Chapter 1 - Always Be Testing?

[Diamond Website Conversion]

Chapter One argues that all businesses should foster a culture of testing in order to determine what the best practices for their business will be and how they can implement incremental changes over time to give their customers the best online experience possible.

A culture of testing assumes that no single business model can provide everything a customer might need or desire online, and that the best way to give your customers what they want is by allowing their input to influence your decisions.

The authors suggest that testing should follow a slightly altered version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as they would like done unto them.” How would adoption of this rule help foster a culture of testing, and what would that mean for your current business practices?

[Shelby]

If only more web owners knew that they have the power to test and improve their sites for the people who really matter: the users.

The web’s been around for about 15 years now and the users are revolting. After so many shoddy sites, pop-up windows and forced registrations, the simple truth is that if people don’t find your website easy to use, they won’t come back. Worse, they’ll gladly tell their friends just how clueless you are.

But have no fear, testing is here! The answer is, of course, to design everything around the needs of your users. Testing helps us understand how to meet their needs.

[Anne]

Love how testing is the best way to get a point across, avoiding an internal company showdown between departments. Test results are really the the voice of the website visitors. And, as an earlier book said - good tests begat questions that lead to more tests.