User Testing Steps: How to Find Users, Test and Analyse Results
Most businesses don’t fail because they have a terrible idea. They fail because they think they have a good idea—but never bother to test it.
You are not your user. No matter how much you believe in your product, service, or website, your opinion doesn’t matter. What matters? The people who will use it.
If you’re not testing with real users, you’re guessing. And guessing is expensive.
User testing isn’t just for tech giants or companies with million-dollar budgets. It’s one of the most powerful, underutilised tools for getting genuine insights, fixing blind spots, and turning ‘meh’ experiences into products people rave about.
In this guide, I’ll break down:
✅ How to find the right users (even if you have no audience)
✅ How to run tests without wasting time or money
✅ How to analyse results so you don’t just collect data—you use it
Most people overcomplicate this. You won’t. Let’s get into it.
- User testing helps measure the effectiveness of a website or app directly, capturing real user feedback.
- It's crucial to recruit relevant users for testing to gain genuine feedback and insights on user experience.
- Various types of user testing exist, including usability, A/B, beta, exploratory, concept, and heuristic evaluation.
- Documenting and analysing test results is vital to identify improvements and understand user behaviour.
- Ethical considerations, including informed consent and participant privacy, must be maintained throughout the testing process.
What is User Testing?
User testing is a way for you to measure the effectiveness of your website or app directly.
Your users access your website or app anonymously to look around, find pages or features they like or dislike, and tell you exactly what they think.
The benefit of user testing is that you can precisely determine what your users want, need, and expect and make improvements based on that information.
A typical user test involves anywhere from 20-100 users visiting your site or app. You'll invite people to participate in the study, answer questions, and collect data from them.
In this case, you'll have 100 users visit your site and complete a survey to determine their thoughts about your site or app. Then, you'll ask them questions about what they thought.
This method is considered more effective than the old A/B testing method, which compares two versions of the same website or app, with one version modified slightly and the other untouched. In A/B testing, you only get feedback from some visitors and don't know if they represent the whole.
User testing gives you feedback from the whole group and an understanding of the entire group's thoughts.
User testing is ideal for the following:
- New sites and apps
- Websites that change frequently
- Products or services that require input from the customer
Types of User Testing
User testing can be categorised into several types, each serving distinct purposes.
Usability testing focuses on assessing how easy and user-friendly a product is. Participants are observed while attempting to complete tasks, which helps identify user interface issues and areas for improvement.
A/B testing involves comparing two versions of a webpage or app to determine which performs better regarding user engagement and conversion rates. This method is beneficial for refining design elements.
Beta testing is conducted in the final stages of development and involves releasing the product to a limited audience outside the company. Feedback from beta testers provides insights into functionality and potential bugs in a real-world environment.
In addition to usability, A/B, and beta testing, there are other valuable types of user testing.
Exploratory testing is conducted early in development and aims to examine the product's potential paths and functionalities without following a strict script. This helps to uncover unforeseen issues and capture initial user reactions to new ideas.
Concept testing helps gather feedback on the fundamental idea behind a product before actual development begins. By presenting concepts through sketches or mock-ups, businesses can determine whether the product aligns with user needs and expectations.
Heuristic evaluation involves experts examining the product against established usability principles or heuristics. Although not conducted by actual users, this method provides valuable insights into usability flaws, guiding designers to make necessary adjustments before user input is sought.
What Should I Test?
When conducting a user test, you'll need to ask specific questions. Depending on your business and your goals, these questions could be as simple as:
- “How did you find us?”
- “What do you think of our layout?”
- “What are some things you'd like to see changed?”
- “What are some things you'd like to see added?”
You can also ask users to write their thoughts and feelings about your product or service. This can be a great tool to uncover insights into your target audience and better understand the people who use your product or service.
You'll want to pay close attention to your user's information and use that feedback to improve your site or app.
Can I Conduct My Own User Test?
It's possible to conduct your user test, but it's not necessarily the best choice. You can use online tools such as UserTesting.com or Userlytics to host a user test.
For example, UserTesting.com is a web-based application that allows users to view, rate, and provide feedback on websites or mobile apps. The site lets you create a page or test your app and then invite your friends or followers to participate.
Userlytics is a mobile app that lets you collect anonymous feedback from your users and then send them a link to the results. They can then share their feedback with others.
These tools can be an excellent option for people trying to gauge the effectiveness of a current website or app. They can also help gather feedback on a new site or app without existing content.
However, neither tool is intended to replace human testing. They're designed to collect and distribute anonymous feedback from your audience. If you run a user test yourself, you must create a survey to help you understand your target audience.
To start a user test, you must identify your target audience. Is it adults, teens, or kids? What kind of products or services do they use? What type of devices do they use?
Once you've identified your audience, consider what you want to know about them. You may collect their email address or contact information for later follow-up, or you may let them respond anonymously.
