Usability Testing 

Usability testing is a method used to uncover ease-of-use problems with a product or system. This type of testing is primarily focused on the product's design, navigation, and overall user experience. The goal of usability testing is to identify any usability problems and potentially recommend corrective actions. Usability testing involves:

• Developing realistic tasks or scenarios for participants to perform. 

• Perform the tasks while taking notes or observing others performing the tasks. 

• Review the collected data and observations to identify patterns and common problems.

• Make suggestions for improving the product's usability.

• After implementing the changes, retest to ensure that the problems have been resolved and no new issues have arisen.

Benefits of usability testing include:

• Improving user satisfaction 

• Reducing user frustration.

• Increasing the success of the product in the market.

• Reducing customer service. 

Cost of not doing

Countless business, large and small neglect usability testing. It's not surprising why - it's an extra step and takes time. But the cost can be enormous and hidden - prospective customers try a product, become quickly frustrated , give up and move on. Worse, the company does not even know about these loses. For the customers that persevere they eat up customer service staffing. And often management does not realize how much time is being wasted helping customers that should not need help. Then there is word of mouth - who would recommend a product to a friend that is endlessly frustrating?