Website and App Usability
Positive website and app experiences are critical for brands. Customers are researching products online as well as buying online more than ever before. These purchases are frequently via apps.
In addition, many services, communications, and interactions with customers exist entirely online or in a brand's app. Increasingly, apps are a key, and sometimes only, “touchpoint” consumers have with your brand.
Usability testing can discover if your website and app experiences are intuitive and “on target;” with your intended audiences. In addition to identifying the “efficiency” to which your consumer is able to navigate; this type of research can determine overall how well your online presence communicates the brand and its services; what methods of message communication are used; and what words or images can be misunderstood or misleading. During usability testing:
- Respondents are asked to share their screen (either website or phone screen for app) with a moderator, and then are sent through a series of use-case scenarios. A use-case scenario is typically a series of tasks that defines typical uses or issues that consumers would have. If they are shopping for an appliance, they could be comparing brands, prices, learning whether the preferred item is in stock, or evaluating delivery times. They could also be looking for free delivery and carry-away of the older appliance. It is ideal to watch the consumer complete these tasks.
As respondents complete a use-case scenario, the moderator asks each respondent to narrate aloud about what they’re doing and why—while also observing what links and pages the respondent is viewing. The approach tends to be largely observational, although the moderator may ask questions at certain moments during or after completion of use-case scenarios. - Usability testing (website and apps) can be conducted online or in person. The moderator sees and tracks what the respondents are viewing, while asking questions along the way.
- Insights that summarize the overall experience for the consumer are critical. Specific recommendations provided include:
- Action oriented insights that provide detailed “green, yellow, or red” indicators (corresponding to “good, not great but okay, or not viable”) for each task that respondents are asked to complete.
- It is also important that the look and feel of the website or app “fit” or “go with” the brand.
- It is not uncommon in usability testing like this to conduct the research in “waves”, where corrections to the website or app are made and then assessed again in order to fine tune the sites.
Experienced Qualitative Consultants
Decision Analyst has experience with a wide range of qualitative techniques and the latest methodologies to provide you the best solution for your business questions. Our understanding of user experience, marketing, and messaging combine to provide you with the most actionable results.
For more information on our Qualitative Research services, please contact Clay Dethloff, Senior Vice President, Qualitative Research, by email at cdethlo@decisionanalyst.com, or by calling 1-800-ANALYSIS (262-5974) or 1-817-640-6166.