System Usability Scale (SUS): A Hubspot-Style How-To Guide
The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a simple, research-backed way to measure how users experience your product or service, and teams that work in a Hubspot environment can apply it to support data-driven UX improvements, customer success insights, and support optimization.
Based on a brief 10-question survey, SUS converts subjective user feedback into a single usability score that is easy to interpret, benchmark, and share across product, marketing, support, and leadership teams.
What Is the System Usability Scale?
The System Usability Scale is a standardized questionnaire created by John Brooke in 1986. It provides a quick, reliable way to understand how usable people find a system, interface, or digital product.
Teams collect user responses on a five-point Likert scale (from strongly disagree to strongly agree) and then calculate a score from 0 to 100. This single SUS score summarizes perceived usability.
Why SUS Fits a Hubspot-Style Product and Service Strategy
Modern customer-focused organizations, including those using Hubspot-style workflows, value simple, scalable ways to track experience. SUS supports that by:
- Delivering a fast, low-cost usability metric
- Working with small or large sample sizes
- Producing a benchmarkable score that is easy to communicate
- Helping prioritize UX, onboarding, and support improvements
Because the questionnaire is short and standardized, it can be repeated regularly to see how product changes impact usability over time.
Core Components of the SUS Questionnaire
The SUS questionnaire always contains 10 specific statements about the system under evaluation. Respondents rate how much they agree with each statement on a 1–5 scale.
Standard SUS Statements
- I think that I would like to use this system frequently.
- I found the system unnecessarily complex.
- I thought the system was easy to use.
- I think that I would need the support of a technical person to be able to use this system.
- I found the various functions in this system were well integrated.
- I thought there was too much inconsistency in this system.
- I would imagine that most people would learn to use this system very quickly.
- I found the system very cumbersome to use.
- I felt very confident using the system.
- I needed to learn a lot of things before I could get going with this system.
Odd-numbered items are positive statements, while even-numbered items are negative. This mix reduces response bias and improves reliability.
Response Scale
Each item uses the same five-point Likert scale:
- 1 – Strongly disagree
- 2 – Disagree
- 3 – Neutral
- 4 – Agree
- 5 – Strongly agree
This structure is simple for respondents and easy to analyze across many participants or over time.
How to Calculate a SUS Score Step by Step
The scoring method is straightforward but must be followed carefully to remain valid. Use this process after collecting all responses.
Step 1: Adjust Scores for Odd-Numbered Items
For items 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 (the positive statements):
- Subtract 1 from each user response.
For example, if a respondent chooses 4 on item 1, the adjusted score is 3.
Step 2: Adjust Scores for Even-Numbered Items
For items 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 (the negative statements):
- Subtract the response value from 5.
For example, if a respondent chooses 4 on item 2, the adjusted score is 1.
Step 3: Sum the Adjusted Scores
Add together all adjusted scores from the 10 items. The total will be between 0 and 40 for each respondent.
Step 4: Multiply by 2.5
Multiply the total by 2.5 to convert it to a scale from 0 to 100:
Final SUS score = (sum of adjusted items) × 2.5
A higher number indicates better perceived usability.
How to Interpret SUS Scores in a Hubspot-Aligned Team
Once you have SUS scores, the next step is making them meaningful for product, marketing, and support stakeholders.
General SUS Benchmarks
- Above 80.3: Excellent usability (often considered an A grade).
- 68: Average usability benchmark.
- Below 68: Indicates room for significant usability improvements.
These thresholds help you quickly see whether your system performs above or below expectations.
Grading SUS Scores
Many teams translate SUS into letter grades to make communication easier:
- 90–100: A+ (best in class)
- 80–89: A (excellent)
- 70–79: B (good)
- 60–69: C (OK but needs improvement)
- 50–59: D (problematic)
- Below 50: F (unacceptable)
This grading mindset is useful when presenting findings to non-technical leaders or connecting results to broader KPIs.
Running a SUS Study from a Hubspot-Inspired Workflow
You can execute a SUS study within workflows similar to those used in Hubspot-style customer journeys, combining surveys, automation, and segmentation.
1. Define Your Goal and Audience
Clarify what you want to learn and who should participate:
- New users to test onboarding experiences
- Existing customers to evaluate long-term usability
- Beta testers for new features or redesigns
2. Choose the Right Moment
Deploy the SUS survey at a time that reflects real interaction:
- Right after a key workflow or task is completed
- At the end of a usability test session
- In a follow-up email to active users
3. Deliver the SUS Questionnaire
Use forms, in-app popups, or email surveys. Make sure:
- All 10 questions are included exactly as written
- Users rate each on a 1–5 Likert scale
- Instructions are clear and concise
4. Analyze and Segment Results
After scoring, analyze by:
- User segment (role, region, plan)
- Device type (mobile vs. desktop)
- Experience level (new vs. power users)
This segmentation helps pinpoint which groups struggle most with usability.
5. Turn Findings into Action
SUS scores alone are directional. Combine them with qualitative feedback, task success data, and session recordings to determine:
- Which interfaces need redesign
- Where onboarding content is missing
- What training or self-service resources to create
Best Practices for Reliable SUS Data
To get trustworthy results that leadership and product teams can rely on, follow these guidelines.
Use the Standard Questions
Do not rewrite or remove items. Consistency is what makes SUS comparable across studies and organizations.
Keep the Survey Short and Focused
Avoid adding many extra questions. If you need additional insights, ask a few targeted, open-ended questions after the SUS items.
Ensure Anonymity When Possible
Respondents are more honest when they are not identifiable. Aggregate results and avoid sharing individual responses.
Repeat Over Time
Run SUS at key milestones: before major releases, after redesigns, and during ongoing optimization. Comparing scores over time reveals whether changes truly improve usability.
Examples of Where SUS Can Be Used
The System Usability Scale is flexible and can be applied to many contexts that resemble Hubspot-driven customer experiences.
- Web applications and SaaS products
- Mobile apps and responsive websites
- Internal tools used by support or sales teams
- Customer portals and knowledge base interfaces
- Marketing or sales enablement platforms
Any system where usability affects satisfaction, conversion, or retention can benefit from regular SUS testing.
Next Steps and Further Learning
If you want to go deeper into how the System Usability Scale works and how to interpret scores, review the original material and expert explanations available in the UX community.
For a detailed breakdown from the original source that inspired this article, see the overview on this System Usability Scale guide.
You can also explore broader experience optimization, analytics, and implementation support from specialist teams, such as the consultants at Consultevo, who help organizations translate survey data into practical improvements.
By integrating SUS into your product and service review cycles, you give your teams a clear, shared metric for usability that supports better decisions, stronger alignment, and a more satisfying experience for every user.
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