“I never click on those links because people pay for them” usability tests without the budget
We all get blinded to our sites and campaigns but getting budget to do proper usability testing for every project just isn’t going to happen. But you don’t have to be stuck between big budgets and doing nothing as long as you know a few people.
By having a friend or family member (who isn’t involved in your site) take a try at completing a conversion action, finding you on Google or interacting with a campaign you can pick up insights without the cost. Getting results is really is simple as sitting them down and asking. Vague goals work best and of course stay out of the mix until they figure it out (or fail). After you’ve watched the experience you can ask a few questions, log the wonderful insights and go back to your regular day.
The insights you get won’t be as deep as a formal usability study but like the quote I used in this post’s title, they can be pure actionable gems. For example a friend may skip the paid listings and look for you organically or they may notice that your credit card form doesn’t fit their name, something none of your “John Doe” tests caught. It’s the little things that add up and fresh eyes notice what we all miss after months staring at the same site.
And if a friend can’t use your site why should you expect a customer can?
