Unlock Seamless Website Navigation: Benefits and Best Practices of Tree Testing

Lost in Government Website Land? You’re Not Alone

Public services should be easy to navigate. Ever clicked around a government website, frustrated and unsure where to find what you need? A confusing website means lost customers and increased frustration — a bad public service experience. We explore why clear website navigation matters and how tree testing helps you achieve it.

Tree Testing: Your Guide to Clear Navigation

Tree testing is a powerful UX research method that uncovers hidden navigation issues. Imagine a simplified version of your website, just text labels for menus. This is the essence of tree testing. Participants tackle real-world tasks, like renewing a license or finding information on public services. By tracking their clicks, we pinpoint areas where they get stuck, revealing how effective your website's Information Architecture (IA) is in labeling and organizing content.

After the test, analyzing the results is key, allowing you to reorganize your IA for a more intuitive and customer-friendly experience — all before publishing it to the world! And, to ensure the changes hit the mark, consider retesting to validate your improvements and provide an even better customer experience.

Benefits of Tree Testing for Government Agencies

Developing an effective navigation hierarchy is a challenge. Even when following best practices for an understandable IA, you can't be sure your categorization and labeling choices will make sense to your customers. As we often say, if you’re not checking, you’re guessing; you must test your IA to ensure customers can find what they’re looking for.

Fast & Iterative

Tree testing is quick and easy to implement, unlike some research methods. This allows for rapid testing of different menu labels, category structures, and content organization throughout the design process.

Uncover Hidden Pain Points

Tree testing highlights issues like unclear menus or buried information so you can optimize your website for a smooth experience.

Speak Your Customer's Language

Tree testing ensures your menus and labels are clear, concise, and resonate with your customers. Think of it as building a website that speaks their language, not government jargon. This clarity translates to a better experience and keeps customers engaged and informed.

Beyond the Basics: Pro Tips for Powerful Tree Testing

Recruit a Representative Sample

Get a well-rounded picture of real user behavior by testing with a diverse group of 30-50 participants. This ensures your results reflect the needs of your actual audience. 

Test Real Scenarios, Not Just Labels

Avoid using your exact menu labels in tasks. Instead, use real-life scenarios to see if customers can find what they need without relying on specific terms. 

Example: Instead of, “Find ‘Contact Us’,” ask, “How would you reach the department to change your vehicle registration?”

Reflect Actual Customer Journeys

Design tasks that follow common customer paths on your site. This reveals potential obstacles in customer journeys.

Example: “You’re looking for information on how to apply for unemployment benefits. How would you find it?”

Continuously Iterate and Improve

Tree testing is an iterative process. Conduct multiple rounds of testing to gradually refine your navigation iteratively, ensure ongoing improvement.

Combine with Other UX Methods

Enhance tree testing with card sorting and usability testing for a holistic understanding of customer needs and behaviors. 

Tree testing is an iterative process that can be done before, during, and after a website launch. It helps integrate customer experience into your design process, saving time, and development costs.