As consumers continue to shift more and more of their focus to the online world, companies must make sure that their websites can not only handle the extra traffic, but also that their sites are engaging consumers.
For many brands, their website has become the medium through which consumers engage with the most. In order to make sure that consumers are having not only a pleasing experience but an exemplary one, they must vigorously test their website. However, before rushing off and hastily selecting a testing service, brands must be careful to select a solution that meets their business's needs.
There are a variety of solutions available for brands to leverage in order to check on the health of their website. Below are five of the most interesting and useful tools that brands can leverage; see an extended list at wsm.co/desfeedback15.
+ UsabilityHub:
When creating a website there are often features that the designer believes will connect with consumers, whether it be a creative navigation menu or overall page layout. Unfortunately, not all end up connecting. UsabilityHub lets designers test their creations on real people before they make their sites live. The design testing service has three tests that users can select from: a Five Second Test, Click Test and Nav Flow test. Through these tests enterprises can discover consumers' initial impressions of websites, where they are most likely to click and how easy the site is to navigate.
+ Usabilla:
Websites today are a source of rich information that, if utilized properly, can earn businesses a lifetime customer. To make sure that their websites are performing to their maximum capacity, brands must vigorously test for a variety of metrics. Usabilla enables brands to do live tests with a variety of features including targeted feedback forms that enable brands to ask visitors direct questions about their website as well as visual analysis tools like an intuitive dashboard so brands can quickly and easily understand their results.
+ UserTesting:
While seeing the reports of user testing is highly valuable to brands, it does not equate to the value that comes from being able to see and hear testers' reactions when using their site through video. Just as dashboards help brands to understand analytic metrics through visual representations, video helps brands to better visualize how visitors move through their website. Through tester videos brands are able to see first-hand how users navigate their websites as well as hear reactions to the features of the site as the tester moves through it.
+ Loop11:
When deciding upon a service to leverage for usability testing it's important that brands understand what each service tests specifically and the results it delivers. While allowing companies to test for predetermined metrics, Loop11 also enables brands to set up and run completely customized tests to see how their website performs. Through these tests brands can see data based on actions they specifically ask consumers to take. One noteworthy feature of Loop11's testing features is that it enables brands to recruit users with disabilities to test how accessible their website is.
+ WhatUsersDo:
Similar to UserTesting, WhatUsersDo enables brands to see testers' journey through videos. Interestingly, WhatUsersDo also enables brands to pinpoint the audience they want to test their websites. Brands are able to restrict their testers based on a variety of factors including age, sex and socio-economic status. This feature is helpful for brands which naturally lend themselves toward niche demographics like male or female specific apparel brands or baby supply providers akin to Babies "R" Us.
