| Is usability testing cost effective? How much does it cost?
Usability testing is cost effective. It is widely known that correcting bugs earlier in the development cycle is much less expensive than fixing them after release.
If your team creates paper prototypes or wireframes then those can be used to do paper usability earlier in the process. Imagine finding out that the proposed workflow for your new application just doesn’t work for real users. With paper you simply throw it away and create a new page. However, if you find out that the proposed workflow doesn’t work on a release version of software then the expense becomes exponential.
Additionally, usability principles can improve the overall experience with your site or software. This translates into higher customer loyalty, increased sales, better conversion rates, and lower support costs.
System testing alone won’t find usability issues. As a matter of fact, system testing finds few if any usability problems. That’s not the purpose of system test. Usability testing can provide compelling results that will help you differentiate your product from the competition.
The Usability Professionals Association has more information on the ROI of usability here.
The cost of conducting a usability test depends on a number of factors like the scope of the test and the number of participants. Generally from start to finish a usability study will cost a few thousand dollars. This may sound like a lot to budget for your business, but consider that correcting even five bugs after product launch can easily cost in the tens of thousands of dollars; not to mention support costs and a negative impact on your brand. |
