Comments on: The Cheapskate’s Guide to Usability

By: Danial

Danial — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:26:53 +0000

Screen recorders are helpful tools to record users’ activity on the screen. It would be nice materials to test the usability of a website or a software application. And these recorders can even make software tutorials and website demos for users.

By: Dr. Pete

Dr. Pete — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:42:50 +0000

@Kathi – I understand your point on the remote recorders. Unless you have a very specific question or issue, like a form completion problem, tools like UserFly can raise more questions than they answer. I think that’s a valuable part of the process, though – many of these tools are really first steps so that you can gain some general insights and take the second (and usually more expensive) steps with a better sense of the right questions and direction.

By: Kathi Kaiser

Kathi Kaiser — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:07:11 +0000

We’ve been using Userfly, and we find it both addicting and frustrating. It’s fascinating to see what users are doing on the site, but we find it raises more questions than it answers. Who is the user? What is his or her goal? Did the information provided meet expectations? What is the user’s next step after leaving the site?

Userfly may be most effective as a tool for generating hypotheses about usability issues that can be further explored in usability testing. It’s important to note that not all usability testing is expensive – there are many options between these “cheapskate” tools and a full-fledged traditional usability study.

By: Janusz

Janusz — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:26:34 +0000

Great resource. Thanks! Also, worth mentioning UsabilityTest.com

By: The Agra Indian

The Agra Indian — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:06:25 +0000

Surveys are the most effective method of taking feedback from your customers. Many of the business got success by making their site as per the user’s requirements. This is most widely used method, thus people are familiar with it.

By: wlmeurer

wlmeurer — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:24:07 +0000

Do-It-Yourself Testing should also include the resource Silverback (http://www.silverbackapp.com). For $50 you can turn your Macbook into a mobile usability lab. Records the screen, audio, and iSight or webcam video of the participant.

We use it all the time.

By: Charan

Charan — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:16:59 +0000

I recently came across http://usabilla.com – still in private beta but a quick and great way to get feedback on mock ups and designs.

By: Ralph Hibbs

Ralph Hibbs — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:06:47 +0000

Great tip list. I’ve recently become a big fan of http://www.UserTesting.com It is a great low-risk, low-cost way to quickly get “Fresh Eyes” feedback. Having a video of a user is great for rewatching critical parts. The video is also helpful to illustrate usability problems in an non-personal way.

By: Cool Gifts

Cool Gifts — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:59:17 +0000

Great tips. As an SEO, I feel that this is something I don’t spend enough time on. I can definitely see why it’s so important. I plan to take advantage of the testing resources that you have mentioned.

By: Joe Cent

Joe Cent — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:58:41 +0000

I have used Crazy Egg a lot in my last company. You can really get a lot of informations out of it.
However, you need a certain minimum numbers of visitors per time period so that you will get reliable results.