The Mom Test for Websites

2:42 AM in SEO by admin

Mom TestYou have built a site from scratch and everything is perfectly in place. However, after launching the site, no one is still buying even with a significant amount of traffic. So what should you do? Well, the first thing you should do is to check everything very closely. Sometimes it can be the simplest things that cause these problems. Look closely into the analytics of the site and check everything. If you still can’t figure out the problem, then it’s time to take the mom test.

What is the Mom Test?
In small business, budget is usually very tight along with other resources. This is why it is usually out of the question to spend money for a comprehensive usability analysis. In most cases, a simple and cost-free usability tool is always available. And what is this tool I’m talking about? The answer is your mother. If you don’t have one, you can look for any regular mother who doesn’t know much about the internet.

No, I’m not crazy. Did I mention that she needs to be at least 50 years old? Obviously, she needs to know how to use the internet. By now, you might be getting the point of the test. Let her navigate your site and see if she can do what you want her to do on your site like signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product or downloading something on your website. Give her very limited instructions and watch what she does.

If she can’t easily do what you want her to do, there is a big chance that you have some usability problems which is the most common problem of websites. seo Sometimes, finding the problem can simply be achieved by getting a fresh perspective. The first step is finding the problem and the next step is observing the problem. The last step is coming up with a good solution (then finding another mom to test the site again). This is obviously a simple and non-scientific method. However, I have used this method a lot of times and gained new perspectives that made a big difference.

The Other Option
The other and more viable but often costly option is to invest in analytics or site reviews. These are very helpful tools that can help you ensure success in your campaigns. However, if you really don’t have the money, you can just stick with the mom test and check your website carefully.

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