Utilising and measuring quantitative and qualitative data is essential when attempting to monitor or improve the online user experience for your business. Fortunately, it has never been easier to gather, interpret, and utilise data that demonstrates the online interactions and behaviour of your consumers.
How is “User Experience” Measured?
There is no ‘one size fits all’ data and research metric which quantifiably evaluates user experience. Instead, the measurement of user experience comprises of various analytics, including conversion rates, bounce rates, unique visitors, and Net Promoter Score (NPS). As software continues to develop, new methods of research and analytics continue to become available for businesses to utilise.
However, with so many options available, it can be difficult to choose the correct metric for your business or industry. Once the results have been obtained it, can also be difficult for businesses to extract an understanding of why their online audience has behaved in the way shown.
Fortunately, by utilising services such as user testing from U1 Group, you can ensure that you are able to understand and interpret the values and motivations which influence user behaviour on your online platforms, products or services. As a result, such data can illuminate areas of improvement for your business, and help you deliver outstanding online user and customer service experience.
Choose your Metrics
The first step when seeking to measure user experience on your online platforms is considering which metrics you would like to employ. Capturing and interpreting user experience metrics requires a financial investment. An influx of data can also lead to confusion and changes that may not necessarily reflect your business’s values and long term goals. Other data may not be necessarily useful for your requirements.
For example, only seeking data in relation to your website’s pageviews will not accurately represent or track engagement with your website.
It is, therefore, essential to simplify the process by selecting metrics which will help improve your understanding of your user experience and effectively deliver the data required to improve your online platforms in accordance with your business’ goals and values.
Many businesses will prioritise the incorporation of metrics which evaluate how a user felt throughout their online experience with your business. These metrics may be most useful for businesses who are more developed and now seek to foster brand loyalty and strengthen brand identity.
Other businesses which have only recently been founded or developed an online presence, may be better served by conversion rate metrics.
Define your Goals
When choosing your metrics, it is important to recognise that measuring user experience is an ongoing process. The metrics utilised for a product or feature launch will be very different from those utilised by a developed business. Measuring user experience requires a specific (rather than abstract) view of how your data will be utilised. So, it’s essential to define your goals in order to accurately measure user experience. From customer support performance to customer satisfaction, narrowing down the relevant data for your business’s requirements is vital.
By utilising professional services for your user testing, you can consult with an experienced advisor regarding your specific goals and intended use for any gathered data. Utilising research and strategy consultancy providers ensures that you pay for and receive metrics and data which correspond with your needs.
Capture your Data
Measuring user experience requires the consideration of how to most accurately capture your data. There are two broad types of data that can be collected when participating in user testing:
Qualitative Data
Qualitative data places an emphasis on observational findings which identify or provide hypotheses on the underlying reasons why a user experience was positive or negative, or why a user behaved in a certain way.
Quantitative Data
Quantitative data employs the statistical and mathematical analysis of any data that was collected through means such as analytical software, polls or surveys.
Both methods can be incredibly useful for any business, depending on how they wish to improve or simply track their online user experience. It is also important to consider whether you will invest in a single round of user research and analysis on a particular date or time, or whether you will invest in ongoing research that tracks the relevant metric over a specific period of time.
This decision will inform the results that you receive. It will show how they can most effectively be utilised and their accuracy when attempting to influence others within your business in order to create change.
Interpret your Data
The final and most important step in measuring user experience is interpreting your gathered data. Measuring user experience requires collating all of the data you have received and translating it in a way that accurately represents:
– How the data was gathered.
– Over what period of time it was gathered, and…
– What this means for your online users.
By interpreting your data correctly, you can ensure that your business obtains an accurate understanding of your current online user experience, and identify any improvements that can be made for your business to excel online.
