Online shopping platforms are increasingly numerous, and countless users are using them. This is why it’s important that they are clear, easy to understand, and simple for everyone to use. Did you imagine these innovative services would be tested by users before their actual launch? These are called usability tests. We’ll explain how they work.
An Usability Test for a New App
Raise your hand if you’ve never shopped online. No one, right? Nowadays, online—or rather, via apps downloaded to your phone—you can buy anything, from train or concert tickets to clothing and accessories, from appliances to books, and so on.
But it’s essential that shopping apps are clear and easy to use throughout every step, from searching for the item you’re interested in to selecting it, all the way to the final purchase stage.
The same goes for sales. Have you ever tried selling an item, clothing, or accessory that was in good condition but that, for whatever reason, you no longer need? Here too, an app can be of great help, provided it is easy to use and guarantees the reliability of transactions.
This is why apps need to be tested with special tests known, in market research jargon, as usability tests.
Recently, Testpoint conducted a usability test involving 10 qualitative interviews (interviews that take the form of a real conversation with a moderator) lasting 60 minutes with users of this type of platform.
The respondents were asked to download the app to their mobile phones and simultaneously connect with the moderator via a platform such as Skype. During the interview, the moderator guided the participant through the app’s navigation. The first phase involved a simulated purchase: the respondent had to search the site for a product of interest, compare it with others, choose the one they liked, add it to the cart, and proceed to the final payment steps.
Then came the second phase of the simulation: the sale. The respondent had to photograph an item they owned, upload the photos, set a price, and write a short description of the item they wanted to sell, specifying shipping or pickup options.
The moderator’s role was to guide the respondent step by step through the various phases of the process, suggesting the various tasks to complete each time and observing in real time any difficulties they encountered while using the app.
