze their feedback. Some great testing services for your website include <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspectlet.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inspectlet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usertesting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">User Testing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peek.usertesting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peek<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the negative side, online testing doesn\u2019t allow you to get into as much detail as in-person testing does. You cannot tweak your tests (on the fly) based on user performance. You\u2019ll also have to think of all of your questions upfront. Often a conversation can open up a lot of ideas. Nevertheless, you can overcome some of those problems by setting up a live video conference with some of your users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Choosing Your Audience: Who and How Many?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though you can test your website with family and friends, it\u2019s best to test it with your ideal target market. Try to get users that fit your demographics and that are interested in your niche. Nevertheless, you also want to test your site with people who don\u2019t fit these criteria as that can give you an outsider\u2019s viewpoint.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/01\/test-usability-problems-audience.jpg\" alt=\"audience writing in notebooks\" class=\"wp-image-25387\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it comes to how many, there is no strict guideline. While you might think you need to conduct hundreds of tests, Jakob Nielsen (a PhD researcher in the field of user testing) proved otherwise. In his research, he proved that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">five users are enough to point out your major flaws<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. That said, he added that there are always exceptions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Summing Up<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s easy to understand something you\u2019ve designed yourself. When you get so acquainted with something you\u2019ve done, it\u2019s easy to assume that others view it like you do. It\u2019s nice to pull yourself aside and see how the real world interacts with your site. At the end of the day, your website is for them, right? So sit down, relax, and see the world through the eyes of your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Usability testing is all about understanding how your users interact with your website, what decisions they make, and most importantly, why they make those decisions. Here are three quick reasons why usability testing ROCKS! In essence, usability testing allows you to create the best experience for your visitors. When you receive good service, you usually<span class=\"tile__ellipses\">&hellip;<\/span><span class=\"tile__ellipses--animated\"><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141320,"template":"","resource-topic":[912],"resource-role":[896,899],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-139753","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to run a usability test on your WordPress site<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Usability tests ensure that your site is follows the most natural user journey to attain the highest possible conversion rates.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Run a Usability Test on Your WordPress 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