Consultants: Have you Tried PEEK for your Local Search Clients Yet?

[Linda Buquet]

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Have you guys ever thought about or tried to do usability testing for a client's site?

Traditional usability testing solutions cost over $10,000 per test and take a month to complete. There is a company called UserTesting that offers a more affordable remote user research platform used by top companies like Google, WalMart, Facebook, Home Depot, and Apple.

But they also offer PEEK. It's free!

Here's a video overview.


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Peek is a micro version of UserTesting, the full blown usability testing solution. It lets clients see and hear the experiences of a real person using their site. (Or can even do a competitors.)

In a nutshell:

<ul><li>You ask for a website to be tested. (Yours, a client's or their competitor's.)</li>
<li>A random person from the UserTesting panel then spends 5 minutes on your site or app, speaking their thoughts out loud and recording their screen during the test.</li>
<li>Within about an hour, they email you a video of the site being tested.</li></ul>

I have not tried it, but it appears you just enter a URL. I don't think there is any sign up or CC required at all. But I think it may be limited to 3 free tests a month, so I would not do a random site just for fun. Use it for a client's site or your own site, so it counts.

This could be a great adjunct for your services. Let clients know you want to do a small usability test to see if it can help you identify anything that could boost conversions. Then send clients the video. I think they'll appreciate you took this extra step. They may even be aware of how expensive user testing normally is and think you are very smart to even know this option exists.

Now this freebie is only 5 minutes and it's non-structured. But with the full paid service you can pick your demographics and direct the user to perform certain actions like filling out a contact form or whatever. In fact, you can run a test where the user looks at two different websites such as your client's site and a competitor’s and learn which they prefer and why. And I believe the full test is 15 minutes long. Not sure of the price.

But Peek this is a great taste of user testing for free.

What do you think about this tool? Will you try it?

If so, please let us know what you think below.

Have you ever tried any other user testing???

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[spadilla]

I just submitted a client's site. Thanks!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Oh COOL! Please let us know what you think.

Now I forgot to mention I searched for videos of existing Peek tests that had been done. They are using cheap labor - paying I think $10 per video. So the quality varies.

PLUS since the users are not targeted at all with the free service, they can't relate as well as someone who actually knows about and was shopping for that particular service.

But I've still seen lots of cases where the info was very useful and could lead to positive site improvements.

FYI I started a discussion at the Pro Community too and here are a couple other reasons to use it that I mentioned there.

Could be especially helpful if the client has a terrible site and you need more ammunition to get them to re-design?

Could also be used in a case where a client is wondering why a competitor seems to be more successful than they are. Do a Peek on the competitor.

Thoughts???

 

[JoyHawkins]

This is a neat idea. I just submitted our site. I'll share what I think of the feedback.

 

[mda1125]

I've used it. Whoever did my video was awesome. They nailed my main problem.

You have to look around to figure out what my site is about. The tagline I'm using doesn't really indicate it and only after viewing the site, do you know it's about health and fitness.

Thus, gave me the idea that maybe I want to work on a decent tag line or logo that immediately tells the visitor, this site is about...

I really liked it. They tested a bit of site speed and such. Overall, for a free video, it gave me a very insightful peek.

 

[Joe Mink]

We've used User Testing's paid service quite extensively and have been very pleased with the results and the insights that we received from the site reviewers. In our cases (all local business websites) we were able to choose the demographic and have the reviewer perform specific tasks as well as general thoughts on the UX for the site. In many cases, the insights have been very instrumental in driving changes that have led to conversion optimization.
Definitely worth at least trying the free service.

 

[Linda Buquet]

This is a neat idea. I just submitted our site. I'll share what I think of the feedback.

Cool let us know Joy!

I didn't submit Catalyst because I already know it's a train wreck. Bad case of cobbler's shoes and no time for my own site.

I've used it. Whoever did my video was awesome. They nailed my main problem.

You have to look around to figure out what my site is about. The tagline I'm using doesn't really indicate it and only after viewing the site, do you know it's about health and fitness.

Thus, gave me the idea that maybe I want to work on a decent tag line or logo that immediately tells the visitor, this site is about...

I really liked it. They tested a bit of site speed and such. Overall, for a free video, it gave me a very insightful peek.

