Better Product Managers, and Product Management

You know you have to do user testing, but how exactly do you get started?

I’ve run enough user testing sessions on a shoestring budget to know a lot of the gory little details, and yesterday I shared a bunch of them with the startups over at the fbFund incubator.

Why Not Online Testing?

Online user testing tools are cheap, and it’s tempting to think that you can get insight without having to figure out what to say to people face-to-face. But the numbers can hide a lot - if a user successfully completes your face, but they have their face scrunched up in tension the whole time, or they’re cursing you under their breath - that’s critical detail that you’re missing.

The Crazy Guy

You usually get one “crazy person” per 7-8 person group. You probably want to write that in your notes - “crazy guy” - so you can keep that in mind when reviewing his comments. On the other hand, if three other people agree with the crazy guy, they probably all have a valid point.

“I Just Don’t Know What to Do Next”

If a user “freezes” and says they don’t know what to do next, resist the temptation to jump in and help. Remember, you’re playing the neutral moderator, so you don’t take it personally. Instead, ask what they would expect to do next. It’s surprising how often you’ll hear something like “Well, I was expecting to see a button that said Pay Now, but all there is here is a link that says Enter Credit Card Information. I don’t want to click it because I’m not sure…”

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