Post-Launch Phase of User Research (Optimisation and Metrics)
Sep 13, 2025
This phase focuses on evaluating the product's performance using user feedback and data. It aims to identify usability issues, track key metrics, and make improvements to enhance the user experience.
Task Success Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During usability testing or after launching a new feature, to evaluate its effectiveness. | In controlled usability testing environments or live with analytics tools. | Define key tasks, observe users attempting to complete them, and calculate the percentage of successful completions. | Testing if users can successfully book a flight on a travel website without abandoning the process. |
Error Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During usability testing or when analysing app or website performance to identify pain points. | Usability labs or through bug-tracking tools in live environments. | Record the number of user errors (e.g., incorrect form submissions, misclicks) and analyse patterns. | Tracking the number of form validation errors users encounter when signing up for an account. |
Retention Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Post-launch to measure user loyalty and product stickiness over time. | Analytics platforms like Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or in-app metrics. | Monitor the percentage of users returning to the product over a specified period. | Measuring how many users of a fitness app return weekly after the initial download. |
Conversion Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During A/B testing or analysing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. | Live websites, mobile apps, or marketing analytics tools. | Calculate the percentage of users completing a desired action (e.g., purchase, signup) compared to the total visitors. | Analysing how many users proceed to checkout after adding an item to the cart on an e-commerce platform. |
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
At regular intervals post-launch, to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty. | Surveys sent via email, in-app prompts, or customer feedback tools. | Ask users, "How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend?" and calculate the NPS score based on responses. | Sending an NPS survey to users of a subscription-based learning platform to measure satisfaction. |
Session Replay
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
When diagnosing usability issues or improving user flows. | Tools like FullStory, Hotjar, or LogRocket. | Watch recordings of user sessions to understand where they struggle and why. | Watching replays to see why users drop off at the payment stage during checkout. |
Heat Map
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During user behaviour analysis for improving interface design. | Tools like Crazy Egg or Hotjar. | Use heat-map tools to visualise areas of high interaction, clicks, and scrolls on your website or app. | Analysing a heat-map of a homepage to see which sections users interact with most, informing future layout changes. |
Desirability Study
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Measuring emotional responses. | In-person or online. | Show designs and use tools like word clouds or surveys to gauge reactions. | Conducting a desirability study to see how users emotionally react to a new app design. |
Click Tracking
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Measuring user interaction hotspots. | Heatmap tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg. | Visualise and analyse areas of high interaction. | Tracking clicks on a landing page to see where users are most engaged. |
Survey
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Gathering large-scale user opinions. | Online platforms (Google Forms, Typeform). | Create structured questions and analyse aggregated responses. | Surveying users to understand their satisfaction with a newly launched app feature. |
Analytics
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Identifying trends and bottlenecks. | Tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel. | Monitor metrics like bounce rate, engagement, and user flows. | Analysing user flow data to understand why users abandon the checkout process on your site. |
This phase focuses on evaluating the product's performance using user feedback and data. It aims to identify usability issues, track key metrics, and make improvements to enhance the user experience.
Task Success Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During usability testing or after launching a new feature, to evaluate its effectiveness. | In controlled usability testing environments or live with analytics tools. | Define key tasks, observe users attempting to complete them, and calculate the percentage of successful completions. | Testing if users can successfully book a flight on a travel website without abandoning the process. |
Error Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During usability testing or when analysing app or website performance to identify pain points. | Usability labs or through bug-tracking tools in live environments. | Record the number of user errors (e.g., incorrect form submissions, misclicks) and analyse patterns. | Tracking the number of form validation errors users encounter when signing up for an account. |
Retention Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Post-launch to measure user loyalty and product stickiness over time. | Analytics platforms like Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or in-app metrics. | Monitor the percentage of users returning to the product over a specified period. | Measuring how many users of a fitness app return weekly after the initial download. |
Conversion Rate
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During A/B testing or analysing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. | Live websites, mobile apps, or marketing analytics tools. | Calculate the percentage of users completing a desired action (e.g., purchase, signup) compared to the total visitors. | Analysing how many users proceed to checkout after adding an item to the cart on an e-commerce platform. |
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
At regular intervals post-launch, to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty. | Surveys sent via email, in-app prompts, or customer feedback tools. | Ask users, "How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend?" and calculate the NPS score based on responses. | Sending an NPS survey to users of a subscription-based learning platform to measure satisfaction. |
Session Replay
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
When diagnosing usability issues or improving user flows. | Tools like FullStory, Hotjar, or LogRocket. | Watch recordings of user sessions to understand where they struggle and why. | Watching replays to see why users drop off at the payment stage during checkout. |
Heat Map
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
During user behaviour analysis for improving interface design. | Tools like Crazy Egg or Hotjar. | Use heat-map tools to visualise areas of high interaction, clicks, and scrolls on your website or app. | Analysing a heat-map of a homepage to see which sections users interact with most, informing future layout changes. |
Desirability Study
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Measuring emotional responses. | In-person or online. | Show designs and use tools like word clouds or surveys to gauge reactions. | Conducting a desirability study to see how users emotionally react to a new app design. |
Click Tracking
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Measuring user interaction hotspots. | Heatmap tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg. | Visualise and analyse areas of high interaction. | Tracking clicks on a landing page to see where users are most engaged. |
Survey
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Gathering large-scale user opinions. | Online platforms (Google Forms, Typeform). | Create structured questions and analyse aggregated responses. | Surveying users to understand their satisfaction with a newly launched app feature. |
Analytics
When | Where | How | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Identifying trends and bottlenecks. | Tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel. | Monitor metrics like bounce rate, engagement, and user flows. | Analysing user flow data to understand why users abandon the checkout process on your site. |