Very nice. Great to hear it help and the "peek" was insightful!

We've used User Testing's paid service quite extensively and have been very pleased with the results and the insights that we received from the site reviewers. In our cases (all local business websites) we were able to choose the demographic and have the reviewer perform specific tasks as well as general thoughts on the UX for the site. In many cases, the insights have been very instrumental in driving changes that have led to conversion optimization.
Definitely worth at least trying the free service.

Good to know Joe! Can you tell us on average how much the full option is? I saw a comparison of the differences between features but not a price.

 

[Joe Mink]

Hey Linda,
We pay around $40 per test. I think the standard price for the 15 minute review is $49, but I believe we received a bit of a volume discount.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Joe, that's not bad at all! Thought it would be more.

Cori at the Pro Community says she uses Peek for clients all the time.

 

[mda1125]

My Peek from yesterday on another client's site gave me a couple of gems.

1. Maybe I could/should make it even easier to contact the office. While the user found the contact page and mentioned it was very easy.. I bet I could make it even easier for somebody to get in touch/make an appointment.

2. Better photos. My guy is a man. All the photos are him working on, training, women fitness individuals. This may be off putting to others? It wasn't a frustration of the Peek user but she did mention it. I think I could get better, more generalized real photos where a person doesn't feel this guy.. oh he just works on really in shape people.

It was a great Peek.

I was shocked they didn't have anything really negative to say. Darn I'm good!

Another great use of Peek.

 

[Linda Buquet]

My Peek from yesterday on another client's site gave me a couple of gems.

1. Maybe I could/should make it even easier to contact the office. While the user found the contact page and mentioned it was very easy.. I bet I could make it even easier for somebody to get in touch/make an appointment.

2. Better photos. My guy is a man. All the photos are him working on, training, women fitness individuals. This may be off putting to others? It wasn't a frustration of the Peek user but she did mention it. I think I could get better, more generalized real photos where a person doesn't feel this guy.. oh he just works on really in shape people.

It was a great Peek.

I was shocked they didn't have anything really negative to say. Darn I'm good!

Another great use of Peek.

VERY cool! Did you share it with the client? What did he think?

Not just what did he think of the results - but what do you think he thought about the fact you took the extra time to do this for him???

 

[Linda Buquet]

Bill Verboom. a member here too, just posted this at the Pro Community:

We got our test back. It was a very simple review & the person doing it felt a bit new. They didn't find any glaring issues though so that's good.

A Peek into Dwdwindowsanddoorslondon.com's Usability

Thanks so much for sharing your Peek, Bill.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Okay this is an awesome tool. I'm sold. I'm also totally signing up to be a tester b/c they pay you!

They told me the 2 things they hate about our site is the overuse of bold font (couldn't agree more) and the facebook news feed which I also hate.

Solid stuff.

 

[Scott Barnett]

We've used Peek a few times and it's great. I do agree with the comments that the quality of the reviewer is not always the same. And I strongly suggest running multiple Peeks because doing just one can create false positives. It's an amazing idea and of course the motivation is that we all love it and pay for the full blown UserTesting package. We will likely be upgrading to UserTesting later this year.

 

[spadilla]

I got our peek back and was impressed by the quality and quick turn around. Our reviewer didn't have anything negative to say, except that our site loads slow. So, that is great ammo to show the client to explain it's time to upgrade the hosting!

Thanks again Linda. I plan to use this regularly!

 

[Linda Buquet]

I just discovered something SO HOT you can do with this.

Will likely have a huge extremely valuable post about this coming up after my vaca.

 

[CodyBaird]

Very cool and affordable. Although I wouldn't be making any decisions/changes until I heard multiple responses confirming an issue.

I would also be interested to hear how many tests others are running per site before confirming a change needs to be made.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Kaycie Smith]

This is great! We just launched a new site so I am definitely going to submit it. Great find! Thank you!

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

This is a really good service, I use it and highly recommend it.

It's always an eye opener (sometimes a shock) the comments people make and things they try to do on your website.

@Cody - you *can* still get value even out of one person's input. So yes, one person isn't a good test group, but one person can highlight something that makes you say (><)!

One thing to keep in mind - the free trials are US testers only.