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[Treehouse presents]

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[Quick Tips: When Should I Test My Website? - with Dan Gorgone]

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Many people assume that the time to test your website 

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is right before it launches. That sort of makes sense.

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Before something goes live, you want to ensure 

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that it's working the way it's supposed to. 

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However, this is one of the most difficult times to test,

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because time is short, and the pressure is on.

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Don't leave testing until the last minute.

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Instead, consider a plan to test from the very beginning.

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When you have your initial idea, 

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you'll probably be tempted to draw some rough sketches,

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maybe even produce some wireframes to get started.

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Anything you create is worth testing,

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which can be simple as sitting down with someone and asking them

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what they make of your design.

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A quick walk around your office, coffee shop, or sharing a picture online

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can yield helpful feedback.

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Why test so early?

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Because these results can have an immediate positive effect on your project.

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Finding issues before you build anything means not having to tear it down later.

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As you're building a site, that's a good time to test, too.

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The same principle applies.

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Getting someone else's perspective is an extremely valuable research tool.

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As you're building a site, that's a good time to test, too.

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The same principle applies.

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Getting someone else's perspective is an extremely valuable research tool.

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As you begin to build the pieces or design elements that go into

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a finished website, these can be shown to test users

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in working and non-working ways.

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Remember, you can test web designs using screen shots,

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a projector, even simple printouts.

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Sure, the experience isn't exactly what you would like it to be.

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But asking the right questions will get you the answers you need.

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And, of course, you want to test after your site has been launched.

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In fact, come up with a plan to test every one or two months

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to ensure that the site continues to work as intended.

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Times will change. So will your industry, as well as your users' needs.

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Plan on changing with it, and figure out how 

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by doing some testing along the way.