Next, you must determine which questions will help you learn more about them. Here are some examples:
- “Tell me something about yourself.”
- “What is your age?”
- “Do you live in this area?”
- “What do you do for a living?”
- “What are some things you want to see changed on our site?”
- “What are some things we could add to our site?”
- “What ways could we make our site easier to use?”
Once you've created a survey and collected your responses, it's time to analyse the data. How many people participated? Did any of them respond more than once? Were there any trends in the data?
After you analyse the data, you'll be able to determine which questions were most popular and which weren't. This can help you improve the user experience.
Why User Testing Is Necessary
The user testing process gives us insight into how well our content serves the needs of your audience. It also helps us identify gaps and opportunities to improve our products.
User testing is when individuals take a product or service through an experience. This can include a simple task like checking a website or purchasing. It can also be more in-depth, like watching a video or using a mobile app.
During the process, individuals provide feedback regarding how well a product or service works, how much effort they put forth to complete a task, and whether they would recommend it to others.
This provides us with a comprehensive view of the features and usability of a product, which ultimately allows us to make the necessary changes to provide a better user experience.
As we continue adding new content to our site, we want to ensure that we provide you with the best experience possible. Therefore, we use UserTesting.com to provide insights to determine if our design choices and content meet your needs.
It can be challenging to identify what changes need to be made to our site based on your user feedback. However, the user testing process makes this possible.
In addition to identifying improvements, it also allows us to determine the best time to post on our social media pages so that you can receive the freshest and most relevant content possible.
UserTesting.com provides us with an efficient way to gather user feedback, which enables us to improve the quality of our content and products.
User Testing Process
Our team uses UserTesting.com to collect and analyse user feedback for our website. We then incorporate the findings into our content strategy and design. This process takes approximately one hour to complete.
We begin by sending a short survey to a sample of your audience. After collecting feedback, we compare the results with what we already know about your website and target audience. This helps us identify where to improve and what content users seek.
We then invite the user base to participate in a longer, more detailed survey. We ask them to complete various tasks and watch videos to give us an in-depth look into their experiences.
We use the survey data and video feedback to adjust our website or products.
The Six Basic Elements of User Testing
Creating a Prototype
The goal of prototyping is to test ideas out. Prototyping allows you to quickly get feedback from real users and determine whether a concept makes sense to them.
Prototypes also allow you to test the effectiveness of your marketing materials, including your messaging, design, and copy.
The prototype is a visual representation of the product or idea. It allows you to test concepts and see how they perform before investing more time and resources into building the final product.
The most effective prototypes are low-cost, easy to make, and simple to test. You don't need to build a physical prototype to conduct a prototype test, but you must plan to ensure your prototypes represent the final product.
Here's a list of things to consider when planning your prototype test.
Who Will Use It?
You need to know whom you're designing the prototype for. Knowing your users will help you create a prototype that reflects the intended user experience.
For example, suppose you're designing a website for consumers. In that case, ensuring that the user interface is intuitive, the content is engaging, and the website layout makes navigation as effortless as possible is vital.
If your users are technically savvy, you'll need to consider the features and functionality they need to complete their tasks.
Does the Prototype Have to Look Exactly Like the Final Product?
No rule says you must build a prototype that looks exactly like the final product. Sometimes, creating something that looks nothing like the final product is more effortless.
If you're building a prototype for an app that doesn't yet exist, using a mockup to demonstrate how your app works is a good idea. This way, you'll have a way to test different functions and features without building the entire app.
Is There a Specific Product That You Should prototype?
Sometimes, it's easier to make a prototype for a specific product. Keep the following in mind if your prototype is for a particular product.
You should only make a prototype if the product is still in development. This means there is little chance of a final product being delayed, so it's safe to start making a prototype.
Prototypes need to reflect the look and feel of the final product. In other words, the prototype should look like the final product—it shouldn't just be a sketch or rough mockup.
Putting Together a Test Plan
Gathering and analysing data first is essential to maximise your user testing success rate. To do this, we use a test plan to ensure your website and app optimise for your target audience. We then review the test results to understand the key issues that help us improve our products.
What Is a Test Plan?
A test plan is a document that specifies the specific user activities and scenarios you want to evaluate during your user testing. You can create your test plan or use ours if you're ready to start testing.
Creating a test plan is as easy as choosing a list of questions to ask participants. Once you've created your test plan, we'll send you a link to schedule a test session.
You can send your test plan as a PDF file to your team member, or we can receive it directly through your email.
Why Should You Use a Test Plan?
A test plan is helpful for three reasons:
- It allows you to get feedback from real users.
- It helps you plan your testing strategy.
- It enables you to find the root cause of any issues you identify.
