Excited to try my hand at some usability testing, I am finding the tools available are so plentiful it’s overwhelming.
The hardest aspect is finding willing participants. One tool that may help is Ethnio. It connects you with users on the site real time, qualifies them on the spot with a survey, then you have the option to call them on the phone and connect to them remotely, use a screen sharing software, and perform the user test.
As I start the research into usability software a more prevalent question surfaces: what is it that we are trying to measure? Higher conversion rates on ecommerce, of course, but I don’t see how click/heat maps can help me here. Don’t I need some human interaction to really dig deep into the “why did you click that”?
Next review is Usabilla. Usabilla uses a slide out menu from the side with your testing questions on it. One unique feature is the ability for the user to type back specific feedback on “why” the answer is what it is.
http://www.optimalworkshop.com/ was recommended by Jen Downs.
I like the looks of Open Hallway. More investigation needed.
Economical $39 per user at https://www.usertesting.com/order/start
Usability Program Comparison:
A great comparison of testing software: http://www.usefulusability.com/24-usability-testing-tools/
Screen Sharing Programs Comparison:
http://chrisshattuck.com/blog/comparing-screen-sharing-programs-remote-usability-testing
