Despite their importance, user tests are often neglected. Either there is no budget available to carry them out or time management gets in the way. Added to this is the lack of a usability lab and test subjects who are difficult to reach. Especially in times of the coronavirus pandemic, the idea of usability tests seems almost impossible. All or part of the workforce is working from home and the risk of sitting in a room with different test subjects would be too high anyway. Is there still a way to conduct user tests remotely? Preferably from home, of course, and without expensive equipment. This is where remote usability tests come into play!
What is remote usability testing?
Remote usability tests are test procedures without a fixed location, in which the test administrator and the test subject are physically separated from each other. A distinction is made between two main approaches: "asynchronous" and "synchronous" or, more understandably, "unmoderated" and "moderated".
Asynchronous remote usability test (aRUT)
An asynchronous remote usability test is an unmoderated user test in which the test subject is provided with the appropriate software to carry out the test independently. Mouse clicks and navigation paths are recorded by the software and then displayed visually. The software also gives the test subject the opportunity to make comments and answer questions.
During the test, there is no real-time interaction between the test subject and the test administrator. This means that the user cannot be asked any questions about their current actions or train of thought. At the same time, the user has no real-time support in the event of ambiguities or problems with the software. What makes this method extremely attractive are the flexible test times. As there is no need for a test administrator to be present, the user can decide for themselves when to carry out the test and the test administrator has the option of carrying out several user tests at the same time.
Unmoderated usability tests are used to analyze very specific questions. The aim is not to test the overall impression of a page, but to find out where the user is already finding their way around and where dead ends or jumps occur. For example, the navigation system or a final section can be examined more closely or different design approaches can be compared with each other. The scope of the tests should be kept relatively small with this method and only focus on a few selected modules or small changes.
Synchronous remote usability test (sRUT)
Synchronous usability tests are accompanied by a moderator/test leader. This methodology corresponds to the classic usability test procedure in the laboratory, with the difference that everything is carried out online.
The user test is carried out via a screen-sharing tool through which the test subject and the test leader are in contact with each other. This not only enables the "think aloud method", but also gives the test administrator the opportunity to track all of the user's interactions and ask them questions about their approach during the test. This also gives the test subject the advantage of being able to obtain support from the moderator. Another advantage of the sRUT is the option of adding another person from the development team as an observer. This means that the moderator does not have to take notes at the same time as moderating.Advantages and disadvantages of remote usability tests
So what are the pros and cons of RUTs and do they make any sense at all?
Advantages:
- The user is in a familiar environment and therefore behaves more naturally than in a usability lab
- Time savings due to several factors (no need to travel, no need to be present, partially automated evaluations...)
- Time savings also mean budget savings
- Little effort, high yield
- No acquisition costs
- User is not influenced by the moderator (aRUT)
- Easier recruitment of test subjects
Disadvantages:
- With aRUT, body language is not visible: this makes it difficult, for example, to determine the right time to ask questions
- Problems with the remote tools must be filtered out
- Possibly unusable tests with aRUT
- High demands on technical equipment for the test subject (internet quality, headset, webcam,...) especially with sRUT.
What do you need for a RUT & how does it work?
Conducting an unmoderated remote test is no longer rocket science. There are various service providers (e.g: rapidusertests.com, userfeel.com & validately.com) that specialize in this model and in some cases already have several thousand testers directly available. In this case, all you have to do is prepare the scenarios to be tested and analyze the results afterwards.
A moderated remote test, on the other hand, presents a somewhat greater technical challenge and is more time-consuming. In principle, however, a moderated usability test can be implemented with any screen sharing program. Which tool is best suited for remote testing depends on the requirements of the tool. With Teamviewer, for example, it is possible to remotely control the test subject's system if they need active support, while other programs such as Cisco WebEx have a recording function. The disadvantage of both of these tools is that recruitment must be carried out independently. If this is too time-consuming for you, Validately.com is the right address: here you have the option of carrying out your own recruitment or leaving it to the service provider. Another aspect in the search for the right tool is mobile remote testing. Most service providers now also offer a solution for this and some have even specialized in it.Alternative usability test - fully automated behavior analytics tools
Those who still shy away from the organizational effort involved in remote usability tests and the search for test subjects and want to obtain quantitative results as quickly as possible can make use of behavior analytics tools.
There is no need to search for test subjects for behavior analytics tools because the usability tests are carried out with real website visitors in real time - the fast way to understand your users and your target group. Find out with little organizational effort why visitors are not converting to customers and what the potential weaknesses of your website are.
Similar to aRUT, click, mouse and scroll movements as well as interactions are registered and visualized in the form of heat maps, for example. This makes it easy to track the activity of real users and analyze user behavior. Some tools also offer the option of actively requesting feedback from website visitors.
Conclusion
Remote usability tests are without question an inexpensive and time-saving alternative to classic, usually undervalued user tests. Even if the restrictions of the coronavirus crisis are a thing of the past, there is nothing to stop this method from being integrated into the development process as an efficient and effective solution. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether you carry out a classic usability test, a moderated or unmoderated remote usability test or integrate a behavior analytics tool. You will always gain valuable insights!