Recruiting People, a.k.a. “Users”
User testing is one of the most effective ways to collect feedback about your product. It's also one of the most challenging things to do since recruiting many testers requires high motivation and dedication from participants.
When looking to test your product or service, the first step is determining the best users. That's why it's essential to identify people with the skills needed to evaluate your product and provide valuable feedback.
Your target audience could include the following:
- Users with prior experience with the product or service
- Users in a similar field
- People who know others who may use the product or service
Recruiting testers familiar with the product, such as friends and family members willing to provide honest feedback, is crucial. If you want to collect feedback from someone who doesn't use the product, you may consider using online forums or social media channels.
Once you have a pool of potential testers, you must determine how many to invite. This is called the “sample size.”
Deciding on the sample size before starting the testing process is essential. Too few testers can cause your results to be skewed, while too many testers may cause the data to become less reliable.
After the sample size is determined, you'll need to randomly pick testers, ensuring each participant receives an equal opportunity to participate in the testing process.
An excellent way to provide equal opportunity is to set up a simple randomisation spreadsheet, which assigns numbers to the testers rather than names or contact information.
During the recruitment phase, keeping track of the testers' feedback is essential to ensuring you don't over-ask or ask redundant questions. Also, try to have the testers complete the task without any external influence from friends or family.
Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when recruiting testers:
Ask for multiple forms of feedback.
For example, ask testers to review the product or service on your website and provide feedback through a survey or interview. While your product may be easy to use, it may take testers longer than expected to provide feedback. Ensure you clearly understand the testers' expectations before sending them a survey.
Try to get feedback from people in different demographics
For example, you may want to recruit people from different geographical locations. If you're designing a website, you may wish to recruit users from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia.
Ask testers to rate the product or service from 0 to 10, with zero being “not at all” and 10 being “very much.” It's better to have a smaller range of ratings for usability testing since it's easier to notice differences between them.
Ensure you record the survey responses and note the time each tester took to complete it. You can also use this information to determine whether the testers' feedback was consistent and if there were any issues with the survey itself.
You may ask testers to fill out the survey or provide feedback in an interview several days after offering their initial response. This will give you a more comprehensive view of their thoughts and feelings about your product.
When using the interview method, ask the tester to write down their feedback in a free-form way. As a result, they'll have the ability to provide more details.
If you're using user testing to gather feedback on your mobile app, ask testers to provide screenshots of the app and then ask them to describe what they like and dislike about it.
You may want to conduct several rounds of interviews. For example, after each round, you can share the findings with your testers to determine whether they changed their feedback and response.
Remember to thank the testers for their time and their contributions. They are a valuable part of your team and deserve to be thanked and compensated for their time and energy.
Finding a Suitable Testing Location
When finding a suitable location for user testing, the question is not “Where?” but “When?” Ideally, you want to be able to conduct a test in real-time — ideally, the same day or the following morning. That way, you can get feedback straight away.
When testing a new product or service, you might want to start by conducting a few smaller tests instead of a large-scale user study, which could take weeks or months.
While smaller studies are less costly, they're also less conclusive, so make sure your small sample size is large enough to give you reliable results.
If you need to collect data quickly, you might consider conducting a remote user study, inviting participants to complete surveys over the phone or online.
However, suppose you're trying to gather data on a specific location, such as a business, university, airport, or hospital.
In that case, it's vital to ensure that you get permission before starting a test. Depending on your research, you might need to contact the management of these locations to obtain the appropriate consent.
You may also want to test a mobile app on the go or in real time. In these cases, testing on a device similar to your target audience's smartphone or tablet is best.
If you're developing an iOS app, it's a good idea to use a recent iPhone, iPhone Plus, or iPad Pro (with the latest version of iOS) as your testing device. At the same time, Android users might prefer a Samsung Galaxy or a newer model.
Ask your participants for feedback on their experience with the app, and use that information to improve the final product.
Running the Test
For a user test, start with three focus groups. Each should include a mix of users of different ages, genders, cultures, professions, etc., who reflect the target audience for your product.
Each group asks participants to share their habits, thoughts, problems, and questions about your product. Then, based on the feedback from the focus groups, choose the two or three things you want to test.
Ask each group to answer one question using the following wording: “If you had this product, how would you use it?”
Include only one version of the product for the user test, and make sure that the product you show in the focus groups matches the version of the product you'll ship.
Remember that testing your product will provide valuable insights into what people expect from your product. However, don't test the functionality or features of your product until you're ready to ship.
Here are a few tips for running a successful user test:
- Be open to all the feedback you get. It's okay to make adjustments based on the comments you receive.
- Don't change too much at once. Users may feel confused and lose interest if you change too many aspects of your product simultaneously.
- Make the most of every interaction with users. You'll learn more from those comments than just reading through the data.
- Start with a small group of users and expand as your product develops. This way, you can gain insight into users' behaviour with the current version of your product before making any significant changes.
