An Introduction To Remote Usability Testing Tools

With the growing number of remote usability testing tools in the market, it is important to choose the right tool for your needs and getting the most out of it. Remote usability testing has grown in popularity over the last few years and what used to be costing in thousands and took weeks, now can be done in a couple of minutes and just under 10 dollars. The people from marketing, business and design backgrounds are now making the use of these tools as the most and the number of users is climbing steadily. This article provides an overview of the remote usability testing tools so that you can achieve your testing goals through the information you get here.

Information Architecture Analysis tools

These usability testing tools help you to assess your website architecture which can produce both the qualitative as well as quantitative results.  These types of tools work best when there is no type of information architecture which has been put into the place. The type of tester is important in this scenario and the non technical may group the content differently than those more technical. Therefore testing with a representative cross section ensures that the biased results have been avoided. The popular remote usability testing tools in this category are PlainFrame, TreeJack, WebSort, OptimalSort etc.

Click Analysis tools

There are dozens of apps available for testing both the mock-ups and the live sites for click tests. The users are presented with an interface and a test has to be carried out. Instructions are provided to the users in order to complete the task successfully. The click analysis tests work well when the interfaces have clearly defined purposes. The popular tools in this category are Usabilla, Clicktest, and ChalkMark etc.

Remote usability testing tools for content analysis

These remote usability testing tools are excellent for providing the feedback and understanding how well your content is. The content analysis test helps in assessing how well the user grasps the purpose of a web page or interface. The results are often qualitative in nature and though it may take longer to analyze properly, the results are worth the effort. The users are asked to complete a task or describe what they saw or did. The instructions should be simple in these tools and not over complicated to lead frustration among the users. The popular tools in this category are- Usertesting, FivesecondTest and Feedback Army.

Tools for Conversion analysis

These types of remote usability testing tools ask the users to complete the process which involves one or more than steps. As the users perform the different steps, their clicks and the metrics which are associated are recorded for analysis. Well defined processes like purchases and registrations are suitable for this type of tool. It is important to start with the correct starting point in this test. The common tools in this category are- Navflow and Loop11.