1 week of user testing

Hi there 👋,

Your conversion rate isn’t what it should be, but you don’t know what else to do.

You’ve looked at competitors and followed all the ‘best practices’, but it just isn’t enough. You’re stuck.

What else could you change?

One of the most powerful tools in growth is quick user testing.

It isn’t rocket science, and it isn’t anything new, but for some reason, we resist taking the time to user test.

Each time I’ve run tests, I’ve gotten a huge list of potential optimisations which have consistently increased conversion rate.

1 week of user testing - Your complete schedule

This is what your schedule will look like:

Day 1: Preparation

Day 1 is all about determining your goal: what exactly are you trying to learn from testing?

Knowing your goal will ensure that you can then recruit the right type of users.

You also want to do that immediately, as they will need some warning to hop on the call.

No one appreciates an impromptu call when they’re “working from home”…

Examples of recruitment methods:

• Ask non-purchasers from your email list if you can only target users who haven’t been on the website yet.

• Ask friends for recommendations of people they know who match the target audience but haven’t tried the product before.

• Go out there and ask people. For a pet brand, I once asked a dog owner I met while walking in the park. She then referred me to other pet owners.

Aim to plan in about 10 user tests of 30 minutes. Keep in mind that you’ll always have some no-shows, so aim for a baker’s dozen!

If I’m doing the user testing online, I’ll use Calendly to setup slots to get them scheduled in for Day 3 - 4.

I also take some time on Day 1 (or Day 2) to prepare the testing. I consider:

• Will I record them?

• How will I document the findings?

• Which devices will I test?

Day 3 - 4: Let's get talking

Day 3-4 is all about talking and testing. The key is not to tell them what to do / explain but rather ask questions.

Day 5: Analyse results

The final day is dedicated to analysing and understanding. Usually, I’ll have ten or more observations that apply to at least 65% of testers.

Curious to learn more? Check out the complete free guide to user testing in just 1 week. Kudos to Georgia Sugarman on collaborating on this with me.

I also cover user testing and provide a load of templates in my Message-Market Fit Programme. You can also check out the example lesson available!

Recommendation

In every edition of Growth Waves, I also share a related resource to check out related to the week's topic.

One of the foundational resources that taught me about user testing was Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug.

Whilst the testing setup is a bit outdated, his approach to understanding and ensuring you setup fair user tests is great.

I’d still recommend giving it a read!

When speaking to brands, it always shocks me how few have taken the time to user test their website and landing page.

How can you expect to know what users want without actually asking them?

My most successful campaign and landing page combinations have always involved user testing.

I’ve had times when I’ve smugly assumed I’ve created the best landing page out there, only to leave a session of user testing ready to face-palm myself for the obvious learnings that emerged.

It’s always a humble reminder of the power of user tests and hopefully, you’ll see from this it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or an endless process.

1 week, that’s all I’m asking of you.

If you need help with optimising your landing page / website as a wellness or eco-friendly D2C brand, feel free to plan a call in.

I promise to virtually hold your hand through the user testing!

Daphne