Many businesses and organisations, especially smaller ones with a restricted budget, find it challenging to build websites customers can connect with. Here's a simple hack to work around your budget constraints.
What is it?
The 5-Second Test Hack is a speedy way to discover how your customers connect with your website.
The Hack!
It may come across creepy, and we'd never usually recommend being a peeping Tom, but if it means it'll help your business, we're all for it. There is this fabulous website called UserTesting.com that allows you to record your target audience while interacting with your website. UserTesting.com will enable you to set up tasks, ask questions and get valuable opinions which you can watch during videos minutes later. Website fine-tuning at its best!
A little like our Landing Page Hack, you'll require some thick skin for this one. As watching users scrutinise, your website isn't always easy. However, the nerves of watching people potentially critiquing your business are soon put aside once you receive almost instant feedback, which is not only exciting but of extreme value. UserTesting.com has a substantial amount of qualified website reviewers at its disposal who are trained and paid to create videos of themselves constructively evaluating your website.
What to use?
You can request a trial of the Enterprise Package to see how well UserTesting.com
Time to Hack it!
- Start with a free trial of UserTesting.com (Enterprise). This package will get you started and allows you to familiarise yourself with the UI and learn how to set tasks for test users and questions that you wish to have answered.
- Once you got the hang of it and set up the initial tasks and questions, it is about time to purchase records of your "guinea pigs." Given the amount of effort and manual labour that is involved in exclusive videos come at a price. On average you will be spending around £40 per recording. To get started, we believe purchasing a small sample of five videos will provide you with initial feedback that will give you an idea of where you are at in regards to website development.
- UserTesting.com has thought its web-application well through and provides a significant number of useful features. Amongst them you find a feature labelled "wizard". It assists you in creating tasks and questions. So if you are new to testing and not sure how to get the biggest bang for the buck, take advantage of it!
- Your testers will then complete the tasks and subsequently answer all of your questions within roughly 60 minutes. Yes, they are aiming to provide results within the shortest time so you can get on with your work.
- When reviewing the test results, you must pay close attention to areas of your website that caused issues amongst testers. It might relate to navigating through the site, finding the right information at the right time, or perhaps even aesthetics that put your test users off.
- Most importantly, if you do not yet have a thick skin, grow one. We understand being criticised or having your creation exposed to people with a different taste, perception and values may be difficult to deal with. Make sure you take any recommendation that goes your way seriously. You never know it may make or break your business.