A UX audit (also called a heuristic analysis) is an expert evaluation of website or app usability. The goal is to identify areas where the site or app can be improved to better meet user needs and business owner goals.
While testing with actual users is always the best method to uncover website or app usability issues, a UX audit can be a faster and less expensive alternative.
APPROACH
The website owner or agency will provide relevant background, specifically:
- Business goals / website objectives
- Audience definition — demographics and/or user personas
- Site analytics — at minimum, a list of all pages with the number of pageviews for each page, for the past 12 months (if available)
- Current site pain points or desired improvements, from both the business and user perspectives
In addition to the background information, I will hold a kickoff meeting (via Zoom) so I can dig deeper, walk through the site, and ask questions.
Using that context, I perform a heuristic analysis of the site from the user’s perspective. Desktop and mobile experiences are evaluated. The audit involves a comprehensive review of the site’s usability, site structure, navigation, user interface design, content, forms, unique functionality, and overall user experience. I will note significant accessibility and legal compliance issues, but a standard UX audit is not a comprehensive compliance review.
DELIVERABLES
The deliverables include a deck (typically 30+ pages) with findings (including screenshots illustrating all the issues discovered) and UX recommendations for how to make needed improvements. A priority matrix is included showing the UX impact vs. level of effort for each recommendation made. I will present the deck (via Zoom) which includes the opportunity for Q&A.
Timeline
Project duration is typically about 2-3 weeks from the kickoff meeting to presentation of findings (depending on current workload).
Fee
I will provide an estimate for approval. Typically it’s $2,500-3,000 for most sites. The fee may be lower for very simple sites or higher for very large sites, sites with complex functionality, ecommerce, or other features requiring more analysis.
Experience
I’ve conducted about ten UX audits per year over the past several years for clients across a broad range of categories, including travel & tourism, aviation & aerospace, B2C & B2B ecommerce, health & wellness, business & consumer services, and professional & trade organizations.
Samples
While I always honor client confidentiality, a few of my clients have given permission to share their audits with other prospective clients. Here’s a sample report the client has given permission to share.
We were so pleased with your work – it was exactly what we were looking for to improve our digital experience for our clients.
Megan Elsey, Director of Public Relations, MJE
Please contact me if you’d like to see additional samples or discuss your project.