09 August 2010
Posted in
Tools & Services
There are two types of tests that you should be performing with every web design you create: effectiveness of messaging and the effectiveness of navigation. If you have not created a design that quickly and intuitively does both, you need to rethink your understanding of web design.
Until now, we have all been running the designs by the client, a few staff members and the client's mom. These tests are not reliable because the tester is typically already familiar with the product and, in many cases, has already given direction in the design process.
The clients customers might be OK, but even they are already familiar with the product and industry, so despite their being the target market, they are still not great for testing.
What you really want is complete strangers and UsabilityHub.Com has just launched a brilliant new tool that allows you to quickly get direct feedback on web designs.
They cover both of the two tests above and do so by using a community of other designers to do the testing.
The Five Second Test
This test begins on a screen with some background and instructions. It sets the stage for the test.
Next, the tester is shown the design for 5 seconds.
After that, you can ask them a series of questions about the design and the results are shown on your dashboard per question.
Naviflow Test
The next test deals with identifying the effectiveness of your sites navigation.
In this test, you upload a series of screen captures or mock-ups.
Then you identify the area on them where you want the user to click for each step.
The objective is to setup a conversion goal path and then test if you have correctly designed the interface to allow the user to find the goal.
The results show how well you did.
How much does it cost?
There are currently 5 levels of service based on the number of user responses that you wish to solicit per month and these range in cost from $0 per month to $200. The free version is based on the number of tests you actually take and you can earn about 1 to 2 points per test (a single response costs 1 point).
