Successful user studies: explanation, tips and example (2024 update)

User studies are an important part of developing a successful website or app and an important part of user research. By conducting user studies, you can gain insight into how users use your product and what problems they encounter.

What is a user study?

A user study is a method that involves a group of users to gather feedback and measure behavior when using a website, app, prototype or product. The underlying purpose of user studies is to assess and improve usability and overall user experience.

This is done by turning the insights from a user study into improvements and optimizations so that bottlenecks can be fixed. User studies are often used as part of user research.

Why are user studies important?

By conducting user studies, you can identify problems, increase conversion rates and optimize your website, app or prototype for ease of use. By conducting user studies regularly, you can ensure that your website or app functions optimally and is user-friendly for users.

By conducting user studies, you can get answers to questions such as:

• Why do users leave the website?
• Why do users drop out during the ordering process?
• How do testers experience the website?
• Can users find what they are looking for?   

Want to know more about what user studies provide? Download our whitepaper.

User studies: an overview of all methods

There are different types of user studies you can carry out. User studies are characterised by the following factors:

• Online or on-site
• With or without a moderator

Online user studies

The first type is online user studies. These are tests where the participant uses the website or app from home or office. The advantage of these tests is that the participant is in a familiar environment and the test can easily be conducted remotely. A disadvantage is that it can be more difficult to pick up on the participant's non-verbal cues. To conduct online user studies, you can use our tool and tester database.
 

On-site user studies

Another type of user studies are on-site tests. These are tests where the participant comes to a physical location to use the website or app. The advantage of these tests is that the moderator can observe the participant and interact with the participant. A disadvantage is that there is more time in setting up an on-site user studies and it can be more difficult to get the right group of respondents to location. Also, testers are drawn from their own environment, which may cause them to behave differently than usual, and conducting research on location is on average twice as expensive as online.
 

User studies with moderator

A third type of user studies is with moderator. These are tests where a moderator is present during the test to ask questions and guide the participant. The advantage of this is that the moderator can give immediate feedback, solve any problems and ask in-depth questions for additional insight. A disadvantage is that sessions with a moderator are almost always more expensive than without a moderator.
 

User studies without a moderator

A final type of user studies is without a moderator. These are tests in which the participant uses the website or app independently without the guidance of a moderator. The advantage of this is that the test can easily be conducted on a large scale and it is cheaper than testing with a moderator. A disadvantage is that direct feedback cannot be given and problems are less likely to be noticed. You can see an example of this here. 

How to conduct a user study

Below, we briefly summarise the different steps of a user study for you. For more information on each step, please refer to our whitepaper.  

1. Determine the purpose and focus of the test: Before you start setting up the test, it is important to determine the purpose of the test and the specific aspects you want to focus on. For example, do you want to test how users use the navigation on your website? Or do you want to know how easy it is to add a product to the shopping basket?
2. Set tasks and questions: Set tasks for participants to complete during the test and ask questions to get feedback on their experience. The tasks should be specific, achievable and focused on testing the goals you have set.
3. Recruit participants: Decide which target group you want to reach and start recruiting respondents who fit the target group.
4. Plan the test: Plan the test, making sure you have all the necessary equipment and that you have set up the test environment.
5. Conduct the test: Explain to the participants what to do and have them perform the tasks while you observe. Make sure you ask questions and take notes during the test. Will you be conducting sessions yourself? Then read our 7 tips for moderating user studies.
6. Analyse the results: Analyse the results of the test and determine what improvements are needed. Look for patterns and trends in participants' feedback and use this information to optimise your website or app. In remote research, you can also use usability metrics, such as the System Usability Scale, Single Ease Question and Net Promoter Score.

Tips for running a successful user study

By reading this article, you may have already realised: conducting user studies involves quite a bit. Below, we list some tips from our researchers to get the most out of your test:

• Recruit the right respondents: Make sure you recruit the right respondents who fit the target audience of your website or app.
• Set realistic tasks: Make sure the tasks you give participants are realistic and can answer the sub-questions - and ultimately the main question - of the study.
• Avoid steeribg questions: Ask neutral questions to get feedback from participants and avoid asking leading questions that may influence participants.
• Give participants freedom: Give participants the freedom to perform the tasks in the way they want. To still be sure to get feedback on certain parts, you can use a combination of broad and focused tasks. You can read more about this in the whitepaper.  
• Be flexible: Be prepared to adapt your test if necessary. For example, if you find that respondents are confused by the way the task is written, adjust it.
• Process feedback: Process participants' feedback and use it to improve your website or app. Make sure you take action on the feedback you have received. To test whether the user experience has improved, it is advisable to run the same test again after some time. That way, you have a baseline and a single measurement and can compare the results properly.

User study examples and templates

Use the examples below for inspiration or to get you started on user studies.

• Example user studies
• Sample test plan for a user study
• Sample research report of a user study