This brief overview could save you thousands of dollars and help get user experience data into play weeks earlier than if you would\u2019ve opted for no pilot testing. That, in turn, can lead to a boost in your conversion rate and a surprising growth in revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a typical scenario:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An ecommerce VP calls<\/a> The Good anxious to find out what\u2019s wrong with the results the marketing department is getting from user testing. They\u2019re doing everything just right \u2013 according to the book \u2013 but gains are dismal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Invariably, there are three primary complaints:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We almost always need to ask just one question to get to the root of the problem: Did you conduct pilot testing in advance of the user testing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we almost always get the same answer: \u201cWhat do you mean by \u2018pilot testing\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, I\u2019ll cover the essentials of pilot testing: what it is, why it\u2019s important, and how it can make a major difference in your user testing results. Stick with me a few minutes and you\u2019ll understand why pilot testing in marketing is an often-overlooked piece to the conversion optimization puzzle, and how you can leverage it to get a jump on the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pilot testing is a quality control measure for marketing research and testing. It\u2019s a dress rehearsal conducted to ensure the instructions are clear, the equipment is working properly, and there are no errors in the script.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPilot testing is a quality control measure for marketing research and testing. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n By making a dry run through your testing protocol with just a few representative users, you can catch any problem areas before bringing the entire group on. In essence, the practice test makes sure the path you want testers to take is free of obstructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the key difference between beta testing and pilot testing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pilot testing reduces the chance of errors in your experiments. It leads to higher quality tests by finding and correcting issues with instructions, formatting, and procedures. Pilot testing is the quality assurance step in your experimentation process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPilot testing is the quality assurance step in your experimentation process. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n Usability testing costs probably aren\u2019t eating up the lion\u2019s share of your marketing budget, but they can add up \u2013 depending on the number of users you\u2019re paying and the costs of test development and review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the rub:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When there are mistakes in the formulation of your test, then you may end up having to toss out the results tallied. Pilot testing helps you get it right the first time. That reduces expense and speeds up the process. It also saves headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pilot testing isn\u2019t the main test, and the results from your pilot should never be included in your UX observations. Pilot testing is like warm-ups before an athletic event. It\u2019s a way of making sure you\u2019re ready to go when the action begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A pilot study to get the real test in order would seem like a no-brainer. There\u2019s a tendency, though, to assume that testing sequences have already been tested by the project designers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The design team is too close to the issues they\u2019re testing and too familiar with the results they expect to see. That leads to an unavoidable bias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At The Good, we find most companies who think they\u2019re running a pilot test\u2026 aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the following checklist to make sure your pilot test really does prep the main test instead of adding more confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pilot testing before conducting usability studies is one of those parts of the plan that seems so plainly required that it\u2019s easily overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t just ask the test designers if they\u2019ve conducted a pilot study. Go over the checklist provided above with them to be sure you\u2019re talking about the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting team agreement that you\u2019re ready to go isn\u2019t the same as observing a user who\u2019s never seen the test before to make sure the project is optimized for the right people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about pilot testing, user testing, or conversion rate optimization in general, contact The Good<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"pilot](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pilot-testing-1.png\")
What is pilot testing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"pilot](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pilot-testing-2.png\")
How pilot testing saves your money and time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"pilot](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pilot-testing-3.png\")
Pilot testing checklist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Save money and time with pilot testing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n