Mobile Usability Testing: Challenges and Techniques

Join us on a captivating journey as we unravel the secrets behind crafting flawless user experiences on mobile platforms through strict mobile app testing. In this blog, we will explore the tools, challenges, and techniques associated with testing a seamless user experience on mobile platforms.

What is mobile usability testing, and why is it important?

Mobile usability testing is a systematic process of evaluating how easy and intuitive it is for users to interact with a mobile application. It involves observing real users as they complete specific tasks within the app.

Importance of mobile usability testing

Conducting mobile usability testing is crucial for several reasons.

• It confirms the needs of your target audience.
  
• By addressing the issues early on, you can avoid costly redesigns.
  
• A positive user experience leads to higher engagement and increased conversions.
  
• Consistent user experience across various devices and updates.

Challenges of usability testing for mobile apps

Despite the availability of tools and techniques on the market, mobile usability testing is not without its challenges. Let’s discuss some of these challenges and what impact they have.

Recruiting the right test participants

Finding participants who accurately represent your user base can be challenging. The quality of usability testing results heavily depends on the relevance of the participants.

How to tackle this challenge?

There are two solutions to this challenge:

1. Rely on a trustworthy QA agency that provides a QA Staff Augmentation Model and can help you accumulate testing resources and scale up and down the resources as needed.
   
2. Find participants on your own all the while. screening questionnaires to ensure participants match your user profile. Consider factors like demographics, tech-savvy, and familiarity with similar applications.

Creating realistic and Engaging testing tasks

The tasks given to participants during testing should reflect real-world use cases. Creating tasks that are both realistic and engaging can be difficult.

‍How to tackle this challenge?

‍Understand your users’ goals and create tasks that mirror these goals. Make sure tasks are clear, concise, and directly related to the key functionalities of your mobile application or website.

Analyzing a large number of results

Stability testing can generate a large amount of data. Analyzing this data and interpreting it in a way that leads to actionable insights can be challenging.

How to tackle this challenge?

Use a structured approach to analyze the data. Look for patterns in user behavior, take note of any difficulties or frustrations, and identify areas for improvement.

Overcoming Participant Bias and Limitations

Participants may alter their behavior because they know they’re being observed (Hawthorne Effect), or they may give overly positive feedback to please the tester (Social Desirability Bias). These biases can skew the test results.

How to tackle this challenge?

Consider using unmoderated tests to reduce the Hawthorne effect. To ensure participants behave as they normally would and that all feedback, positive or negative, is valuable.

Useful techniques for mobile usability testing

In the face of unique challenges in mobile usability testing, certain techniques stand out for their effectiveness. Let’s delve into these methods.

1.  Hallway testing

This technique involves random people (e.g., those passing by in a hallway) testing your mobile application or website, giving an instantaneous response on something they like or suggestions on areas for improvement.

Steps:

1. Prepare your mobile application for testing.
   
2. Ask a passerby to use your application and complete a set of tasks.
   
3. Observe their interaction and take notes.
   
4. Thank the participant and analyze your notes to identify areas for improvement.

2.  Remote usability testing

This mobile testing technique involves users testing the mobile application remotely while the tester observes and records the session. Remote usability testing allows for a larger and more diverse pool of testers, leading to more comprehensive insights.

Refer to one of our engagement models, QA Staff Augmentation, where you can scale up and down test resources.

Steps:

1. Select a suitable remote mobile usability testing tool.
   
2. Set the tasks for the participants to complete during the tests.‍
3. Recruit participants that represent your target user base or testers that understand your requirements.‍
4. Observe and record the testing session.‍
5. Analyze the results, identify areas for improvement, and collect positive aspects to maximize them.

3.  Moderated usability testing

This technique involves a moderator guiding the user through the test in real time. Moderated usability testing allows for immediate feedback and clarification of user actions and thoughts.

Steps:

1. Prepare a test script with tasks for the user to perform.
   
2. Conduct the test with the designated user, guiding them through the tasks and asking questions as needed.
   
3. Record the session for later analysis.
4. ‍Analyze the recorded session and highlight the issues, troubles, or any suggestions given by the user.

4.  Gestalt principles evaluation

The Gestalt principles evaluation technique is one of the primary usability testing techniques involves assessing the design of a mobile application based on Gestalt principles such as proximity, similarity, and closure. By applying these principles, you can enhance user perception and understanding of the app’s layout.

Steps:

1. Identify design elements
   Examine app elements like buttons, images, and text blocks.

2. Apply Gestalt principles
   
   1. Proximity: Assess how closely elements are placed.
      
   2. Similarity: Group similar elements together.
      
   3. Closure: Check if incomplete elements are perceived as complete.‍
3. ‍‍Conduct heuristic evaluation
   Evaluate the design using usability principles and identify usability issues.

4. Prioritize improvements
   Analyze results and prioritize changes based on impact.

5.  A/B testing

This technique involves comparing two versions of a page or feature to see which performs better. A/B testing can provide quantitative data on the effectiveness of different design elements.

Steps:

1. Identify a feature or page to test.
   
2. Create two versions (A and B) with one key difference between them.
   
3. Randomly show users either version A or B and track their interactions.
   
4. Analyze the results to see which version provides a better user experience.

6.  Unmoderated testing

This technique can provide more natural user feedback as users interact with the application without any guidance. This can lead to more authentic insights into the mobile user experience.

Steps:

1. Clearly outline what you hope to learn from the testing session.
   
2. Select an unmoderated usability testing tool that best fits your needs.
   
3. Develop a detailed test plan that includes specific tasks for users to complete on their own.
   
4. Recruit testers or participants that can represent your target user base.
   
5. Use your chosen tool to send out test invites. These invites should include a link to the test and clear instructions.
   
6. Once all tests are completed, analyze the results. Look for patterns in user behavior.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while mobile usability testing presents unique challenges, the insights it offers are invaluable for crafting user-centric and successful mobile applications.

By embracing a variety of mobile usability testing methods, from quick-and-easy hallway testing to the in-depth analysis of remote usability testing, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of how users interact with your app.

Remember, the key lies in acknowledging these challenges, not shying away from them. If you have any queries regarding usability testing or mobile testing in general, reach out to us at Alphabin’s official site.