SUPR-Q: a holistic UX Metric

In this article, we will tell you more about the SUPR-q. We explain what the SUPR-Q is, what questions it consists of and how conduct a SUPR-Q study yourself. 

What is the SUPR-Q?

The SUPR-Q stands for Standardised User Experience Percentile Rank Questionnaire and it is a usability metric designed to capture the overall quality of a digital product or service. Unlike better-known usability metrics such as the SUS, NPS or SEQ, the SUPR-Q focuses on the overall experience rather than a specific aspect of it. The SUPR-Q was developed by MeasuringU, with the aim of designing a metric that provides insight into usability, credibility, appearance and loyalty.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are several advantages and disadvantages to using the SUPR-Q. We have listed these for you below. 

The main advantages of using the SUPR-Q are:

• Holistic metric. Because the SUPR-Q consists of different components, it collects information on usability, trust, loyalty and appearance. As a result, you gather information on several aspects, whereas other metrics tend to focus on a single aspect. 
• Standardised metric. Because the SUPR-Q is standardised, companies can easily benchmark and compare results with others in the market. 

Disadvantages of using the SUPR-Q are:

• Time-intensive. Setting up and conducting a SUPR-Q study can require a lot of time and resources. For instance, the survey must be carefully planned, developed and analysed. 
• No context. It is worth keeping in mind that the SUPR-Q is a metric, which makes gathering in-depth insights difficult. It is therefore advisable to combine the SUPR-Q with qualitative research to enrich the insights.

SUPR-Q Components

To fully understand SUPR-Q, it is essential to understand its constituent parts:

• Usability. This component evaluates how easy it is for users to complete tasks within the platform.
• Credibility. Trust measures users' confidence in the platform, including concerns related to security, privacy and credibility.
• Appearance. Appearance assesses visual design and layout, which have a major impact on users' first impression.
• Loyalty. Loyalty examines users' willingness to recommend the product or service to others and their intention to use it again.

Collectively, these components provide a holistic picture of the user experience, allowing a comprehensive assessment of the quality of a digital product or service.

SUPR-Q Questions

 Usability

1. The website is easy to use.
2. It is easy to navigate within the website.

Credibility 

1. The information on the website is credible. (E-commerce variation: I feel comfortable purchasing from the website.)
2. The information on the website is trustworthy. (E-commerce variation: I feel confident conducting business on the website.)

Appearance

1. I find the website to be attractive.
2. The website has a clean and simple presentation.

Loyalty

1. I will likely return to the website in the future. 
2. How likely are you to recommend the website to a friend or colleague?

How to conduct a SUPR-Q study

At User Sense, we conduct the SUPR-Q as part of a UX Benchmark, where testers are asked to perform a number of tasks on the website and then answer the SUPR-Q questions. A survey platform such as User Sense or by placing a widget on the website can be used to collect the data. 
 

Some things to consider are:

• Local language. Make sure you offer the SUPR-Q in the language in which the test is taken. Use our translated template for this or engage a translation agency. 
• Timing. To obtain relevant input, it is important that the questions are asked after the user has been able to spend sufficient time on the website. You can arrange this by working with timers or by having the questionnaire come up on certain pages. 
• Sample size. To obtain representative results, it is advisable to have at least 100 people fill in the questionnaire. In practice, the numbers are between 100 and 150 respondents per device type. 
• Demographics. When collecting the data, it is important to look at who completed the questionnaire. To make valid statements, it is important that the sample matches the population. In other words, it is important that a representative sample is drawn.

Calculating the SUPR-Q

To calculate the SUPR-Q, look at the answers given to the questions. Each of the questions consists of a Likert scale, where a score between 1 and 5 can be given for the first seven questions. For question 8, a score between 1 and 10 can be given. 

1 - Add up all scores 1 to 7
Score Q1 + Score Q2 + Score Q3 + Score Q4 + Score Q5 + Score Q6 + Score Q7 

2 - Divide score 8 by two and add it up
Score 1 to 7 + 0.5 * score 8

3 - Divide total score by 8
Total score / 8

Benchmark SUPR-Q results

To compare SUPR-Q results, consider purchasing a licence from MeasuringU. This will give you access to the SUPR-Q scores of 200 US companies. For many Dutch companies, this is not an interesting option because the US market is too different. 

Therefore, consider asking the SUPR-Q of direct competitors by conducting a UX Benchmark. During a UX Benchmark, testers perform the same tasks on different websites and are then asked about the experience. This way, you immediately know how your product performs compared to the competition.