47 Questions to Ask on a Website Usability Survey

What is a Website Usability Survey?

A website usability survey is a technique used to evaluate the effectiveness and ease-of-use of a website. Usability testing involves collecting data from real users to assess their degree of satisfaction with the website's features, design, content, and functionality. The survey commonly comprises a series of user testing questions intended to gather data on users' experiences, viewpoints, and attitudes towards the website.

Why Do People Conduct Usability Surveys?

Usability testing and surveys help website owners and designers improve their website by understanding how users interact with it and collecting honest feedback to make changes.

Usability surveys help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by tailoring a website to their target audience's needs and preferences.

Lastly, Usability surveys help businesses grow by measuring user behaviour and satisfaction, optimising websites for conversions, and increasing revenue.

Who Should You Choose to Give You Feedback?

When choosing participants for a usability study, it's crucial to select individuals who reflect your target audience. This may involve current or potential customers, as well as users who match the demographics of your target market.

It is important to consider the participant's familiarity with your website or similar websites in order to ensure the relevance and usefulness of their input for identifying areas of improvement.

It is also vital when selecting participants for a survey that you are assured of their willingness to offer constructive and honest feedback. This may involve providing incentives or rewards, or reassuring participants that their feedback will contribute to website improvements.

The Benefits of Usability Testing

By selecting the right participants and asking the right questions, you can gain valuable insights into their real users' needs and preferences, and make data-driven decisions to optimise you website's design, content, and functionality.

Here are some of the major advantages:

• Enhance User Experience: Through website surveys, it is possible to gain insight into your customers' perspectives on your website's navigability and usability, leading to the identification of pain points and potential improvements. This is a cost-effective method to optimise your website.
• Improved Products and Services: Customer feedback surveys allow you to gather real-time feedback on your offerings. This information helps you improve your product features and services gradually.
• Increased Conversions and Lead Generation: By placing surveys strategically on your website, you can understand your customers' real-time requirements concerning your brand offerings. This information helps you to improve conversions and lead generation.

How to Choose the Right Questions for Your Website Usability Survey.

Choosing the right feedback survey questions are essential to get accurate and relevant insight into your website.

Here are some steps to help you choose the right questions for your website usability survey:

• Begin by establishing the intended goals and objectives of the survey. What do you want to achieve with the survey? What specific information do you need to know? This method will assist in identifying the appropriate questions you need to ask.
• Understanding your target audience is essential when choosing appropriate questions. Who are your users? What is their background and experience? What are their needs and expectations?
• Determine the specific sections of your website that require evaluation. One possible area of focus could be navigation, content, or customer support.
• Select user testing question types that are suitable for the data you wish to gather. Closed-ended questions are effective for gathering quantitative data (yes/no, multiple-choice, rating scales) , while open-ended questions are more appropriate for qualitative data collection.
• To prevent overwhelming your users, it is recommended to keep your survey concise and focused. Focus on asking essential questions to obtain the most valuable feedback.
• It is recommended to conduct a pre-test of your survey with a small group of real users to detect any potential problems with the questions or response options prior to launching it.

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We can help you create well-structured usability testing that gains you valuable insights into your customers and help you redesign your website to increase your sales, leads and revenue

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Screening Questions for Users

When choosing participants for a usability testing of a website, it is crucial to ask screening questions (or pre-test questions) to ensure that they meet the website's target audience. When assessing the feedback from customers you will also be able to segment the user base to help you identify what may be putting potential users off from completing actions, and understand your user base in far more detail.

The following are some potential screening questions.

1. What is your age range?
   
   
2. What is your gender?
   
   
3. Have you visited this website before?
   
   
4. On a scale of 0 to 5, how familiar are you with the products or services offered on this website?
   
   
5. What type of device do you typically use to access the internet (e.g. desktop computer, mobile device)?
    

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General Website Usability Survey Questions

General website usage questions are designed to understand how users interact with a website and their experience while doing so. These questions can help website owners improve their site's functionality and usability, as well as identify potential problems or issues they may have with your site. They help you also group your users into segments such as experienced users, frequent purchasers, browsers etc.

Here are some examples of general website usage questions:

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6. What is the main reason you visit this website?

Gaining insight into the reasons for website visits is essential for enhancing its usability. By asking this question, you can identify the most important needs and motivations of your users. By utilising this information, the website's messaging can be enhanced to effectively cater to the needs of its target audience.

