How to run simple user testing on a budget

User testing sounds expensive and technical, but the most valuable version is neither. Watching a few real people try to use your website reveals problems no amount of guessing will.

The cheap, effective method

• •Ask a few people (ideally like your customers) to do a task on your site.
• •Give them a goal ('find our prices and contact us').
• •Watch quietly — don't help or explain.
• •Note where they hesitate, get confused, or give up.

Act on what you see

Even three or four people will surface the biggest issues. Fix those, and you've improved the experience for everyone — often at zero cost.