Most people agree that user testing is a good idea when planning, developing, or optimizing a digital product. You don’t just build a product and hope that users can and will use it. However, even if user testing is part of your development process, you may still end up in a situation where you don’t get the desired outcome. In the worst case, you risk ending up with a product that no one wants to use or gains value from – and a user testing process that becomes both more expensive and more time-consuming than originally planned.
There are many different types of user testing (e.g., remote usability testing, think-aloud testing, user interviews, focus groups, A/B testing, or fake door testing), each with its own strengths and weaknesses depending on what you are testing and when it creates the most value. In many cases, however, it is not the choice of test type that causes user testing to fail at a higher level.
More often, the challenge lies in the overall approach – and especially in how user testing fits into the process and the organization. An individual UX designer, e-commerce manager, or software tester may be highly skilled, but if the overall structure is not in place, failure is almost inevitable.
Below, we take a closer look at seven typical mistakes that prevent success with user testing – and what you can do about them.
7 Common Mistakes When Involving Your Users
1. Lack of a Framework
Many teams lack a clear framework for user testing, which can quickly result in losing focus on user needs and failing to test the most important hypotheses. For example, you might test whether users understand the icons in the menu – while in reality, users may not understand the overall concept or may not even need the solution. This can result in a product with user-friendly icons but no users who actually want to use it. A structured framework ensures a prioritized approach, so you always focus on testing what matters most first.
2. Trying to Test Everything at Once
There is often a tendency to fix everything at once. Phrases like, “Since we already have users involved, can we also test X and Y and ask about Q and Z?” are commonly heard when planning a user test. The problem is that trying to test too many things at once results in unfocused testing and unclear results that are difficult to act on. Stronger results come from maintaining focus and distributing hypotheses and test tasks across multiple tests. Some hypotheses can also be tested remotely, which is often faster and more cost-effective than in-person sessions.
3. No Success Criteria for Hypotheses
Many teams know which hypotheses or tasks they want to test, but often fail to define clear success criteria. Without these, drawing conclusions becomes difficult and internal disagreements may arise. Always define simple success criteria before testing begins. For example: 80% of test users must be able to complete this task successfully.
4. Slow Reporting
“You’ll receive the test conclusions in two weeks” – does that sound familiar? Many teams spend excessive time collecting data, analyzing results, and creating large PowerPoint presentations. By the time the results are ready, the relevant stakeholders may already have moved on.
For example, developers may have completed their sprint and started the next one, or designers may have used their allocated hours. As a result, your conclusions are never implemented. Speed is critical for successful user involvement.
Reporting should be ready within days – or even hours – after testing concludes. Establish an approach that allows for quick and effective reporting aligned with other processes.
5. Testing Too Late in the Process
Many teams postpone user testing until late in development, close to launch. Often this is because user testing was not included from the beginning. This creates the risk of investing time and resources in building something that must later be redesigned – or, worse, something no one wants to use.
The later issues are discovered, the more time is wasted and the more expensive the corrections become.
Instead, test as much as possible as early as possible to minimize this risk.
6. Continuous User Testing
In agile environments, understanding evolves during development. Features and requirements are broken down into user stories and refined, which often leads to changes in initial designs and user journeys. The challenge is that many teams fail to retest after these changes. As a result, earlier test results may no longer be relevant, leading to wasted effort. Meanwhile, new designs may go untested, impacting the overall value of the product.
Test early – but only what is necessary at that point in time (“just enough”). Adopt an agile approach to user testing with dynamic and efficient execution and reporting.
7. Opinions Instead of Data-Driven Decisions
People often say, “I know what the user wants, so we should do it this way.”
In many organizations, there is a lack of understanding of how to involve users early in a project.
The result is products that fail to deliver value because decisions are based on assumptions rather than evidence. Increase awareness and understanding of user testing across the organization – especially among key stakeholders – by making results visible and involving the organization continuously.
Conclusion
The above points are essential if you want to succeed with user testing. Solid preparation is important, but so is having a clear strategy and approach that fits your organization and setup. Remember: it is not the test results themselves that determine success – it is how you adapt the product and create value from acting on those results.
Here are the 7 key actions to succeed with user testing:
- Establish a framework to ensure a structured, prioritized approach.
- Maintain focus and distribute hypotheses across multiple tests.
- Define clear and simple success criteria for each test task.
- Create a fast and efficient reporting format – hours instead of days.
- Test as early as possible to minimize wasted effort.
- Test only what is necessary at each stage (“just enough”).
- Involve the entire organization by making tests and results visible.
How Do I Get Started?
If you and your organization want to improve how you involve users, there are several ways to get started.
Webinars
Watch our free webinars: It’s Never Too Early to Test, User Testing as Early as Possible with RAT, and Remote Unmoderated User Testing. All three webinars introduce techniques and methods for involving users in your project.
Courses
Join our one-day course Early User Testing in Practice, which provides practical introduction and knowledge on how to test digital products using RAT (Riskiest Assumption Test) and other approaches.
Advisory and Sparring
Contact us for a non-binding dialogue about how to initiate user testing as a strategic initiative in your organization.