If improving website productivity and user satisfaction is not enough reason for you to believe in website usability testing, here is a list of other benefits that web usability research offers to help you see why this step in web development is crucial to the success of your web-based enterprise:
- Usability testing helps you remove stumbling blocks that may arise in the users' path as they make use of your website or application. Because you get to evaluate not only the features of your site but also its functionality, you determine whether or not there are problems in the responsiveness, function, and even the cross-browser compatibility of your site. It is important to test these factors before launch to avoid higher costs of re-designing and having to take down the site for fixes. There will also be less customer support calls and emails to deal with.
- Usability testing helps improve your site's visitor retention rate, which translates to greater profitability. When your site is unable to retain visitors due to poor design, it is less likely that you can capture their interest on your service or product. Some factors that may affect user retention rate that you can discover through usability testing include: slow loading home pages, irrelevant information, web design distractions, etc.
- When websites have good, usable design, you also reduce shopping cart abandonment, thus improving purchase rates.
- Usability testing also helps improve brand image in the overall. When visitors are able to have a pleasant experience while on your site, they are more likely to have a favorable impression of your company and your brand. Otherwise, your competitor's website is only a click away.
- With a site that is specifically geared and designed according to the needs of its target users, profitability and sales will more than likely increase.
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