When to Conduct User Testing During Web Development

You are currently viewing When to Conduct User Testing During Web Development
When to Conduct User Testing During Web Development

The world of eCommerce is highly competitive. Amid thousands of websites competing for a niche in the digital marketplace, you need a web developer who understands the value of user testing and will use these tests during the development process. User testing is one of the essential aspects of a thriving product, but you might wonder when and how to conduct user testing as you build your platform.

Here, we explore three circumstances in which user testing becomes a necessary part of web development. 

When looking for a competitive edge…

Contrary to popular belief, user testing isn’t the same as usability testing. Usability testing focuses more on validating whether an existing tool functions as intended. With user testing, you sample an idea from just about any stage of the process through various testing methods. This is especially useful when looking to create any competitive edge for your eCommerce business. 

User testing can be completed just about any time you have a web design or function you want to try out. Whether you have a proof of concept or are looking to improve your platform, user testing should be your go-to tool. That’s because, by nature, testing is a great way to experiment with ideas and address issues without committing to a big investment. 

User testing can help you derive a competitive edge by: 

  • Confirming the potential of an idea
  • Evaluating the efficiency of a web product
  • Identifying problem areas

From here, developers can better understand what improvements they can make to enhance web performance. This could entail backend upgrades to quicken page load times or even aesthetic updates to improve user experience.

There is no one way to build a successful eCommerce website. However, user testing gives you the tools you need to maximize the performance of the route you have in mind, allowing you to take your digital sales platform to new heights however that might look for you.

Layout your business goals and then explore how you might reach them with the power of user testing. 

When promoting accessibility…

Another vital moment to apply user testing is when considering accessibility. So often, web developers fail to prioritize accessibility throughout the process, and the results are evident in the end product. Instead, integrate testing throughout development to coordinate your accessibility efforts. 

Fortunately, there’s a great place you can start with web accessibility. These are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and it provides all kinds of recommendations and tools you’ll need when evaluating how accessible a system is. With its help, you can build your tests or use existing ones that evaluate how well your web products perform in the context of the user accommodations and tech assistants, as they relate to the four essential elements of web accessibility. These are:

  1. Perceivability
  2. Operability
  3. Understandability
  4. Robustness

User testing can help you track each of these necessary components of web development to produce the best possible results. With accessibility at the heart of the dev process, you’ll open up your platform to a broader audience while ensuring that you don’t run into many of the operational problems that come from poorly optimized tools. 

When streamlining for success…

User testing will always be a key to streamlining your business success in a digital environment. Poorly optimized sites and pages will cause would-be customers to turn away more than just about anything else, so you’ll need to ask the right questions and track all your vital eCommerce metrics. These include:

  • Customer retention rate
  • Average order value
  • Customer acquisition cost
  • Bounce rate
  • Cart abandonment rate

Whenever you have a new idea or innovation to try that may affect any of these metrics, you’ll want to conduct user testing. This can be done through a specific set of functions or instructions. A web developer can always help you conduct user tests more thoroughly and turn those insights into actionable design strategies.

Suppose you’re considering bringing on new staff to help in this process. In that case, it’s essential to keep in mind that web and software developers don’t always work with the same systems and may have different takes on testing product functionality. Evaluate your eCommerce model, platform, and goals to determine the best path for your web-based tools. Then with experts on hand, you’ll find that success comes easy. 

Maximizing potential through user testing

User testing is a critical process. Without it, you will undoubtedly miss out on opportunities throughout development that can elevate your standing in the digital world. Initiate user testing whenever you need a competitive edge, are looking to improve accessibility, or want to improve any of the ways your digital storefront functions. 

With these tips in mind, you can maximize web development potential through user testing. Grow your audience and improve web functionality as you gain the feedback you’ll need for success.

When to Conduct User Testing During Web Development

eCommerce FAQs

Passionate advocate for digital inclusivity, leading the charge at Understanding eCommerce to provide web accessibility solutions for businesses and organizations. Committed to making the online world accessible to all.