Thursday, January 19, 2012

Conduct Usability Testing

Step 89.

Usability Testing certainly has its place within your online strategy but let me suggest conducting it after you feel good about your Web site design and before a major campaign launch. That is why we are at Step 89 in this blog book and just now talking about it.

There is no point in conducting Usability Testing before a major overhaul of your Web site design because you already know of areas of concern or you wouldn't be redesigning the site in the first place. The reason why Usability Testing is so powerful is because it uncovers things you don't know . . . things that work well and those that don't.

Usability Testing can be conducted in a formal manner, such as in a lab environment and involve asking target audiences to perform tasks in order to gain insights and feedback as they experience a Web site.

Let's say your charity just completed the design of an online campaign strategy to be launched in two months. It would be a good idea to conduct Usability Testing in order to ensure users can operate, navigate and understand the campaign content and complete your desired action.

An outsider's feedback is invaluable in this process, you simply can not get this kind of information from people inside the organization . . . it would be like trying to read a label from inside a bottle.
Make sure you conduct Usability Testing for each Marketing Funnel in order to ensure success.

Another Usability Testing idea that fits into your current online strategy would be to ask people to select a Search Engine and query on your charity's subject matter. For example, if your organization fights poverty, ask people “to find an organization who help those in poverty." Stand-back and watch what they do . . . what Search Engine do they use, what are the key words and phrases they use in their queries?A father and child sitting on a sofa with a computerYou certainly can make Usability Testing an informal process as well. Ask your friends to help while they are setting at home with their family and friends. Informed ideas with qualitative insights are much more effective than uninformed ones.

Givers Take Image, I've tried several times to watch your charity's video but it just doesn't work.

Step 90. Get a Second Gift

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