Mobile App Usability Testing – Checklist!

Before we step ahead, the first thing to know hear is what Mobile App Usability Testing is basically? Well, in the modern development setting mobile app developers have grown to provide higher value and quality to users and just testing app for functional accuracy and viability is not enough. It has to be taken ahead to make sure that the mobile app is receptive, interactive, and presentable enough to engage users and serve their needs well.

Mobile app usability testing helps developers to know and apply changes that can be important from usability perspective. This includes referring to product user and their needs while fixing and optimizing quality of the mobile app in order to serve them with a complete solution that serves user requirements well, communicates with them the way they understand, and engages them to the level of delight.

Here are the important traits of Usability Testing

• Includes methods which will be used in the testing procedure.
• Have a task list that presents and describes various activities and practices to be followed.
• It is all-equipped with required facility, environment and tools for testing.
• It should have clarity of the area and scope of testing.
• Contains a section on reporting and analysis for delivering test outcomes.

Mobile app usability testing methods

The lab methods for assessing mobile apps usability are the best and the most popular of them all. Here, while testing the app for usability you need a few tools and resources to help you determine and reach the right numbers and details. Here are the major components used:

• Video Cameras

Video Cameras record the user activity and movements on the app to capture how the user interacts with the app and know how to improve it in terms of usability. To make it even more effective more cameras can be used to capture it from different angles and get a holistic view of it. You can make users go through different modules of the mobile app and use different features and reveal where they find it impressive and how it aggravates them as a user. You can measure their responses from different perspectives like functional compliance, navigation ease, operative consistency, communicative value, and assistive response of the app.

• Recording software

The recording software should allow you to effectively record the proceedings and actions on the app and process them to allow you quality results. Here, you should be served with an inclusive environment and be able to record, view, analyze, interpret, and build your usability report (supported by detailed graphs and illustrations) to reach the right information on mobile app usage to help you get the best of usability testing results.

• An optional webcam

Using a web cam can allow you to monitor various facial expressions and gestures made by users while interfacing with the app. This gives you detailed information on user response as you are able to note their facial reactions and body language as a reaction to different offerings, features and traits of your app. Using a webcam in combination with screen recording can go far in offering you imperative information and insights about the app usability.

• A test location

You need to have a proper ecosystem where you can conduct the test successfully. An ideal test location equipped with an inclusive infrastructure with complementing tools and resources can allow you to carry the test accurately, effectively and reliably. The technology you use within the testing location should be latest and should be aligned and embedded well with the process to allow you the best of value through the usability testing.

• A test architect/facilitator

You should only go with an experienced test facilitator. This is because you need to place someone dedicatedly to manage the testing process and keep things together to help you with the desired outcome. Here, with the help of test architect you would be able to approach the usability test most effectively without facing much process and execution related issues. Also, in case of extreme situations and adverse outcomes they can manage and pacify the conditions well.

Top tools for mobile usability testing

#1. Watchsend

With Watchsend you are allowed to run the Beta version of your app. So, you can arrange for all the information you need for your app before you put it live. That gives a great reason for you to go with Watchsend when you are planning a fast release. The tool allows you to record the user interaction with the app, providing information on requests made, navigation followed, and features used – to collect enough data for evaluation and planning for the app content and presentation and get your Beta version ready and test it for quality.

#2. UXCam

Another useful tool for testing your app’s usability! With UXCam you can take screen recordings of how your users use your app and be in control of what they see and how they see it – to allow you better results. This tool not just allows you to keep a track of important events on the app but also analyzes user behavior in detail and optimize user experience by visualizing data based on the fetched results.

#3. Adobe Edge Inspect

This tool is quite popular among designers and developers for checking app designs on different devices and display categories. Adobe Edge Inspect can work equally effectively with Windows or Mac computers those have access to Google Chrome. The tool allows you to connect different devices and sync them in a common display environment to validate and optimize usability, as they edit it to perfection. Automatic updates offered by the tool for pages created further make it more useful.

#4. Skala Preview

This tool can be accessed on Android and iOS stores. You can work on Skala Preview only when two devices are connected to be used collectively. So, you can either have a Mac working with an iOS device or an Android device, as you take a preview of high-quality designs for usability test. This tool allows developers to test both text and tap sizes. With the help of Skala you can test the app in the design phases itself without needing to do any live edits. Which saves a lot of pain and time for you as a testing engineer.

#5. Userzoom

Regarded as one of the best options in the lot of usability testing tools, Userzoom allows developers to have vital information like card storing, tree testing etc. It is essentially used in three major areas:

• As a solution hub for businesses.
• Making sure that the surveys are modified to allow great performance with questionnaire.
• Setting a benchmark through competitive analysis.

The best thing about the tool is that it works incredibly fast with fetching all the data you need to refer to and use. Here, you can get both quantitative (no. of visits) and qualitative data (User Experience) in a few hours, even when it is in big bulks.

#6. Google’s Friendly Test

Another free tool with a tag of Google. No doubts it is being used by testing professionals around the world for the reliability and accessibility it offers. It goes well with any device that has Chrome as its browser. The tool comes equipped with a wide range of mobile-friendly testing options and allows users to effectively and effortlessly interact with the usability test environment with the help of an expressive and presentable interface.

Conclusion

These are some of the major proponents and practices that help mobile app developers bring in compliance and adequacy to your attempt of usability testing. If you plan and place them to serve you with the right combination of utility and resources, ensuing standardized process within an inclusive testing facility, you should be getting the best results. If you don’t, you may miss on to achieve the quality you need to put up with for mobile app usability.