How effective is your website? Have you tried asking your users?
You’ve already invested time and care into your website: writing content, choosing visuals, and organizing information in ways that make sense to you. But how do your users experience it? Are they finding what they need—or getting lost and frustrated?
Analytics can show you how many people visit your site and how long they stay, but not why. They don’t reveal what users think, feel, or struggle with. To find that out, you have to ask them directly.
That’s where user testing comes in. And here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. You don’t need a research lab or a team of specialists to learn how people use your website. With a few simple tools and a little curiosity, you can start learning from your users today—with just a few simple steps.
The best time to start testing is before you make big changes. You may already know you want a redesign or updated content, but first take a look at what you have. It’s important to understand what’s working now (and what’s not).
Start with surveys
Begin by asking your users what they think. It doesn’t have to take long. Create a short survey (five questions or fewer) and ask things like:
- Why are you visiting our website today?
- Were you able to find what you needed?
- How easy is it to navigate the site?
- How would you rate your overall experience?
If you use a CMS such as Drupal or WordPress, you already have access to tools like the Webform module or Gravity Forms for collecting feedback. You can also use third-party tools such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey—many offer free or low-cost plans.
If you have a mailing list, invite subscribers to take your survey. Or add a short banner or callout on your website linking to it.
On-page surveys can also help you measure specific pages. You’ve probably seen these before—the simple “Was this page helpful?” checkbox on support pages. Add a comment box to gather more detail, such as,“What would make this page more useful?”
Talk to Real Users
Surveys are great, but nothing beats real conversation. Find a small group of users (five to ten is plenty) and talk with them about how they use your website.
Spend 20–30 minutes per session asking open-ended questions, such as:
- What do you usually come to the site for?
- What’s easy or hard to find?
- What do you wish the site did better?
Your goal is to listen to what frustrates them, and capture any ideas they have for making things better. Maybe they’ll reference a different website or app as an inspiration.
And while much of our work happens online, you can also do this in person. Set up a table at a public event or community space, and offer a small incentive like a gift card or branded swag to encourage participation.
Talking to actual users will always reveal more than guessing, no matter how experienced your team is.
If you’re in the middle of a redesign, there are several great opportunities to test your ideas before launch.
Card Sorting
When reorganizing your site navigation or content structure, try a card sorting exercise.
Write key topics or page titles on individual cards—real or digital—and ask users to group them in ways that make sense to them. Their groupings often challenge assumptions and expose how users think about your content.
Traditionally, this exercise used physical index cards. Today, you can use online whiteboard tools like Miro or FigJam. Simply create virtual cards and let users drag and drop them into groups.
Tree Testing
Once you have a draft site map, tree testing helps you see if users can find what they’re looking for.
You’ll present your site’s navigation (no design needed—just a text list of links) and ask users to complete simple tasks:
- “Where would you go to renew your license?”
- “How would you find information about scholarships?”
Watch where they click or which menu items they choose. If people struggle or choose unexpected paths, you’ll know exactly where your navigation needs work.
Tools like Optimal Workshop or Maze make this process simple and affordable. But you can also do it manually via screen-share or even on paper—whatever fits your resources.
Click Testing and Paper Prototypes
Once you’re reviewing design mockups, try click testing. Show users a static image of a page and ask how they’d complete a task—like “Where would you click to contact us?” or “How would you make a payment?”
They can’t actually navigate the page, but you’ll quickly see if the layout and visual cues make sense.
You can do this in person with printed mockups (ask users to point where they’d click) or online using tools that record clicks, such as Maze, UsabilityHub or Optimal Workshop. Even a few quick tests can highlight confusing layouts before a single line of code is written.
Moderated User Testing
This is the most hands-on form of testing—but still entirely doable without special equipment.
In moderated testing, you meet one-on-one with real users as they complete tasks on your site (live or in staging). You guide them with prompts like:
“You’re a resident trying to pay your utility bill. Where would you go first?”
Watch and listen as they move through the site. Note where they hesitate, click the wrong link, or express confusion.
Plan for:
- 5–8 participants
- 30-minute sessions
- Clear goals: You can’t test everything, so focus on one or two areas.
- Small incentives: A $20 gift card or small token of thanks goes a long way.
Tools like Zoom or Teams make remote testing easy—you can record sessions, review them later, and share highlights with your team.
You don’t need a research lab or a team of specialists to learn how people use your website
User testing isn’t just for redesigns—it’s a habit worth keeping.
Even if your site stays the same, your users and their expectations don’t. New devices, changing technologies, and shifting habits all affect how people interact online.
Regular testing helps you stay in tune with those changes. Keep a short survey or feedback form active on your site year-round, and review your analytics for signals like:
- Increased bounce or exit rates
- Declining engagement on key pages
- Frequent search queries for content you already have
Small tests can lead to big improvements. A minor navigation tweak or clearer heading can save hundreds of users from frustration.
Plan for periodic check-ins—quarterly or twice a year—to gather insights and make updates. And if you don’t have the time or resources to run tests yourself, that’s where we come in.
At Electric Citizen, we offer usability testing as part of both our website redesign projects and ongoing support services. We help organizations like yours better understand their audiences, reduce friction, and build more effective digital experiences.
Not testing your website will cost more over time than any small testing effort you make today.
User testing doesn’t have to be technical, time-consuming, or expensive—it just has to start. Talk to your users, gather feedback, and make changes based on what you learn. You’ll be amazed at how quickly “quick and easy” testing can lead to real results.
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