Struggling with UX? Why B2B Companies Need Usability Testing

Your product is packed with features. It’s solving real problems. Your sales team has worked tirelessly for days to get it into the hands of your customers. But adoption rates are sluggish, support tickets are mounting, and customer satisfaction is slipping. Sound familiar?

It’s a scenario many B2B companies face. The natural reaction is to assume there’s a product issue — a missing feature, a buggy interface, or maybe even a pricing problem. But what if the product itself isn’t the problem?

The problem isn’t what your product does. It’s how people experience it.

B2B products often have intricate workflows, multiple user personas, and complex integrations. Without a seamless user experience (UX), even the most powerful product can lead to frustration and churn. This is where usability testing becomes your strongest diagnostic tool.

Let’s explore why B2B products face unique UX challenges, how usability testing can uncover hidden friction points, and more.

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for B2B products. Unlike B2C platforms, they serve multiple stakeholders with different goals and expectations. What makes user experience a key determinant of product success is the complexity that B2B product design brings, thus increasing the likelihood of usability challenges.

Here’s where B2B products often run into trouble:

• Role-Specific Complexity: A CFO using a platform for financial reporting has vastly different needs from a marketing manager tracking campaign performance. When products fail to provide tailored experiences, frustration rises.

• Process Overload: B2B platforms often manage end-to-end workflows across departments. Without intuitive navigation, users waste time figuring out basic tasks, reducing overall productivity.

• Feature Bloat: B2B products are often overloaded with features to meet the diverse client demands, but more features do not mean better experiences. Often, key functionalities are left under-utilized because of an interface that is poorly designed

• Lack of Contextual Design: The high-pressure nature of the work of B2B users demands platforms with clear visual cues and real-time feedback. If these are lacking, users will second guess themselves, leading to costly errors.

• Data Density: Complex dashboards and reports are common in B2B systems. If there is no clear information hierarchy and data visualization in these reports, it leads to slower and less effective decision-making.

• Inconsistent Cross-Device Experiences: While decision-makers may use desktops, field teams might rely on mobile devices. Inconsistent design across devices leads to user frustration and increased reliance on support.

The takeaway? B2B products are often too complicated for their own good. Regular usability testing helps you cut through that complexity and create experiences that work for every user.

Think of usability testing as your early warning system. It’s not just about confirming your product “works” — it’s about seeing how real users interact with it and catching frustrations before they become big problems.

Why? Because relying on post-launch surveys or support tickets is like looking in the rearview mirror. You’re only seeing issues after they’ve impacted your users.

For B2B products, it’s even more critical. Your users are busy professionals who need to get things done quickly and efficiently. If your platform makes them work harder than necessary, you’ll hear about it — through low adoption rates, rising support tickets, and negative feedback.

Adding to the complexities of B2B products is the requirement that multiple stakeholders will need to collaborate. So, to avoid overlooking the gaps in user journeys that will further impact cross-functional operations, usability testing is needed. Ensuring that these friction points are identified early on, allows companies to refine interfaces, streamline workflows, and deliver a product that simplifies - not complicates.

How do you know it’s time to conduct usability testing? Here are the most common indicators:

Low Product Adoption: If users are reluctant to use your product or rely on workarounds, usability issues are likely.

• High Support Ticket Volume: Repeated complaints about similar issues suggest poor user flow or unclear design.

• Low Renewal Rates: Dissatisfied users won’t renew, even if your product technically solves their problem.

• Poor Customer Feedback: NPS scores and satisfaction surveys pointing to frustration are red flags.

• Inefficient Onboarding: If onboarding is cumbersome or requires extensive training, the product isn’t intuitive.

Ignoring these signs can lead to deep financial losses and reputational damage. Usability testing allows for early intervention, addressing concerns before they escalate.

Not sure if usability testing is worth the effort? Here’s a quick check. If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to stop guessing:

• Users log in… once. And never come back.

• Support is answering the same “how do I?” questions over and over.

• Renewals are slipping — and you’re not sure why.

• Your NPS survey is full of comments like “confusing,” “slow,” or “clunky.”

• Onboarding takes a 20-slide deck and a live demo — and even then, it’s shaky.

These aren’t just signs of friction. They’re signals that the experience is preventing value from being realized.

A well-structured usability test uncovers actionable insights to improve your product’s user experience. In B2B, the key is to replicate real-world scenarios that reflect how users interact with your platform during their daily workflows.

Here’s how to structure an effective test:

• Define Clear Objectives: Focus on specific user journeys like onboarding, reporting, or task management.

• Select the Right Participants: Engage users across different roles to cover diverse perspectives.

• Create Realistic Scenarios: Test tasks that simulate actual business operations.

• Facilitate the Test: Use moderated or unmoderated methods depending on your goals.

• Analyze and Act: Prioritize issues by impact and implement targeted design changes.

Remember, a well-planned usability test goes beyond surface-level feedback. It offers insights that directly enhance user satisfaction and business efficiency.

Usability testing isn’t a one-and-done exercise. Just like products evolve, so do user needs and expectations. Successful B2B companies implement usability testing as a continuous strategy, ensuring that their product experience keeps pace with growth and change.

At Millipixels, we specialize in uncovering hidden experience challenges through usability testing. Whether you’re launching a new product, scaling an existing one, or simply trying to reduce churn, our user-centric approach ensures your product delivers lasting value. Ready to find out what’s really holding your product back? Get in touch with our experts today.

Q1: Why is usability testing so important for B2B companies? Think of it this way — even if your product is powerful and packed with features, it won’t matter if people struggle to use it. Usability testing is so important because it shows you exactly where users get stuck or frustrated. Instead of guessing why adoption is low or why support tickets are piling up, you get real feedback from actual users. And for B2B companies, where workflows are often complex, fixing those pain points can make all the difference.

Q2: What is website usability testing and why is it important? Website usability testing is basically giving your site a “test drive” with real users. You watch how they navigate, what confuses them, and where they run into trouble. And why is it important? Because even the best-looking website won’t work if users can’t find what they need. For B2B companies, especially with product demos or client portals, making things simple and intuitive can really help build trust and close deals.

Q3: Why do systems need usability testing, especially in a B2B environment? B2B systems can get pretty complicated. Different teams use them for different reasons — a finance team might need reports, while sales just wants to track leads. Without usability testing, you won’t know where people are struggling. Systems need usability testing to make sure every user — no matter their role — has a smooth, frustration-free experience. It’s like making sure all the gears in a machine work together.

Q4: What is usability testing with real users, and how does it help? Usability testing with real users is exactly what it sounds like — you hand over your product to actual users and see how they interact with it. It’s not just about spotting bugs. It’s about noticing those tiny moments of confusion, like “Wait, where do I click next?” For B2B companies, this is a game-changer. Real users bring real scenarios, and their feedback helps you fine-tune the experience before those small frustrations turn into big churn rates.

Q5: Why is assessment of usability important when using business resources? Because time and money are on the line. Every hour spent dealing with a clunky system or calling support is time that could’ve been used for something productive. The assessment of usability is important because it ensures your business resources are used wisely. If your employees or clients can get things done faster and easier, that’s a win for everyone. Plus, fewer issues mean lower support costs and happier customers. It’s a no-brainer, really.