Must-have Types of Website Testing and How to Carry Them Out

Today, every company wants to run its website to reach out to the customers online. The internet is omnipotent, and it has empowered customers to gather information and buy conveniently. For successful businesses today, it’s a must to develop responsive websites that run efficiently across platforms and operating systems. Proliferation of smart mobile devices has also urged companies to develop web apps that will enable customers to reach out to them anytime they want to.

More importantly, it is critical to test these web applications for detecting and troubleshooting potential problems that may arise when the website goes live. Effective testing not only helps to assure the website’s basic functionality but also to check its adaptability to various devices.The following is the list of must-have types of website and web app testing.

Testing for Platform Interoperability

A typical website or a web app will be running on a multitude of devices, each on a different operating system and on a different screen. Website scan be viewed on tablets, while mobile browsing is likely to be affected with the hardware and user settings.Hence, it is crucial that websites are tested on a variety of real-life devices to check their compatibility. As it is just not possible to have access to all the devices out there, developers should rely on emulators and simulators to test websites and web apps on different platforms.

Testing the Website on Different Networks

Unlike static personal computers in the home, mobile devices will be using different wireless networks, frequently switching from one to another. Some networks are reliable, while others are slow with higher call-drop rates. Fluctuations in networks usually affects VOIP and video conferencing most of all.

Also, in the near future all types of smart devices will be communicating with each other in theIoT (Internet of Things) networks. That being said, web appsshould be tested to check whether network disruptions like jitter and packet loss will affect their functionality. For this, the testing teamshould simulate the loss of connectivity and check web app performance in various modes, for example the sleep mode.

Checking for Storage Problems

Nowadays, it is common to see applications crash due to the low storage space on a device. Storage space may not be an issue while using a web app on a PC, but there will be issues while running the app on a mobile device that has a typical 16GB flash memory.

Tech-savvy mobile users are now starting to devour data like never before. The graph below clearly reveals how users increasingly rely on social networking sites for getting news and more.

It is important to consider the amount of data tobe downloaded while using the application. According to Digital Trends, today’s high-end mobile phones use 8GB of RAM,so every web app needs to be tested to understand how it impacts mobile storage. Web apps need to be developed keeping in mind the storage constraints, and efforts should be made to minimize storage requirements.

Testing For Different Application Types

Web applications can be either purely websites or hybrid apps that rely on HTML. The compatibility of these applications with respect to different browsers and device types needs to be tested.It is recommended that the app be tested on several testing frameworks that either support cross-platform testing.

It must be noted that so-called ‘cross-platform’ frameworks enable you to test applications for both Android and iOS. It is a good idea to have different versions of the app’s build variants for various platforms. It is also recommended to test the app on different versions of operating systems.

Testing for Different Screen Resolutions

The website should be tested and verified for different screen resolutions. Different mobile devices have different screen sizes and hence the app responsiveness is one of the most crucial factors of usability. Responsiveness testing is to assure there’s no any layout or UI issues when the website page is viewed on different devices. A number of responsive testing tools are available online.Some of the most popular ones are Studio Press, CyberCrab, ResponsivewTestr.net and Respondr.

Penetration Testing

Keeping a website secure is the key function of a webmaster. Hence, penetration testing is one of the important testing types that has to be carried out while evaluating a website‘s performance. Penetration testing of a web app has to be carried out at several levels, namely the database level, interface level and web server level. Webscarab, sqlninja and Websploit frameworks are some of the tools that can be used to test the security of a web app.

Selecting Appropriate Testing Tools

Considering the diversity of user devices and operating platforms, there are a number of applicable testing tools and techniques. Software tools such as JIRA can be used to test applications for multiple platforms. These tools help you to incorporate automated testing techniques such as monitoring, A/B, usability and performance testing.

You can also use manual scripting and exploratory scripting along with testing tools. Using appropriate techniques will help you to accurately determine how users actually get to experience your website. Ultimately, it will help you to understand if your website hits the mark with them or not. Alternatively, you can rely on third-party website testing companies like A1QA,who have the required expertise to test both simple websites and complex cloud solutions.

Conclusion

Website testing has gained precedence ever since Android and iOS opened up opportunities for businesses and web developers to harness the power of mobile connectivity. According to Newzoo, the mobile app market grossed $44.8 bn in 2016, and is poised to gross $80.6 bn in 2020. As the market has become fiercely competitive, it is important to use the right testing techniques and tools for early error detection and adoption of rapid development methodologies. The testing types highlighted in this article will not only guarantee that the site is up and running on a continuous basis, but will also ensure that you will be able to detect potential problems well in advance.