Solutions for Common Challenges

Many clients approach Usability Sciences not knowing which solution or research program is right for their particular need. Below are some common challenges along with recommended solutions.

Click on the challenge to display our recommended solution.

If you are still not sure which solution is best for your needs, no worries. Contact Us and we’ll help point you in the right direction.

Challenge: I am planning to redesign my site and want to find the best-of-breed features that my customers would like for my site. What should I do?: Solution: You need to perform some competitive usability testing either online or in the usability lab. There are advantages and disadvantages to each and we would be happy to explain them to you. Competitive usability testing will clearly show what your customers need and want from your web site.

Challenge: I can see where people go on my site through my web analytics package. This tells me what is happening but now I need to know why it’s happening.: Solution: Our Attitudinal Analytics® service answers the "why" questions. Our customers use it to compliment web analytics - not replace it.

Challenge: I get feedback that my site is hard to navigate.: Solution: This is more common that you think. A thorough Usability Test, specifically designed to test navigation, will help you pinpoint where the difficulties exist and provide recommendations on how to correct these issues.

Challenge: I have a new site design and I want to make sure it is usable before building it out - what is the best kind of test for me?: Solution: Rapid Iterative Testing is a great way to do this. It's a pretty intense week of testing mixed with design changes. But at the end of the week you will have a design that rocks!

Challenge: I have been running a site satisfaction survey but it’s not giving me everything I need to understand the user experience. Does Usability Sciences have a more robust online survey solution?: Solution: Our customers tell us that Attitudinal Analytics ®, with its combination of survey and click-stream data, is the most robust user experience offering in the industry. We happen to agree!

Challenge: I have budget for one usability test. Where in the development cycle will I best leverage this investment?: Solution: We recommend utilizing our Design Walkthrough for your one usability test. It is conducted relatively early in the development cycle so the findings and recommendations can be easily applied.

Challenge: I have many feature enhancements planned for my site/product. Which ones should I tackle first?: Solution: Our Feature Prioritization Study will help you answer that question. It produces a top to bottom quantification of benefit based on your customer's needs. A side benefit - you may find a few features that are so low on the priority list that you won't spend the money to add them.

Challenge: I have several new designs for my site/product and would like to determine which is the best. What do you recommend?: Solution: A competitive design walk-through is what you need. Don't be concerned that the designs are non-functional. We have a number of ways of testing designs to get solid actionable usability data for you.

Challenge: I have websites located in many different countries and in many different languages. Does Usability Sciences have any experience with global studies?: Solution: Absolutely! Our Global, Multi-Language User Research is unrivaled. We can perform these studies online using WebIQ or through the usability lab. And we don't have to travel all over the world to get the job done. Contact us and we can explain the advantages of both methods.

Challenge: I just launched a new design of my site and I need a way to measure the impact of the new design.: Solution: We recommend Attitudinal Analytics®. Many of our customers have brand or information sites on which they cannot measure pure conversion. This service will give you a broad picture of site performance through the eyes of your site visitors and show you where the new design can be improved.

Challenge: I know my site has problems, I just don’t know what or where - and I need to know how to fix them once I find them.: Solution: We understand. Attitudinal Analytics® combined with Usability Tests will help you find the what and where of your website problems and provide actionable recommendations for resolving them.

Challenge: I need a quick snapshot of the usability of a specific area of my site or a feature I am about to deploy.: Solution: We recommend our Express Usability Test. It's a 1 day usability test with an abbreviated deliverable that can be turned around quickly and inexpensively.

Challenge: I need to know how my website/product performs in comparison to my competition.: Solution: We recommend our Panel-based Competitive Benchmark Benchmarking solution or our Lab-based Competitive Benchmark Test. There are advantages to each. Contact us and we can quickly explain the differences.

Challenge: I need to know how succesful the first time visitor is on my site versus someone who visits often. Can Usability Sciences help?: Solution: Absolutely! Our Online User Experience Research will differentiate the success between new visitors and returning visitors. More importantly it will show you why first timers fail. That is the single biggest factor that impedes return visits.

Challenge: I need to make a quick decision on a design for my site/product. Can I get an expert opinion from someone at Usability Sciences?: Solution: Absolutely! We recommend our Expert Analysis / Heuristic Evaluation.

Challenge: I want to know what happens AFTER visitors leave my site - did they buy from my competition? Or one of my own stores?: Solution: Our Attitudinal Analytics® solution with Follow up email will provide you with the post-visit information you need.

Challenge: I would like to have personas developed for my website. Does Usability Sciences offer such a service?: Solution: Yes. Our Behavior-Based Persona Development service leverages the data collected during our Attitudinal Analytics® service to build the most realistic and robust personas in the industry.

Challenge: My customers complain that our search results don’t give them what they expect. How can I improve this?: Solution: A detailed Site Search Evaluation will explain difficulties and provide valuable insight on how to correct them.

Challenge: My site/product is going to be reorganized and redesigned. I need help getting the content organized and named properly. Can Usability Sciences help?: Solution: Definitely. Our Taxonomy/Information Architecture Study is designed to do exactly that.