Test before you launch
You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Before your product goes out in the world, you need to be sure there are no usability issues, that things work as you expect them to. Usability testing is a great way to do that. While the process to this point is very solid, and we typically don’t find a bunch of gotchas, we do usually find ways to make the experience even better.
Users will never do what you expect or what they said they would do. And they certainly never behave as you imagined they would. They find workarounds, use the product in unexpected ways, interpret things differently, and, importantly use your product in their context.
By running a usability test, that is one-on-one sessions with 6 to 8 users from each segment, and watching what they do with your product you not only have a chance to correct any usability issues that may be present, you have moved from the theoretical to the practical. How will real users use your product in the real world? What opportunities exist that you can meet in future versions? What’s working? What’s not working as well as it should? And so on.
Some people get usability testing mixed up with other forms of research like A/B testing or focus groups. While those forms of research can be useful, in terms of really understanding what’s working and what’s not, a moderated usability test is the most powerful and effective tool.
It is an incredibly valuable investment in the future success of your app.
Learn more about why a usability test before you launch is so important:
When should I Conduct Usability Testing for a Product?