Spending time with an app or website can give you a sense of how easy it is to use — but only from your own perspective. For someone with less tech experience, like many older adults, the experience can be very different. They often deal with challenges like unfamiliar interfaces or poor eyesight, which means they need simpler layouts, larger buttons, and clearer fonts to navigate comfortably.

However, just adding those features doesn’t automatically make an app usable. What looks good on paper might still feel frustrating in practice. That’s why relying on assumptions or design trends isn’t enough — we need to see how real people actually use the product.

That’s the power of usability testing. It helps us understand what’s working and what’s not by watching real users in action. This blog breaks down usability testing—what it is, the types, and the best methods used today to improve user experience.

Types of Usability Testing Methods

Usability testing is all about observing how real users engage with your product and finding ways to improve it. Some testing methods are better suited than others, depending on what you’re looking to learn and the kind of product you have. Here are a few popular ones to consider.

1. Moderated Usability Testing

In moderated usability testing, a guide is present to help the user as they go through tasks. This could be done in person or remotely. The guide can answer any questions and ask follow-up questions to get more clarity on the user’s actions and thoughts during the test.

Why it’s good:

Having a moderator means you can ask users questions right away to understand how they’re thinking and what they’re doing. This is great when your design is complicated or you need detailed feedback.

Challenges:

Planning sessions may create difficulties for moderators who risk affecting test participant actions during assessment procedures. It also tends to take more time and is more expensive than other methods.

Pro Tip:

Users should explain their actions while using the product because this practice produces better understanding of their experience. Hearing their thoughts in real-time helps you understand their experience better.

2. Unmoderated Usability Testing

Unmoderated testing means participants complete tasks on their own, without anyone guiding them. They might do this remotely, and their actions are recorded for analysis later.

Why it’s good:

It’s fast and cost-effective. With this approach you can obtain vast feedback from many users while testing in their personal surroundings leads to a genuine experience.

Challenges:

Users experience limitations during unmoderated testing because participants lack the ability to explain thoughts or answer questions from a moderator. This can make it harder to understand why users did what they did.

Pro Tip:

Make sure the instructions are clear and easy to follow. This will help participants complete tasks smoothly without confusion.

3. Remote Usability Testing

This method is similar to unmoderated testing but happens remotely, so users can participate from anywhere. Sometimes there’s a moderator, but usually, participants just complete tasks on their own.

Why it’s good:

It’s flexible, and you can test with users from all over the world. It’s also cheaper than in-person testing and works on different devices.

Challenges:

Technical issues (like internet problems) can affect the test. Also, since you can’t interact with the participants in real-time, you might miss some important insights.

Pro Tip:

Record the sessions and use screen-sharing tools to help participants stay on track. This will give you more data to work with later.

4. Guerrilla Usability Testing

Guerrilla testing is quick and informal. You ask random people (often in public places like cafes) to try your product for a few minutes. No moderator is needed, and the sessions are super short.

Why it’s good:

The testing method provides quick results at reasonable costs and allows you to receive immediate feedback from new product viewers. It’s great for early-stage testing.

Challenges:

The people you test might not be your target audience, so the feedback might not always be relevant. Also, the short sessions can limit the depth of your insights.

Pro Tip:

Keep it simple and clear. Offer a small incentive (like a gift card) to encourage participation.

5. Eye Tracking and Heatmaps

This method uses special tools to track where users look or click on a screen. Eye tracking shows where their eyes focus, and heatmaps show where users are clicking or interacting with your page.

Why it’s good:

These tools help you see exactly what parts of your design catch users’ attention. This is great for understanding layout or design issues.

Challenges:

It can be expensive and harder to interpret without additional context. You’ll know what users are looking at, but not always why.

Pro Tip:

Combine eye tracking or heatmaps with other testing methods to understand both the “what” and the “why” behind users’ actions.

What is Usability Testing?

Usability testing involves watching real people use a product to see if they can easily complete tasks. This helps ensure that the product is easy to use, works as expected, and that users feel satisfied while using it. Designers evaluate user experience to discover issues or uncertainties, which leads to product enhancement.

Key Aspects of Usability:

• Effectiveness: Does the product help users get their goals done quickly and accurately?

• Efficiency: Does the product make tasks easier or faster for users?

• Satisfaction: Are users happy with how the product works and looks?

Why Usability Testing Matters:

It helps find out where your product might be falling short, such as:

• The design isn’t visually appealing

• The language is confusing

• Users have to take too many steps to complete something

• There’s a high chance for user mistakes

• The product feels mentally overwhelming

• It doesn’t fit with what users expect or need

Key Benefits of Usability Testing

The primary purpose of usability testing is to identify and eliminate any usability faults in a digital product. Pursuing this objective yields a number of benefits, including:

Improved User Satisfaction

Designers who observe users discover pain points to develop smoother experiences. The functionality of a product directly impacts user satisfaction levels.

