You have just redesigned one of your products, or got a completely new product on the way? Now you want to find out if the usability and user experience of your product stand out from the competition? Or do you generally want to assess how competitive your product is?

In a Benchmark Test, the usability of products is made measurable and enables a comparison with the competition. Based on different metrics, the usability dimensions – effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction (DIN EN ISO 9241) – are assessed and summarized into a meaningful overall score. The perceived user experience is also taken into account and included in the benchmark result.

To assess the usability, we conduct a comparative Usability Test. We invite users from the target group and ask them to work on typical task scenarios with the competing products. By close observation of the users’ actions, we capture usability problems and the degree of task completion. The subjective user experience is further collected with standardized questionnaires. With the help of the gathered data, we determine an overall benchmark score for each of the products. We reveal how well your product scores in comparison to others, and suggest specific recommendations for improvement.

• Is your product offering a better usability in comparison to competing products?
• Which product features are implemented better/worse in your product?
• What can be improved?

• How fun is it to use this product in comparison to competitors?
• How did the gap to your competitors change (e. g. after a second measurement after an optimization)?
• Which product do the users prefer?

• Effectiveness (task completion)

  Are the users able to achieve their goals with this product?

• Efficiency (time)

  How long does it take to achieve specific goals?

• Usability problems

  Do any obstacles arise while interacting with the product? How severe are these?

• Joy of Use

  Do the users enjoy using this product?

• Preferences

  Which one of the compared products do users prefer?

• Individual measures

  Depending on the context, we collect other product specific comparative metrics.

A Benchmark Test is ideal to evaluate the competitiveness of your new or redesigned product. Different measures enable us to compare the quality of your product to the quality of your competitors’ products

It can also be worth conducting a Benchmark Test with existing products. By comparing different products from the same sector, you can learn from your competitors and receive inspiration for further improvement.

It is especially valuable to conduct benchmarking tests repeatedly and to use them to review your own goals. This enables you to put the results of the test in relation with previous benchmark scores and to assess the success of your development process.

• Direct comparison

  In a Benchmark Test we investigate if the usability and user experience of a product is better or worse than the competition.

• Suitable for any sector

  No matter if you want to compare online shops or tax software, a Benchmark Test can be conducted for any product.

• Set goals

  Measuring yourself against the best – a benchmarking test is the ideal starting point for further development and setting new goals.

After the Benchmark Test, you will receive a structured report including an overall score for your product. We describe in detail which data we captured and how the benchmark rating was generated. You can retrace exactly how your product performed in comparison to the competition in each benchmark category. Depending on the project goal, you also receive an overview of the identified usability problems and their severity. Our experts give recommendations for solutions to the problems, and help you to improve your product even more.

Do you have specific questions concerning your project? We are happy to advise you. Free of charge and without obligation.

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