How ConversionTeam use Trymata user testing to drive higher conversion rates

This guest post was written by Devon Cox, President of ConversionTeam CRO Agency.

At ConversionTeam, user testing has become an essential part of our CRO toolkit, helping us achieve industry-leading 65%+ win rates in our A/B testing programs.

Today, I want to share how we use Trymata in both our CRO audits and ongoing optimization programs, and why it’s become such a crucial part of our process.

How we use user testing in CRO audits

When we kick off a new CRO audit, user testing is one of our first stops. While analytics can tell us what users are doing, watching real users shows us why they’re doing it. We integrate these invaluable insights into our comprehensive audit recommendations alongside analytics and heatmap data.

Here’s our process for getting the most out of user testing during audits:

Setting up effective test scenarios

We create detailed scenarios that mirror real user journeys. For example, in a recent SaaS website audit, we asked users to:

“Imagine you are starting a new online business. You want to sell your expertise, such as a course, an ebook, or consulting services. You’re looking for a platform to help you build a website, manage email campaigns, handle payments, and keep track of your customers.”

The key is crafting scenarios that feel natural while hitting all your research objectives. We also conduct competitive analysis by having users perform the same tasks on competitor sites.

How we structure user tests

Here’s how we typically break down our test scenarios, with real examples from our studies:

1. First impressions (2-3 minutes)
   • “Before clicking anything, spend a minute looking at the homepage. What do you think this company does?”
   • “Would you trust this company with your credit card? Why or why not?”
   • “What questions do you have about their service at this point?”
2. Core tasks (10-15 minutes)
   • “Find a gift card for your favorite retail brand and add it to your cart”
   • “Explore the platform’s features and identify which ones would be most valuable for your business”
   • “Try to customize a gift card with a personal message and image”
   • “Find the pricing plans and determine which one would suit your needs”
   • “Locate information about delivery times and fees”
   • “Start the signup process and note any questions or concerns you have”
3. Competitor comparison (10-15 minutes)
   • “Now visit [competitor site] and explore their features”
   • “Compare the pricing structure between both platforms”
   • “Which platform makes it easier to understand their offering?”
   • “If you were spending your own money, which platform would you choose?”
4. Final thoughts (5 minutes)
   • “What’s the main reason you might hesitate to sign up?”
   • “What information was missing that would have helped you decide?”
   • “If you could change one thing about the website, what would it be?”

Systematic review process

Our analysts follow a specific process to extract maximum value from each test:

1. Open three windows simultaneously: the user test video, notes document, and client’s website
2. Play the video, frequently pausing to verify observations on the live site
3. Document key findings, particularly when users express confusion or hit roadblocks
4. Take annotated screenshots of critical moments
5. Flag issues that appear across multiple users

Real results from Trymata user testing

Let me share some recent wins that came directly from our testing insights:

Office Furniture Case Study

User testing revealed confusion around the brand’s positioning between luxury and performance. This led us to test new headline variations:

• Original: “Glass Office Chair Mats/Never Dent. Ultra Stylish. Smooth.”
• Test: “Modern. Sophisticated. Stylish./Glass Office Chair Mats”

The result? A 9.3% conversion rate lift by shifting from utilitarian to aspirational messaging.

House plans e-commerce win

Through user testing, we discovered that floor plan elevations were critical to decision-making, but buried in the user journey. After testing a new design that merged floor plans into the main thumbnail area, we saw a 25% increase in conversion rate and 18% boost in revenue per user.

Making user testing work for you

Here are some key principles we’ve developed for effective user testing:

Watch for universal signals

Small issues can indicate bigger problems. Recently, we noticed multiple users struggling with breadcrumb navigation because it didn’t match their expectations. These seemingly minor observations often reveal significant optimization opportunities that even experienced teams might miss.

Start with a single test user

One lesson we’ve learned the hard way: always run a single test user first as a QA measure. This helps catch any issues with task clarity or unintended actions before releasing to a wider group. Recently, this practice helped us catch a confusing task description that would have skewed our research objectives.

Include custom post-test survey questions

We add client-specific questions to our post-test surveys to uncover unique insights. Here’s a recent response that led to actionable changes:

“I found it frustrating that I couldn’t shop by brand name. I want to have better filtering options to help me find exactly what I’m looking for.”

Tips for your own user testing program

1. Write clear, specific task instructions
2. Run a single test user for QA
3. Document issues that appear across multiple users
4. Look for patterns that analytics might miss
5. Use findings to inform site changes and A/B test hypotheses

By making user testing a core part of our CRO process, we’ve been able to consistently deliver strong results for our clients. The qualitative insights we gather help us understand not just what users are doing, but why they’re doing it – and that’s what leads to winning tests and happy clients.

About the author: This post was written by Devon Cox, President at ConversionTeam CRO Agency, where we help brands achieve predictable revenue growth through data-driven CRO programs.