There are many ways to conduct UX user testing. Here are a few options to get you started.
Hallway testing
Hallway testing is the name given to quick, informal tests conducted in the office – they often literally involve stopping someone in the hallway and asking them to take part in a quick test.
This is a great way to perform broad, rough testing to help spot any glaring errors that the UX team haven’t seen.
Observation and user labs
Generally, the purpose of an observational study in a user lab is to get a holistic overview of how the user responds to the website, and to spot any major issues. Looking at the user’s body language and facial expressions can help to reveal how they feel about the experience itself, while looking at how they work through the tasks assigned to them shows the usability and intuitiveness of the website.
User labs tend to involve one participant at a time being tested and observed by one or more researchers. Specialised testing labs have features such as one-way mirrors and video feeds to facilitate this, but you could easily set up a webcam streaming to a computer outside the room to simulate the same effect.
Split testing and multivariate testing
A split test, also called an A/B test, involves creating two distinct versions of the same web page, usually with one specific element changed (for example, a different image or CTA). The versions are served to separate groups of users, and the tester then analyses which page is more effective.
A multivariate test functions in the same way, except that several different elements on the page are changed at the same time, showing which combination of elements works best.
Eye tracking
Eye tracking is the process of recording what exactly users are looking at, and how their gaze travels across a web page.
Eye tracking tests are useful for discovering if the user understands and can follow the basic flow of the web page, as well as to determine if certain elements are where users expect them to be. These can be conducted with webcams or specialised software that tracks a user’s gaze or a mouse cursor.
Surveys
Surveys are questionnaires, usually distributed remotely via the website, that ask users for their impressions of the site in question. Surveys are excellent for canvassing opinions of your website after it has gone live.
Surveys can help to answer the ‘why’ questions that arise from quantitative data (such as web analytics). For example, you may find that users are abandoning a specific page on your website even though it has interesting content. The survey may reveal that they find the layout confusing or simply aren’t as interested as you thought they’d be.