Watch five real people try to use the thing. Most of what you need to fix shows up by the third one.
It depends on whether you need an answer, a study, or a person on the team. Here is how I price each.
What does an hour of UX consulting get me?
A review of your website, app, or form with the problems ranked, for $150. Bring the thing and the question you are stuck on. You leave with a short written list of what to fix first.
What does a usability study cost?
A fixed price, quoted once we know how many people to test and what we are testing. A small study is five to eight people trying the real thing while I watch and take notes. You get the problems ranked, with clips or quotes for each.
What does a monthly UX lead cost?
$3,500, $6,500, or $11,000 a month, for about two days a month, a day a week, or two days a week. That fits when your agency lost its UX lead, or a new product needs someone senior until you hire.
When does a small business not need a UX consultant?
When the site is simple and the problem is that nobody visits it. That is a marketing problem. UX helps when people show up and then get stuck, leave, or call to ask how something works.
Answered by Jared Lukes, Minneapolis. Twenty-five years in brand, UX, and technology, currently holding fractional AI and technology seats at three companies. About Jared.