7 key KPIs in UX Research.
A short guide to measuring the user experience. What are behavioral and attitudinal KPIs, how to track them, and which to choose for your research?
When conducting research, you need to measure the effectiveness of your product or prototype. UX KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) allow us to measure the success of UX activities.
Generally, design KPIs are divided into two types: behavioral and attitudinal.
Behavioral metrics are measurements relating to customer behavior and their expected engagement.
1. Time on task.
Time on task measures how long it takes for a user to accomplish the task. Ideally, this time should be as short as possible. The shorter time needed, the more effective your design is.
How to conduct:
Make a video screen recording of the session and you will know which step of the process is taking the most time.
2. Use of navigation vs search.
Users’ preferences to use navigation or search bar depend on the layout of the home page and the site’s information structure. You have to find out which option is preferable for most of your users.
How to check:
To measure the use of navigation vs search, count the mouse clicks or taps on navigation-related parts of your design, and compare that to the number of times a search word is entered into the search bar.
To learn more on this topic, video from Nielsen Norman Group «Search Box vs Navigation»
3. User error rates.
This indicator tracks how many times users have tried but failed to complete a specific task. Errors can tell you how many mistakes were made and where users faced difficulties while interacting with your product. As a general rule, the lower the number of errors, the better the design.
How to measure:
You can do that by dividing the total number of errors that occurred by the total number of error opportunities for all users.
4. Drop-off rates.
This KPI reveals how many users quit before reaching the end of a purchase or some other endpoint you’re trying to lead them to.
How to track:
Count the number of participants who quit a task or don’t make it to the end of their goal.
The opposite of drop-off rates are Conversion rates.
5. Conversion rate.
This measures how many people or new visitors complete a task such as signing up, completing an order, making a purchase, etc. You should focus on increasing your conversion rate. As a general rule, the higher the conversion rate, the better the design.
How to measure:
To measure the conversion rate for your product, count the number of research study participants who complete a listed action.
Attitudinal KPIs involve how users feel and what they say regarding your product.
6. System Usability Scale.
A System Usability Scale (SUS) is a questionnaire that asks participants their opinions about your product. The scale consists of a 10-point questionnaire with five possible answers each, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The results are used to measure the usability of your designs.
Read more about System Usability Scale
7. Net Promoter Score.
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a measure of customer loyalty and is based on a single question: How likely is it that you’ll recommend this product to a friend or colleague? The response options range from 0 (Not at all likely) to 10 (Extremely likely).
Promoters — respondents giving a 9 or 10 score
Passives — respondents giving a 7 or 8 score
Detractors — respondents giving a 0 to 6 score
How to measure:
To calculate the NPS, subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.
Which KPIs to choose for your UX research?
When deciding which KPIs to measure for your study, think about the goals of your research. Each KPI is unique, and together, they work to help you to improve the overall user experience you’ve designed.
So, set your goal, choose your UX KPIs, and good luck in creating an amazing user journey!
