Websites are more than just a place to display information, they are critical operation tools essential to business, especially as higher percentages of consumers increasingly rely on the internet for their daily lives. With today’s environment stretching everyone’s attention span to its limits, it is imperative for companies to ensure that their websites are operating efficiently – for transit companies, it is as important as their actual bus routes and schedules.
Usability testing is a technique where potential customers are asked to perform tasks on the website. The person’s experience is captured as they use the site – from eye movement and clicks to following content flow. When a user, in this case a potential rider, is looking to go from point A to point B, the job of the site is to make finding their route, departure time and ticketing details as easy as possible.
Usability testing data helps designers and programmers optimize the consumer website experience, resulting in decreased website drop-offs from people who get frustrated when they cannot find the information they’re searching for, thus, maximizing the number of people who complete their desired task– in the case of transit, buying a ticket or planning a trip.
There are a variety of usability testing options to consider, from simple analytics to detailed tracking; however, whichever testing option you choose, the key is to have unbiased users, meaning no personnel from internal departments. That way, you can cater to the needs of your consumers rather than to internal agendas.
Usability testing is an indispensable part of a website investment, as it directly influences your bottom-line and creates happier customers. Usability testing also furthers content alignment across departments, thus generating consistency with transit agency goals.
Are you focused on bringing the best experience to your customers, achieving more site traffic and improving your ROI? If so, it is time to get on board with usability testing.