Reduced Project Costs

Catching usability issues early means fixing them before launch. This is way cheaper than making changes after your product is out in the market.

Better Decision-Making

Through usability testing designers and teams gain direct feedback about how users connect with their product design. Design decisions and feature choices become wiser through implementation of usability testing.

Increased User Engagement

When you identify features that users enjoy and enhance them, your product becomes more engaging and keeps users coming back.

Competitive Advantage

Your product gains an advantage in today’s crowded market through outstanding usability. Products that deliver easy usage to address genuine problems capture customers better than their competitor counterparts.

Higher Conversion Rates

User testing allows product designers to enhance the path of navigation so users accomplish tasks more efficiently thus changing their outcomes positively. This ultimately leads to higher conversion rates.

Improved Accessibility

Early usability assessments show developers which parts of the design users struggle with especially while accommodating users with unique needs. Designers can enhance accessibility through the modifications they make.

Building Trust and Loyalty

User satisfaction depends on how well a product functions. The enjoyment and confidence of users during their experience increases their likelihood of loyalty and leads to product recommendations.

Validation of Design Choices

Usability testing helps validate whether your design choices are actually working. This reduces the risk of needing major redesigns later on.

Enhanced Team Collaboration

Testing creates a shared understanding of the product’s usability, making collaboration easier between designers, developers, and other stakeholders.

Best Practices for Conducting Usability Testing

New testers should begin their usability testing journey with moderated in-person tests. Sitting with users as they try your product helps you see what works—and what doesn’t—right away. But if that’s not an option, don’t worry. Online testing tools are quick, affordable, and still give you great insights.

It’s often smart to combine different methods so you can get a more complete picture. Here are a couple of useful ways to do that:

1. Start with In-Person Testing, Then Go Online

• Test your early designs with users face-to-face to get hands-on feedback.

• If results are unclear or you need more data, follow up with online testing.

• As your product evolves, run larger remote studies to track how well the changes are working.

2. Try Online First, Then Go Deeper

• Use quick online tools to see how users respond to your design at a glance.

• When the product is more polished, do a moderated test to dive deeper into their experience.

• Then, expand with remote testing to reach more users from different locations.

• Whatever method you choose, make sure it fits your project’s goals, timeline, and budget. 

Whatever method you choose, make sure it fits your project’s goals, timeline, and budget. A few more tips:

• Pick the right number of participants: Too few, and your results won’t mean much. Too many, and you’ll waste time and money.

• Know what you’re testing: Be clear on what you want to learn and give users specific tasks to try.

• Dig into the results: After testing, look for patterns. Are users struggling at the same point? Are some features being ignored?

• Turn insights into action: Use what you learn to make real design improvements. Focus on usability fixes that will make the biggest impact.

In the end, usability testing isn’t just about gathering data—it’s about using that data to create a better experience for your users.

Best Tools to Make Usability Testing Easier

When you’re trying to figure out how real people use your website or app, the right tools can save you time and give you clear, honest feedback. Here’s a quick guide to some of the best ones out there—and how they can help at different stages:

• Maze – Perfect for early testing. You can upload your wireframes or prototypes and get fast feedback from users online—no need for long setups or live sessions.

• UserTesting – One of the most popular platforms. You can run both live (moderated) sessions or let people test on their own (unmoderated). It gives you videos, notes, and user reactions.

• Lookback – Great if you want to actually watch people use your product in real time. You can see their screens, hear their thoughts, and understand exactly where they struggle.

• Hotjar – This one helps you understand where people click, scroll, or stop on your site. It uses heatmaps and recordings to show what’s working—and what’s not.

• Userlytics – A solid all-in-one tool for both guided and independent testing. You can record video, ask questions, and watch how users complete tasks.

• TryMyUI – Want to see how people from around the world use your site? This tool connects you with remote users and gives you full video recordings of their sessions.

• Optimal Workshop – Best for organizing your content. It lets users sort cards and test how they’d find info on your site. Great for fixing confusing menus or layouts.

• UsabilityHub – A quick and easy tool for short tests like “where would you click first?” or “which design do you prefer?”—ideal when you’re deciding between different layouts.

• Crazy Egg – Similar to Hotjar. It shows you heatmaps and user sessions to help you understand what’s drawing attention (or not) on your pages.

The best part? Most of these tools offer free trials—so you can explore them without spending anything upfront.

Final Thoughts

Getting started with usability testing doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re new to it, begin with a basic, moderated test. Set clear goals, figure out what you want to test, and decide who your users are. Offer a small incentive, then recruit a few participants to try out real tasks based on your test goals.

Once that’s in place, track what works and what doesn’t. Look at how users interact, where they struggle, and what they enjoy. This insight will help you improve your design before launch.

At VareWeb, we make usability testing easier and more effective. If you need guidance or want support from UX experts, we’re here to help. Let’s make your product more user-friendly—together.