How can a user testing agency help you?

Many companies embark on innovative projects and invest time and money in their projects. However, once on market, the response is bleak: a disinterested public, a product that is not very ergonomic, a difficult client experience, and the like. So how do you avoid failure and turn your bold idea into a real business success? UX consultants are there to support you with their expertise. This article will look at why and how a user testing agency can help you improve your product or service, and when it is appropriate to use them.

Customized UX research protocol and advice

Initially, a user testing agency must analyze your issues to make them clearer and to identify all aspects on which to conduct your UX research phases. This personalized support is designed to meet your needs and those of your clients in a specific and targeted manner. Your consultant must determine with you where you are in your project, and which are the most relevant tests to conduct to make it work optimally. Then comes the protocol drafting phase of the different studies to be implemented by your UX consultant. Once these are completed, your UX consultant provides you with deliverables, compiling feedback from your users with his/her personalized recommendations. The goal: to make your decision-making easier.

The impartiality of a user testing agency to analyze your products or services

Many qualities are expected of a UX expert. Included among these are listening, empathy, thoroughness, technique and impartiality. The latter is an essential component for performing an objective analysis and highlighting blocking points and improvements to your project. Why? If the testing phases are entrusted to the organization that created the product, you may encounter several challenges:

• Confirmation bias in the study. They are unfortunately unavoidable for all designers who worked on the project.
• Conflicts between the different departments involved in its development.
• Difficulty in gathering and analyzing insights from user testing.
• Complexity in prioritizing the actions needed to improve the product. Either due to lack of hindsight or lack of technical means.
  
  

In addition, the design and implementation of a user test requires methodological expertise. For example, do you know how many people you want to interview, what questions to ask them, and how to collect their answers? All this and many other questions can be anticipated and are based on professional know-how. Because providing the best possible experience to your user base should remain your main goal, and as such, you need to know their needs and align your marketing objectives with them.

Using the various studies conducted by UX consultants, you will be able to do this and get the most out of them. They are used to taking into account the UX, and the UI, writing test protocols and analyzing the needs of your sector (B2B or B2C) while appropriate perspective. An essential quality for keeping a clear and objective overview.

Methodologies adapted to your needs and a personalized service based on UX research

Using the right tools to make a project evolve

Note also that methodologies evolve rapidly and that it is critical to constantly update and question one's practices. Working with professionals who are on the cutting edge of new developments and testing methods for your product, website or mobile application will surely pay off.

Regardless of where your idea has reached, whether it be the wireframe/mockup prototype, to the product already on the market, the key is to define customized research methodologies in line with your goals.

The testing method will vary depending on whether you want to develop an action plan, make corrections, optimize the client journey or the ergonomics of your application. The ideal being of course to conduct UX tests throughout the life of your project and to vary the approaches.

Here are some examples of UX support services and studies that a user research agency can put in place to help you:

• qualitative and/or quantitative methods
• focus group
• remote user tests
• UX Audit
• recurring tests
• testing your competition.

Learn more about our support services.

Clear, personalized support and deliverables

Retaining a user testing agency with a variety of skills has another advantage: you benefit from its experience gained in a wide range of industries. Drawing on the many projects on which it has already worked, its expertise will provide you with innovative solutions and ideas.

By testing your project at different stages of development and taking into account the feedback from your users, you are involving them in your adventure. Our specialists provide their recommendations in customized deliverables. You are not just faced with raw data, but with a real action plan for you to implement. A bold way of operating that makes decision-making an easier process, because the user is king.

In this way, Ferpection worked with L'Oréal/Vichy to build its new international digital experience. The results are impressive: a 26% improvement in user satisfaction, a threefold increase in the conversion rate and a fivefold increase in time spent on the app.

“Every test result provides a real leap forward in Tech product development, with reliability, confidence and impact.” 
Lauren Sarda Dutilh, Service & Product Manager at L’Oréal.

Reliable, personalized support, a relationship based on trust and transparent communication and unwavering backing to guide you on the road to success. These are the values that we believe are essential to any UX consulting agency which we at Ferpection uphold.

Explore our complete guide to UX research.

Delegate to a user testing agency to save time

Imagine: you have built your project without performing upstream tests, to save time and deploy it as soon as possible. But, at the time of the launch, it is a massive flop instead of the incredible hit you were expecting. You then have to go back to the drawing board, understand why, and how to improve it if it is still possible. In short, you will have lost time, credibility, and money.

Starting a project with UX/UI testing at all stages of the product can be a return on investment in itself: by surrounding yourself with competent professionals, you will be able to quickly highlight, analyze and solve the difficulties encountered. Delegating this task to a user testing agency will allow you to focus on your core business while saving time and resources. It will also help you to prioritize needs and solutions.

With this in mind, Ferpection worked with Bip&Go to create and optimize a new mobile application.

“Ferpection helped us understand our targets [...], focus on one target over another [...] and prioritize the features that would set us apart.”  Bryan Body, Product Lead at Bip&Go.

Download our benchmark study on retail in the UK here.

As an expert in user testing, Ferpection advises you on the strategy to adopt in terms of UX research and on the methods to employ to remain user-centric. Data analysis, UX design, ergonomics, development, animation: it is able to deliver the synthesis of your user research as action plans in each of these areas. Because in the end, it is the user who must be the project manager.