Page 1 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 LYP Usability Test Results Conducted by Jayne Schurick Usability Consultant (408)
Page 2 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Objectives Test usability and user impressions of the new LYP landing, partial, and Get Help pages.
Page 3 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Test Format and Participants Remote test using WebEx to allow participants to view and control the computer displaying the prototype. Conducted September 12013, property owners recruited from HA’s “prospects” database: –1 advertises on Airbnb –2 don’t advertise at all, just word-of-mouth –1 is preparing a house to rent next spring
Page 4 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Overall Results Compared to the initial concepts study conducted on August xx-xx, this study found: The pages are a good size and the primary CTAs are above the fold. The advertising options are nicely laid out with clear choices and benefits. Participants said they could make a decision based on the information given. Participants didn’t notice the Learn More links, perhaps because they are below the fold or perhaps because they felt that they didn’t need them. But when shown the contact form, all participants said they would want to know more about the Get Help option before providing their contact info. Some participants didn’t scroll, so didn’t see video and FAQs. Those who did scroll said the video and FAQs looked interesting and helpful. Including a phone number on the landing page is good.
Page 5 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 LYP Landing Page The study was conducted on a MacBook Pro with a vertical screen resolution of 1050 px. At this resolution the CTAs are above the fold, and participants had no difficulty choosing an option and knowing what to do next. On a computer with a vertical resolution of 768 px, which is still very popular, the CTAs will be below the fold. Some participants didn’t notice the Learn More links, perhaps because they are below the fold and perhaps because they are the same color as the headings and pricing options. There is a lot of blue text on that page and some of it doesn’t contain links. Page fold at 768 px vertical resolution. Page fold at 1050 px vertical resolution.
Page 6 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 LYP Landing Page Overall, the page is nicely laid out; advertising options, pricing, and CTAs are clear; and the bullets are comparable, thus allowing users to compare and decide which option is best for them. Two participants reacted negatively to the marketing message “Incredible Returns Earn up to $56,000 per year in rental income,” saying it sounds like marketing hype, and how could HomeAway make such a claim when earnings will depend on the property, location, and effort the owner puts into it. (The other messages in this area were said to be fine, even appealing.) One participant would have preferred that these messages not block the “beautiful picture” of the ocean. One participant said the HomeAway logo seemed small relative to the rest of the page.
Page 7 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 LYP Landing Page Not all participants scrolled to the bottom but those who did were interested in the video and FAQs. One said the guy in the video looked like a regular person, not a model. Participants appreciated seeing HomeAway’s phone number.
Page 8 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Learn More Page If participants said they would click on a Learn More link, they were shown this page. The page is nicely laid out and participants understood the content. However: One participant was dismayed to learn that she would have to pay for her ranking position. Another saw 2.5% under HomeAway Payments and Online Booking, and thought it applied to online booking. Although not identified by any participants, the page is very long. You might consider breaking it up somehow.
Page 9 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Contact Form Some participants said they wouldn’t enter their contact information or would put in bogus information until they knew more. However, participants didn’t have the benefit of seeing the Learn More page for the Get Help option.
Page 10 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Get Help Page The page is nicely laid out. Even though it wasn’t clear to all participants that the full service property managers would be local to them, they understood when it was explained. This is likely due to the mockup. Participants were very confused about the meaning of the buttons: “Contact me” – who does “me” refer to? Is it the user telling the PM to contact him/her, or it it the PM? What is the difference between this action and the lighter colored button, “the PM will contact you…”? Since they gave their contact info, participants didn’t expect to take an action in order to be contacted.
Page 11 LYP Usability Test Results | September 16, 2013 Recommendations Consider ways to put the CTAs on the landing page above the fold. Consider underlining the Learn More links or somehow making them more prominent. Change the “Incredible returns” message to one that is more believable. Clarify the buttons on the Get Help page. If users have to take an action to be contacted by PMs, make it very clear. If they don’t have to take an action, consider eliminating the buttons altogether.