Web usability: what it is and what testing techniques exist

Web usability is one of the most important factors to consider when developing a website.

However, on many occasions it is put in a second term, giving greater prominence to issues such as design. A website must be easy to use in order to be successful. Therefore, it is convenient to test, test and check certain aspects before it is published.

What is web usability?

The first thing we must do is be clear about the concept of usability, as it can lead to confusion. When we use this term we refer to how easy it is to use a website for any user who accesses it. The simpler it is, the better its usability.
There are many factors involved in the ease of use of a website. The structure of the menu, the contents, a successful design, the comfortable interaction or the synthesized information are some of the elements that we must attend to when thinking about the construction of a website. Simplicity is the main secret.
Good web usability translates into greater satisfaction of your visitors. If they are comfortable, they are more likely to spend more time navigating it. This increase in the duration of the visit allows to increase the conversion rate while facilitating the achievement of a number of recurring users, who are loyal to the page.

Techniques for testing the web usability of a page

It is true that, at first glance, we can get an idea about the ease or difficulty of using a website. However, to examine it in detail it is preferable to resort to a series of testing techniques that allow us to quantify all aspects that are not so obvious. Through these tests we can discover how the user behaves on our website, what he thinks of a new functionality or if the data we have included in a product sheet are really useful.
It is not possible to find a test that serves to measure all the aspects that we may need. Therefore, it will be pertinent to choose one or the other depending on what our objectives are. Below, we detail some of the best known, which may be useful to achieve certain objectives within our website.

Card sorting

This test is aimed at potential customers of our website. In this way, we can obtain really interesting data to develop it. In general, it consists of evaluating our structure or content map. To do this, we can rely on three different models:
– Open card sorting. Category cards are granted to users and it is they who must provide an order and a name to each of them.
– Card sorting closed. Users should sort the categories as they see fit.
– Hybrid card sorting. Category cards are provided and users can sort them or include new ones.
The card sorting test can be carried out in person and online, using different tools.

Tree test

It is usual to opt for this test after having made a card sorting before. The objective is to develop an assessment of the structure of the site or a part of it. Users should find the items they are looking for in the content tree.
The tree test

makes it possible to undertake a web usability analysis without having developed the site completely. We only need to have the categories and subcategories in which we are going to divide the site. To perform this test, users are assigned certain tasks that they must find in the content tree.
The results will help us to verify that the structure we have designed for the web is easily identifiable by users. If not, we must introduce the corresponding modifications in it.

Test A/B

This is the name given to the test that allows us to check how users behave in the face of different proposals. They are usually tests aimed at improving the conversion of websites. However, we must understand the concept of conversion in a broad sense, not only as the sale of a product or the hiring of a service.
The key in the a/b test is to define the objectives to be measured and prepare the test based on well-defined parameters. In this way, it will be easier for us to determine if the difference between one option and another is really worth it or not.

First click test

The purpose of this test is, as the name suggests, to analyze a user’s first click on a page. In other words, test if the user can complete a task within the page easily. This makes it possible for us to know the objective it pursues. The results will provide us with information about the areas of the page that are confusing to the user, the time it took to click and where exactly it has done so, among other data.

Test think out loud

In this test, users are asked to speak out loud, expressing their thoughts while they are using certain features of a web page. These expressions, which are usually unconscious, are recorded for later analysis.
To perform the think out loud

test we must start from some scenarios already described, which we hope to develop on our website. Then, certain tasks are assigned to the people who are going to perform the test. Users should express aloud what they think, the doubts that arise in the process and what they are not understanding. It is a test that allows us to obtain interesting results with a relatively low investment.

Usability test for proper web development

In short, the types of tests designed to improve web usability can make a difference in the development of our site. Implementing the ideal tests during the creation process will allow us to adapt the website to what our future users expect from it. In turn, they are very valuable resources when we want to quantify the results of our strategy and the response it is provoking in our users. Without a doubt, it is the best way to continue growing online.