What is Usability testing?
The short answer
Usability testing is watching real people try to complete tasks on a site to find where they get stuck, confused or lost.
What people say: “user testing”.
Usability testing, explained
A handful of sessions usually surfaces the biggest problems. The rule is to watch, not help: every moment you would explain something is a moment the design failed.
Questions people ask about Usability testing
What is Usability testing?
Usability testing is watching real people try to complete tasks on a site to find where they get stuck, confused or lost.
Related terms
UX, or user experience, is how it feels to use a website: whether people can find what they came for, understand it and finish what they started without friction.
PrototypeA prototype is a clickable simulation of a website or app used to test flows and interactions with real people before building the real thing.
Conversion rate optimisationConversion rate optimisation is the practice of improving the share of visitors who take a desired action, by testing changes to copy, design, speed and flow.
UIUI, or user interface, is the visible, clickable surface of a website: buttons, type, colour, spacing, icons and the states each element shows.
Part of the Web Encyclopedia by Apex Flow Digital. Definitions are general knowledge, kept current, with no invented statistics.