First Click TestingMethod
First Click Testing examines what a test participant would click on first on the interface in order to complete their intended task. It can be performed on a functioning website, a prototype or a wireframe. Successful websites take users’ tasks into account upfront. First Click Testing allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of the linking structure of your site, including the navigation, to see if users how to get around the site and complete their intended task.
Though this testing can be done with observation alone, recording the sessions is recommended. There is also software available which can assist you in tracking clicks and creating heat maps of the activity.
Preparation
First Click Testing is often more effective when it is informed by these complementary methods.
Steps
- When creating tasks, focus on providing the participants with a problem to solve; You are interested in finding out how much…how many…where to… to foster a more natural interaction with the site.
- Make sure you know and have documented the correct path to compete each task, both for yourself and for your observers. This will simplify note taking and transcription.
- Track each click and time how long it takes the user to make this click. Taking a long time to make that first click may indicate an issue with navigation that will need to be monitored or address.
- After each task, assess whether the participants feel they were able to find the correct information using a satisfaction or confidence scale.
- Next assess the ease or difficulty of completing each task. Using response scales here will aid analysis as well, but consider free response options as well to provide additional context.
Outcomes
First Click Testing typically produces insight and solutions focused on these areas:
User Behavior
Information about how users currently use a site, service, or resource.
Navigation Effectiveness
A measure of how effective site or application navigation is relative to business and user goals.
Task Completion Rate
The rate at which and ease with which users are able to complete a concrete task or set of tasks.
