Did you know that 97% of users cited ease of use as the most important quality they look for when downloading mobile apps? The last thing you want users to be while using your software is frustrated. If they have trouble finding what they’re looking for or spend too much time looking up tutorials, you’re doing it wrong.

Most software developers get caught up in the planning and design aspects of software developments and bump usability testing to the back burner. Testing usability is an integral part of software development and imperative to the success of your software.

Overlooking usability testing could work to your detriment as a software developer. Don’t believe us? Well, join us as we highlight a couple of reasons why testing usability is super important during software development.

Let’s get straight into it.

Helps Create the Perfect Software

Proper usability testing allows you to create a seamless piece of software, free from bugs and glitches. Proper testing ensures your software meets all users’ expectations and achieves its intended purpose. This increases the chances of your app or software being a hit with the general public.

Enables You to Correct Errors

Usability testing allows software developers to catch errors with this software before it’s too late. Remember, it only takes a single glitch for users to trash your product; now imagine having four of them. Without proper usability testing, you could release software that’s loaded with errors and glitches.

As you’d expect, too many errors with your software won’t auger well with your software. Most users won’t have time to wait for updates that address the issues. All you’ll get from your review is a load of frustrated customers and lots of negative reviews.

Helps Save the Company Time and Resources

Elaborate usability testing can enable software developers to identify bugs early on in the software development process. Overlooking testing means the developers will have to correct the glitches after they release the software. This leads to a lot of time-wasting, and you’ll also lose a lot of money if you have to recall physical copies of your software.

It’s far more cost-effective to take care of the issues during the development phase and not when it’s out for purchase. Usability testing can help you save a lot of time and money with your software.

Gives You a Better Understanding of Your Users

It sounds a bit outrageous, but testing usability can give you a deeper understanding of your software users. Users aren’t very great at explaining their likes and dislikes of your product, even if you ask them upfront. It’s hard to know whether you’re on the right track without proper feedback from your users.

Usability testing lets you know the behavior of your users through observation. You’ll learn what pushes their buttons and what turns them off. It enables you to know what to improve, what to add and what to leave out in your next iteration.

Brings You Closer to Your Business Goals

Testing for usability allows you to view your software from a different perspective. It places you in the users’ feet and gives you the leeway to meet their expectations. You can use the fresh perspective you get from usability testing to provide you with a competitive advantage over your rivals.

A proper usability testing process could bring you closer to achieving your business goals.

Types of Usability Testing for Software

There are numerous ways you can test the usability of your software. However, there are a few features that apply across the board. For instance, all usability tests involve two groups, observers and participants.

In most usability tests, the observers are physically present and watch as the participants use the software. In other cases, the observers can record the participants’ sessions and review them later for analysis.

That said, here are the main types of usability testing:

Expert Review

This usability testing method entails hiring an external usability expert or consultant. The consultant will assess the software’s usability. The expert’s assessment should culminate in a conclusive report on whether your software is user-friendly and delivers a proper user experience.

These UX professionals will use the 10 usability heuristics to determine your software’s usability. The expert may sometimes give recommendations on how best you can improve your software’s usability.

Hallway Testing

Hallway testing involves picking people arbitrarily from the streets to test out your software. It’s an ideal testing method during the early phases of software development. It can help identify any huge barriers that may disrupt the software development process.

It’s one of the most cost-effective usability methods but may not be suitable for some types of software. For instance, it’s hard to find individuals adept at using Cad software from the street.

Remote Usability Testing

This type of usability testing involves a third party like Zoom or WebEx. The observers don’t come in physical contact with the participants. Instead, the groups do the testing and analysis at different locations.

Sometimes the participants can test the software at their convenience and record their software experience. They can then send recordings of them using the software for analysis. Most developers also welcome feedback directly from the participants.

A/B Testing

With A/B testing, software developers furnish users with two variations of the same software. This form of testing is also common with web design and e-commerce. The software developer gauges the audience’s reaction to both versions of the software to find the better version.

The developer will go with the software version with the least usability issues. However, this may be too expensive or too time-consuming for some software developers.

Testing Usability Is Not an Option

If you want your new software to fly off the shelves, make sure you prioritize testing usability. Developing software isn’t a piece of cake, but all your hard work can go to waste if you don’t test software for usability. Ensure you test software usability to guarantee the success of your software.

Don’t forget to check out the other articles on our site for more informative content.