7. Can you find the information you are looking for on this website?

Websites should ensure that information is easily accessible to users. Asking this question can reveal whether the website's content is efficiently structured for easy navigation. Asking follow-up questions can be helpful in gaining a better understanding of the challenges the user experience may create when customers are trying to find the necessary information.

8. How satisfied are you with the overall design of this website?

The usability of a website is greatly influenced by its design. This question can help determine if the website's design is visually appealing and functional for users. Ask follow-up questions to understand why users are satisfied or dissatisfied with website design.

9. Have you ever encountered any technical difficulties while using this website?

The usability of a website can be significantly affected by technical difficulties. Asking this question helps identify website technical issues experienced by users. Create a follow-on question for any user who answers Yes to this question so you can gather more valuable feedback

10. How long do you typically spend on this website per visit?

Analysing the duration of user visits on a website can offer important information about site engagement. Use this information to find out where users lose interest on the website and add more content or features to keep them engaged.

11. Have you ever made a purchase or completed a desired action on this website?

We ask users if they're completing desired actions on websites to improve conversion rates and identify any barriers. Follow-up questions help us understand why they may not be completing these actions.

12. Would you recommend this website to others?

This question, which is commonly used as part of a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, can help you understand how satisfied users are with your website and how likely they are to spread the word to others.

13. How could this website be improved to better meet your needs?

Ask this open-ended question and gather suggestions to improve the website based on their feedback. This could give you interesting ideas that you had not considered and this type of input helps when redesigning the site.

Website Re-design Survey Questions

Website redesign survey questions are an essential tool for businesses and organisations looking to revamp their online presence. The purpose of a website redesign survey is to gather feedback from current and potential customers to ensure that the new design meets their needs and expectations. This feedback can then be used to guide the design process and make sure that the final product is user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and effective in achieving the desired goals.

14. What do you like about our current website?

This will allow you to form a list of content and features the users like that you can retain on any redesign of your site.

15. What features or content would you like to see added or improved on our website?

This open-ended question can provide valuable insights into specific changes users would like to see in a redesigned site, whether it's more intuitive navigation or more in-depth product descriptions.

16. On a scale of 0-5, How would you rate the overall user experience of this website?

This question can give you a sense of how users perceive your current site in terms of usability, navigation, and design.

17. How important are the following factors in your decision to make a purchase on our website: price, product selection, shipping options, customer reviews, ease of checkout?

This question can help you understand which factors are most influential in driving online purchases, which can help you prioritise different elements of your redesign based on user priorities.

Homepage Usability Questions

This section of the survey focuses on the homepage. The homepage is often the first point of contact for users visiting the website, so it's crucial that it accurately represents the website's purpose and provides easy access to our main features and content. Additionally, the homepage should be visually appealing and help users quickly understand what your website is about. Gathering insights and taking action on your findings can help reduce bounce rates, and improve your customer journey.

To gather the feedback on the homepage, you can included the following questions:

18. How easy is it to understand what the website is about from the homepage?

The homepage should provide a clear and concise summary of what the website is about. Users should be able to quickly and easily understand the website's purpose and the products or services that it offers. It is important to evaluate whether the website's messaging and branding are consistent and clear from a user point of view.

19. What improvements would you make?

This open-ended question allows you to gather insights from your users which could potentially help if you are considering a redesign.

20. How easy is it to find the website's main features from the homepage?

The homepage should provide clear and easy-to-find links to the website's main features. Users should be able to quickly access the website's most important pages and features from the homepage, without having to search through multiple pages. It is important to evaluate whether users feel the website's main features are prominently displayed and easily accessible from the homepage.

21. How visually appealing is the homepage?

The homepage should have an appealing design and layout that is consistent with the brand and visually engaging for the target audience. It is important to consider both usability and aesthetics when evaluating the website's design.

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Navigation Questions

Navigation is an essential component of any website as it helps users to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Therefore, when assessing the usability of a website, it is important to evaluate the ease of navigation and how it supports the customer journey.

Here are some simple questions that you can ask about a website's navigation.

22. How easy is it to find what you are looking for on the website?

The ease with which users can access necessary information is a crucial component of website navigation.

23. Are the navigation labels and categories clear and understandable?

Clear and concise labels and categories in the website's navigation system to allow users to understand how to navigation. Use clear language everyone can understand, regardless of expertise.

24. Is it easy to return to the homepage from other pages on the website?

It is important for the website to have a clear and accessible way for users to return to the homepage from any page. It is crucial to assess the positioning and accessibility of the homepage link on the website, across all pages.

