Eye Tracking: Try These Free Web Usability Tools

It’s no question that when it comes to free products, you get what you pay for. It’s pretty standard these days for companies to offer free versions of software, light versions to get us started on a product so that we’ll return and upgrade to the full version. It’s like getting a free sample in a mall – you never know when you might try your favorite thing, something that will keep you coming back.

Some companies offer free limited or skeleton versions that can be upgraded to the full or extended version at a cost. We all know that eye tracking can be pretty cost prohibitive, and as of yet, there haven’t been any “free” eye trackers available (anyone know of any?). But for web usability testing, some companies offer decent free versions that may help you to accomplish that initial test you need to figure out how effective your website design is. We found an article at CMSwire that covers a few such examples.

One free usability testing software program is UserPlus, a beta system that intends to share usability knowledge with designers, developers, and usability specialists across the board. You can upload a screenshot of your site and then tag certain design elements you have. UserPlus then offers you a usability score which could help when it comes to making decisions about the finer details, like where to put that fancy flash button.

Another free program they suggest in the article is called Usabilla, which is a startup out of Amsterdam. Usabilla users can set up a usability test for free in five steps, using a five page maximum and 25 participants, which, if you consider what you’re getting for free, is really quite a good deal. For a small company with light usability testing needs, this seems like a gem. Usabilla will analyze your site and provide heat maps, notes, and user input for free. Users can select the pages they want to evaluate; choose their questions from a list or create their own; make various design customizations; and then share their URL via Twitter or Facebook, among others. Usabilla offers a full version for a price, so if you decide you need more, they’ve got you covered.

Another company offering a free service is Five Second Test, which is sort of a quick hit test for your site. Users conduct a five second test to determine usability for their own site or another using either a memory test or a click test. In the memory test, users have five seconds to look at a site before they’re asked to remember specific elements. The click test gives you five seconds to locate and click on specific elements of the design. Seems pretty useful if you’ve got a quick question about design or need to make a last minute decision and don’t want to put in all the effort of finding participants and running a full usability study.

Free Tools for Usability Testing