"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:
How you answer these questions can change how you run your test and analyze your results.
Baselining, testing new/revised trees, comparing alternatives, etc.
2 rounds is standard, but even 1 round will improve your site.
Existing tree vs. new tree(s)? The whole tree or just part of it?
User groups, recruiting, and incentives
You can start as soon as you have a site tree roughed out
Treejack, UserZoom, paper, and other tools
Online using a browser vs. in person
Working with a team vs. going solo
Most problems can be prevented, but a safety net is always wise
A simple template to keep you on track