25. How intuitive is the navigation system?

The website's navigation system should be intuitive and easy to use. Users should be able to easily find what they are looking for, without having to search through multiple pages or categories. The navigation system should be designed to be user-friendly and meet the needs of the target audience.

26. Are there any navigation features that you feel are missing from the website?

It is essential to assess if the website's navigation system is comprehensive and incorporates all required features. The website should provide easy access to all relevant sections, such as contact information, product pages, and support sections. Make sure the website's navigation works for the audience.

Content Related Usability Question

The importance of a website's usability is heavily influenced by its content. The content should be informative and engaging to maintain user interest and encourage return visits. This section will cover usability questions that can be used to gather user feedback on website content.

27. Is the content on the website useful to you?

Asking users if the content is useful will help you understand if your website is meeting the needs of your target audience.

28. Is the content easy to read and understand?

Asking users if the content is easy to read and understand will help you identify any readability issues and improve the overall user experience.

29. How often is the content on the website updated?

Asking users how often they expect new content will help you identify how frequently you need to update your website to keep users engaged and coming back.

30. Are there any topics or areas that you feel are missing from the website's content?

Asking users if there are any missing topics or areas will help you identify gaps in your content and ensure that you are providing a comprehensive user experience.

31. How important is multimedia content (e.g. images, videos) to you?

Asking users about the importance of multimedia content will help you understand how much emphasis you should place on visual content and whether you need to increase or decrease its use. 

User Experience Usability Questions

User Experience (UX) is essential to a website's success. Here are questions to ask users to evaluate the website's UX:

32.  How would you rate your overall user experience on the website?

Collecting feedback from users about their experience can assist in determining whether your website is meeting the requirements and expectations of your intended audience.

33. How easy is it to complete tasks on the website (e.g. making a purchase, filling out a form)?

Gathering feedback from users on task completion can aid in identifying potential usability issues and enhancing the overall user experience.

34. Are there any features or functions that you find confusing or frustrating?

Asking users about confusing or frustrating features can assist in identifying areas for improvement and enhancing the overall user experience.

35. How well does the website work on different devices (e.g. desktop, mobile)?

Collecting feedback from users regarding their experience on various devices can assist in ensuring that your website is responsive and optimised for all devices.

36. How would you rate the website's accessibility (e.g. for users with disabilities)?

Gathering feedback from users regarding the accessibility of your website can reveal any potential barriers to accessibility and ensure that your website accommodates all users.

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Customer Support

Providing good customer support is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Here are some questions to ask users to evaluate the website's customer support:

37. Have you ever needed to contact customer support while using the website?

Inquiring about users' experiences with customer support can provide insight into the frequency of issues encountered on your website.

38. How easy was it to find the customer support contact information?

Assessing the accessibility of customer support contact information from users can assist in identifying areas for improvement to ensure that help can be easily found when necessary.

39. How responsive was the customer support team?

Collecting feedback from users regarding the performance of the customer support team can aid in assessing user satisfaction and finding opportunities for improvement.

40. Were your issues or concerns resolved to your satisfaction?

Surveying customers about their problem resolutions can provide insight into the quality of customer support and potential areas for improvement.

41. How important is good customer support to you when using a website?

Asking users about the importance of good customer support will help you understand the value of customer support in user experience and how to prioritise improvements in this area.

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Payment Experience Questions

Payment-related questions are crucial to ask in a usability survey for a website, as they can help identify any issues or areas for improvement in the payment process. Identifying areas of improvement here could potentially increase your conversion rate and completion rate.

Here are some payment-related questions you can ask:

42. Did you encounter any problems during the checkout process?
43. Was the payment process easy to understand?
44. Was the payment process fast and efficient?
45. Did you encounter any technical issues while making a payment?
46. Did you feel comfortable with the security of the payment process?
47. Did you encounter any unexpected charges during the payment process?

Asking these questions can help you identify any pain points that users may experience during the payment process, such as technical glitches, unclear instructions, or unexpected charges. This can help you improve the overall user experience and increase the likelihood of successful payments. Additionally, asking about payment security can help build trust with users and increase their confidence in using your website.

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Do You Need Some Advice on What Questions Will Give You the Right Insights?

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Do Good Things can help you out; we are a full-service digital marketing agency.

We specialise in redesigning existing websites and building new ones. 

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We can help you analyse your current site, carry out usability testing and ensure your redesign increases your conversions, leads and revenue, contact us today.

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