12 situations that make usability audit the best solution for you

Many companies spend a lot of money on advertising, SEM optimization and other marketing activities, trying to attract new customers to their websites. But what if these actions do not bring the expected results?

Increasing your campaign’s budget to attract customers will not bring expected results if users leave your site quickly or simply miss the action you expect. One of the reasons may be low level of your site’s usability. What does it mean? Users have trouble with navigating through it, finding information they are interested in, and getting through the purchase process successfully. Low usability translates into reduced credibility and customer loyalty. What can be done in such situations? In such situations a usability audit can be a useful tool.

Usability audits are one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve User Experience (UX). This method is based on the expert assessment of the site’s functionality formed with the help of special guidelines (the so-called heuristics).

But when should we perform a usability audit? Who is it suitable for?

This is a frequently asked question, that we will try to answer below. If the following statements are not something new to you, you may want to consider making a thorough audit of your website.

1. You notice that a lot of people visit your site, but do not take the appropriate action — buying, subscribing to the newsletter, reading the article, etc.

This situation does not necessarily mean that the product or the content you offer is not attractive. Very often, even those who are interested in the content of your site give up on trying to use it because of the poor service or concern that the site is not trustworthy (data phishing, etc.).

2. Your website has been created over 3 years ago

Although 3 years don’t seem like so long ago, it’s almost an era in the rapidly growing internet industry. Rapid changes in trends, good practices, habits, and user behavior make it necessary for systematic updates to ensure optimum performance. After a long period of time, even if you regularly change your website, it’s a good idea to check whether modification or addition of some functionality could bring considerable improvement. You should also make sure that all elements remain consistent.

3. Your site gets worse results after a makeover

If it turns out that after investing in your site, it is less profitable than before, you do not have to regret the decision and count losses. This is a very common situation and usually results from a few simple mistakes made during the designing process. Repairing them and assisting users in becoming accustomed to a new website are effective solutions that bring results to at least the pre-modification level.

4. You are planning to change your site, but you do not know where to start

A website makeover always involves a lot of costs. Instead of having a programmers taste in aesthetics and usability, it’s better to respond to customer needs and ensure that the investment will pay off. Backing up with expert knowledge can help you avoid stress, money loss and the need for further changes.

5. You have a limited budget, but would like to optimize your site

One of the many benefits of a usability audit is that it is relatively inexpensive and does not require much time. So if you want to improve your site, but you do not have a big corporation budget, then it’s a good idea to start with this solution. Do not let yourself be fooled, though! The fact that the audit is relatively cheap doesn’t mean it’s not helpful. Only few small changes made on the basis of recommendations of specialists can bring unexpectedly large profits. Auditing can also be useful when you are planning to implement a new project, but testing it with your users is beyond your financial or time limits.

6. You have a feeling that your site is complex and you are afraid that users might get lost

It is very difficult to design a suitable website if the presented content is complicated. This is especially problematic for parties offering advanced B2B services. However, problems with the content layout, or information architecture, also happen to very simple Web pages. The cognitive walkthrough, used during the audit, ensures that all functionalities and content one offers are easily accessible and properly understood.

7. You know what a user experience design is and you want to profit from the benefits it brings, but you do not know what method will be most suitable — A/B tests, user interviews, or maybe something else

Optimizing user experience is a powerful tool, but the multitude of available techniques makes it difficult to choose the one that will deliver the biggest benefits. Utility audits can not only help you choose the solution that best suits your needs, but also helps to avoid situations when during tests easy-to-catch errors overwhelm the actual, deep problems.

8. You notice that many people are visiting your site but are leaving it very fast (high bounce rate)

This kind of behavior may point to some problems with the site, its clarity, consistency, matching the user’s expectations, and the simplicity of the individual checkout steps. Users may experience increased anxiety and feel uneasy about the site if something on the page is not what they expect or when the content does not resemble ads, which happens quite often. This is particularly important when a decision is made about money spending — even the smallest obstacle or surprising solution can lead to a resignation from the purchase.

9. You receive negative feedback from customers, you see how their number is decreasing or your friends are telling you about problems on the website

If you are in such a situation, you may find it just a passing issue… But is it worth the risk? Make sure everything is in order before the situation gets out of control. Sometimes large problems start as small issues. Usability audits allow for a quick intervention in a key area.

10. Selling in your online store is significantly lower than selling on the spot

If your product sells well on the spot, but considerably worse on the Internet, it can be the result of a poorly designed website that forces customers willing to buy to restrain from the purchase. Spending money on the Internet can be a complex and risky process for the user, as he cannot see what he is actually buying. That is why it is so important to prevent any uncertainty, to answer questions and doubts, and above all, to show the product well and to inspire confidence.

11. You want to make something valuable for your organization, helping it achieve better results

Do you see that there is something wrong with the company you work for? Recommend a performance audit to your IT colleagues — you may find yourself becoming a hero by helping them improve the website.

12. You want to know your advantages and opportunities to improve in the face of your competition

Fierce competition? Similar products? Sometimes what determines customer’s choice of a particular site is not at all connected with offered products, but the site’s efficiency of use or adapting to their needs. Find out what you can improve and what your competition looks like to be able to outperform other companies.

I am in one of the described situations. What now?

You probably should consider contacting UX agency and making usability audit of your website. In all of the situations described above, a usability audit can significantly improve user experience and therefore encourage customers to use the site and increase profits.

However, one must bear in mind that the efficiency and effectiveness of usability audits is the expertise and knowledge of the experts who carry them out. It is also important to tailor the audit to the individual needs and objectives of a given party. It is therefore a key matter to choose a company with sufficient know-how and knowledge of the industry to perform it.