Usability testing for media CTRs
This makes so much sense I wish I’d thought of it. Marketing Charts reports that in 2011 38% of companies employ usability testing with the goal of improving click-through rates (CTRs). In 2010 that number was 27%. The addition of qualitative testing techniques to a practice dominated by quantitative testing is a welcome addition and should be able to add considerable value. Moreover, the number of advertisers who plan to use this technique in the future is 53%.
Having conducted hundreds of one-on-one usability interviews it seems to me that there are elements of the user’s interaction with different sites and ads that transcend basic quantitative measures. Sometimes the best way to get a breakthrough insight is to sit down with eight typical users and watch them use (or ignore) your ads. Sure, the scenario is a little bit contrived, but you can get around that by having a good back story. By getting your users engaged, and listening to their thoughts as they move through your channels, you can learn what makes them tick and what turns them off.
These insights are most relevant at the beginning of the process where you are trying to create the initial ads to populate the A/B tests or when you want to stop iterating and try for a larger jump in creative.
I’m not suggesting that you move completely to qualitative testing, quite the contrary since only quantitative testing will prove your insights true or false. I am suggesting that a strong qualitative adjunct to your quantitative tests will provide that insight that can help you determine which A and which B you want to try first.
