5 Key UX Metrics For Testing Product Usability

Are you struggling to improve the user experience of your product? Do you want to make sure that your customers are satisfied with your product and are likely to make more purchases? Then you need to start tracking your UX metrics.

In this article, we’ll first explain what these metrics are and how they can help you identify pain points in your product design. Then, we’ll explore the five key UX metrics you should be tracking to ensure that your users are having an easy time with your product.

So, let’s get started! 

What Are UX Metrics?

UX or user experience metrics are measurements designers and developers use to quantify things like:

• The effectiveness and efficiency of your product's design
• How well your product’s design meets the needs of users
• What aspects of your design are working well
• Which areas of your user experience create problems for users and may need improvement

By tracking UX metrics, product teams can get actionable insights into how users interact with their products.

Then, they can use that information to make data-driven decisions about how to improve the overall usability of a product.

What Is Product Usability Testing?

When we talk about product usability, we’re referring to the ease with which users can accomplish their goals and complete tasks. This is an important factor in determining how successful a product will be in terms of user experience.

In other words, product usability testing refers to a series of tests that are conducted with the actual users to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a product's user experience design. 

By conducting product usability testing and measuring UX metrics, product teams can gain valuable insights into how to optimize their product for a better user experience.

5 Key UX Metrics for Testing Product Usability

There’s a huge variety of UX metrics that can be used for testing product usability.

Now, while there isn’t a single comprehensive list that contains them all, we’ve gathered five of the commonly used ones that are most likely to meet the needs of your project, the goals of your testing, and the stage of your development. Let’s take a look at them.

1 - Task Success Rate

The task success rate is among the few UX usability metrics that measure the percentage of users who can easily complete a specific task or achieve certain goals within your product. 

This is important because users who find it easy to work with your products are more likely to be satisfied with their experience. Consequently, this also makes them more likely to say positive things about your brand and less likely to seek out a more user-friendly alternative. 

For example, let’s say that you are designing an eCommerce website. A specific task that you could benefit from is keeping track of how many of your users are completing a purchase. 

If you notice that your customers are struggling with completing a purchase, your product design may need improvement to make this task easier for users to handle.

2 - Time on Task

Moving onto our second key UX metric, time on task is all about measuring how long it takes for your users to complete a specific task within the product. 

Ultimately, you want your users to complete their tasks relatively quickly. If it’s taking them too long to complete a task, it could be a sign that something about your design is unclear or confusing to them. 

So, how do you measure time on task?

First, you set a time limit for your users to complete a specific task and then keep track of how long it takes them to finish it. This way, you’ll be able to identify which tasks are taking too long and which design elements may be causing confusion. 

Once you get the answers to those questions, you can then use them to improve your user experience by, for example, streamlining your design elements or simplifying your tasks.

3 - Error Rate

Now, this metric measures how many errors users make when completing a specific task within your product. Those errors could include things like: 

• Incorrect or invalid inputs of data, such as email addresses or phone numbers
• Selecting the wrong option within the product
• Clicking the wrong button
• Misinterpreting information presented within the product

By identifying the type of error your users are encountering and measuring your error rate, you’ll be able to pinpoint the areas of the product that may need clarification or simplification.

For example, if your users frequently make execution errors, such as clicking the wrong option, you may need to simplify your design or provide clearer instructions. 

4 - User Satisfaction

If you’re looking for feedback on the overall satisfaction of your users with your product, this UX metric is the one to keep an eye on. By measuring user satisfaction, you can get a good idea of whether your product meets the needs and expectations of your user. 

There are several ways to measure user satisfaction, including conducting surveys or asking for ratings to gather user feedback on things like:

• How likely they are to recommend your product to others on a scale of 0–10 (this market research metric is also known as the Net Promoter Score or NPS)
• How satisfied they are with their experience within your product on a scale of 1–5 (Customer Satisfaction Score or CSAT)
• How useful do they perceive your product to be on a scale of 0–100 (the System Usability Scale or SUS)
• How easy it is for them to use your product on a scale of 1–7 (the Single Ease Question or SEQ)

In the end, your goal is to have as many users as possible rating their experience as highly satisfactory. 

5 - Conversion Rate

This is our fifth and final key UX metric which tells you how many of your users complete a desired action within the product, like buying a product or signing up for a newsletter. The number of users that you get is then divided by the total number of your users. 

Why is this metric important?

Well, by measuring your conversion rate, you can figure out what parts of your product are working well and what parts may need improvement. This one is crucial for Shopify app development, for instance.

For example, if you notice a low conversion rate for completing a purchase, you might want to tweak the checkout process or product descriptions to make them more attractive to your potential users.

This way, you’ll make it easier for them to take the desired actions and make their experience smoother and more enjoyable. As a result, your users will be encouraged to come back in the future and bring more revenue to your business. 

Conclusion

Overall, there is no single comprehensive list that contains all of the UX metrics for testing product usability. However, the five metrics mentioned in this article are among the most commonly used and most likely to meet the needs of your project and the goals of your testing. 

By measuring metrics such as the task success rate, time on task, error rate, user satisfaction, and conversion rate, product teams can gain valuable insights into how to optimize their product for a better user experience. 

Ultimately, UX testing should always be a priority for product teams working to create a well-designed user experience that meets their user's needs and expectations. If you start incorporating metrics like these into your testing process, you can expect to reap the rewards of increased suitability and customer satisfaction soon.