Remote usability testing is a type of virtual testing using screen recording, video calls, and/or online surveys. A moderator may or may not host. As well, user testing platforms, such as TryMyUI, can serve as facilitators. Test participants record their screens, showing their interaction with your products or services. There are various benefits of remote usability testing which we will discuss in detail in this article.
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Why is remote usability testing important?
Remote usability testing has great importance when it comes to user experience and is extremely convenient. It makes the test process easier for the users. They can decide what time and place to complete the test. As a result, conducting a usability test becomes easier and more accessible for all involved.
Benefits of remote usability testing
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Save money
In-person testing costs can add up very quickly. When you consider booking out a space, hiring an agency, and gathering users to participate, things become quite costly. In comparison, remote testing tends to be cheaper whether you are using an online panel or your own users.
With remote testing, you can maximize your spend compared to in-person testing. You easily get the value of multi-cultural and international opinions without having to pay extra money to recruit a diverse audience.
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Recruit users easily
Remote usability testing helps you easily target your audience. You can identify your demographics and be connected with a robust sample size with little issue. There is less footwork and recruiting on your side of things. As well, the convenience of testing in your own space and on your own time makes it easier to attract users.
Conducting unmoderated testing is even easier. The main reasons behind this are an asynchronous format and an established test panel. This means you don’t have to conduct the test at a certain time. As well, you don’t have to vet the panel directly. You just have to sit and wait after ordering your required number of participants and defining your screener criteria.
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Conduct tests with an international user base
The globalization of tech and other industries is increasing rapidly. A big limitation of in-person usability testing is that only participants within a certain location can participate. For those willing to travel, this creates additional expenses for you. This is where remote usability testing proves helpful for both you and the participants. You can recruit from a sampling of the entire user base regardless of geographical location.
This way you can easily get your required sample size as you’ll have a larger participant pool to select from. You will get multicultural, global opinions on your design, website, or app.
You might be able to invite various demographic groups for your specific product in different countries. Or you can also see how your product is being used by people of different cultures and areas. This collectively can impact the data you collect on your website or product’s user experience.
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Obtain more realistic data
Obtaining realistic data can be somewhat challenging, when it comes to usability testing. The main part of this is the observer effect. This describes how people behave when they become aware that they are being observed. Data bias will be lowered when you approach users in their natural environment. A great benefit of remote testing is that it allows your test participants to make use of their own device the way they normally use it. This will yield more realistic and accurate results from the user test.
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Availability
Recently, life has become very busy for everyone. People are barely juggling their existing obligations, let alone finding spare time to engage with extracurriculars. The easiest way to pull in participants is to meet them where they are and allow them to complete testing based on their schedule. Remote research makes this a possibility, as users are able to opt-in to user testing based on when they are available.
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Improve your testing and gather more data
Gaining access to a wider pool of users, easier recruitments, and lower expenses are all reasons why remote testing is highly scalable compared to in-person testing. Using test panels can help you conduct more tests with a high return on investment. You can quickly build upon and improve your test script, then conduct another round of testing.
In your design process, adapt usability testing as a staple for remote user research. That way you can gather both quantitative and qualitative data to support and supplement your design choices and user experience.
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Conclusion
This was all about the great benefits of remote usability testing. Keep these benefits in mind, and make sure you opt for this research strategy. We are sure you won’t regret it!