- Use a facilitator to guide the discussion and encourage users to give honest feedback.
- Choose the best-suited group of users to test your product, as they'll be the most representative of your audience.
- When asking users to test your product, ensure they understand what they're doing. Have them explain how they'll use your product and what they expect to see.
- Keep your focus on the user experience of your product. Don't get too bogged down with the technical details.
- Get feedback from users about their satisfaction with your product and willingness to recommend it to others.
- Try to identify why users choose your product over the competition. What do they like about your product? What are their problems with other products?
- Encourage users to talk about their expectations of your product, but avoid discussing the functionality of your product.
Documenting Your Test Results
It's essential to consider the limitations of user testing before concluding. For example, if you conduct a usability test for a website with poor load time, you might conclude that the site's navigation is confusing.
However, you could learn that this confusion results from poorly implemented caching and loading techniques.
User testing can help you understand how people use your product or service, whether a software application, a website, a physical item or any other type of product or service.
User testing involves observing and analysing a user's interaction with a product or service. Observing what happens when a user interacts with the product or service can provide valuable insights into the product's design, usability, and user experience.
In some cases, it may be helpful to use video recording and screen-sharing tools.
There are many different ways to conduct a user test. Some may involve live testing, while others may include surveys or interviews. Usually, user testing provides information about the product or service's success and helps identify potential improvements.
Analysing Qualitative Data
Analysing qualitative data from user testing can reveal more profound insights into user experiences and expectations.
A standard method is thematic analysis, where recurring themes and patterns are identified in user feedback. This involves coding data into categories, enabling the extraction of meaningful insights.
Using software like NVivo or Dedoose can streamline this process, allowing for efficient organisation and analysis of qualitative data. This approach helps to understand the underlying reasons behind user behaviours and preferences rather than just what they do.
Ethical Considerations in User Testing
Maintaining ethical standards in user testing is highly important. Participants must give informed consent and understand the test's purpose and what it involves.
Ensuring user privacy is also key, which means anonymising data and securely storing personal information collected during testing.
Transparency with participants about how their feedback will be used builds trust and encourages honest responses. Adhering to ethical guidelines not only protects participants but also enhances the credibility of the testing process.
Respecting participants’ time is an often overlooked aspect of ethical user testing. It's essential to schedule sessions at convenient times and stick to the agreed duration.
Providing incentives can encourage participation and show appreciation for their contribution. However, incentives should not be so significant that they pressure individuals into participating against their will.
Moreover, debriefing participants at the end of a session is a good practice, thanking them for their involvement and clarifying any final questions. This contributes to a positive testing environment, ensuring participants leave the session clearly understanding their valuable role.
Tools for Remote User Testing
In addition to UserTesting.com and Userlytics, several other tools can help improve remote user testing.
Maze allows for rapid prototyping and testing, offering insights through quantifiable data. This tool is handy for assessing design iterations quickly.
Lookback provides capabilities for conducting moderated and unmoderated research, including live interviews and user sessions you can watch and analyse later.
Optimal Workshop specialises in understanding how users find information, offering tools for tree testing, card sorting, and first-click testing.
In addition to the tools previously mentioned, consider integrating Hotjar into your testing suite. Hotjar offers a comprehensive suite for heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys, allowing you to understand where users click and how they move through your website.
Another noteworthy tool is Crazy Egg, which provides insights into user behaviour through heatmaps and scroll maps. This tool can reveal how far users scroll on your pages and which elements attract their attention.
Using these tools in combination with others can provide a complete understanding of user interactions, making it easier to pinpoint areas for improvement and bolster overall user satisfaction.
Iterating Based on User Feedback
Clear communication with your development team is very important when iterating based on user feedback. Create detailed action plans, incorporating user suggestions that align with your project goals and resources.
Scheduling regular update meetings helps keep all team members aligned and aware of progress. Integrating agile methodologies can allow swift feedback adaptation, allowing teams to implement changes efficiently and observe their impact through subsequent user testing iterations.
Also, consider maintaining an open feedback channel with users, inviting them to continue providing their thoughts on updates. This ongoing dialogue fosters community engagement and ensures the product evolves consistently with user expectations.
Conclusion
User testing is a great way to get feedback on your site and make changes to improve its usability. It's also a quick way to make money online.
To start, you'll need to find people to test your site. There are several ways you can do this.
The first option is to try Google AdWords. This is a pay-per-click advertising program where you bid on your product's related keywords. Once you start receiving traffic to your site, you can measure user behaviour and learn what they're looking for.
Another option is to use Google Analytics. This is a free tool that lets you see the traffic that's coming to your site. You can see where people are landing on your site, what they're looking at and how they interact with your pages.
Visit my website to learn more about user testing and how you can start your own!
