"Plans are nothing; planning is everything." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
If you have a site structure to test and some tasks in mind, it’s tempting just to dive right in – set up the test, email a bunch of users, and watch the results come in. Easy, right?
However, you’ll get a lot more out of your testing if you take a step back and ask yourself some basic questions, such as:
- Why am I running this test? What am I specifically trying to find out?
- What am I testing – the whole tree, or just the top levels? Or two completely different trees?
- Who should I test – existing customers, or prospective ones too?
How you answer these questions can change how you run your test and analyze your results.
Why are you running this test?
Baselining, testing new/revised trees, comparing alternatives, etc.
How many rounds of testing?
2 rounds is standard, but even 1 round will improve your site.
Which trees will you test?
Existing tree vs. new tree(s)? The whole tree or just part of it?
Who will we test?
User groups, recruiting, and incentives
When will we test?
You can start as soon as you have a site tree roughed out
Which tool will we use?
Treejack, UserZoom, paper, and other tools
Where will we test?
Online using a browser vs. in person
Who will do what?
Working with a team vs. going solo
How will we handle problems?
Most problems can be prevented, but a safety net is always wise
Documenting our plan
A simple template to keep you on track