Sitemap test
Can your visitors find what they are looking for? A sitemap test shows how visitors look for information within your navigation structure. This provides you with an insight into the usability of that structure. And it makes clear whether another structure might work better.
How well does your navigation structure work?
A sitemap test shows where visitors expect to find information on your website. Which routes do they choose? Do they understand how information is grouped? Can they find an answer to their question? Design and interaction are left out of the equation for the moment – the focus is purely on the menus.
You can conduct a sitemap test to assess an existing structure or to compare different structures. A sitemap test teaches you how visitors deal with the navigation structure of your website and where the bottlenecks are.
How does a sitemap test work?
The right target audience, realistic tasks
Together, we take a look at your visitor profile. This way, we ensure that the right people are invited.
Together, we select the key information within your website. We then develop realistic tasks, which we assign to the test subjects from your target audience. We can test with a large set of tasks to make sure that your navigation structure is extensively tested.
Online test environment
Our test subjects will use your structure to go in search of this information within our online environment. And we will record how they do this. Where they click and where they hesitate.
This way, we can test with a large number of people in a short period of time, ensuring reliable and comparable results.
Click here to view Valsplat's online sitemap test environment
Discover strengths and weaknesses
Our analysis focuses on patterns in the test subjects' search behaviour. We look at which routes they take during their searches. And at which points they find it difficult to retrieve the required information. This gives insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your navigation structure.
Discuss results; set to work
We present the test results in our report. We are happy to explain our findings, so that everything is 100% clear. We often discuss the results with you in a workshop. This leads to good ideas for the improvement of your website's navigation structure.
How does this differ from card sorting?
A card sorting study generates ideas for an information structure. In a sitemap test, you examine how well a structure functions. The two methods can therefore be implemented side-by-side: first elaborate a structure with a card sorting study, then assess this structure with a sitemap test.
