If you are working as a quality assurance tester for a website, and all your hard work is going unnoticed by users, congratulations! You are doing a good job. No one ‘bugs’ the website quality assurance team, till they actually face a ‘bug’!
Nonetheless, a quality assurance tester is an essential part of a website development team. That’s because if the website fails to provide a high-quality browsing experience to the users, they will bounce off the site.
A lot can go wrong on a website, depending on the site’s functionality. It is easier to spot a major error in the website code, that crashes the entire website. But the most annoying, and difficult, bugs are subtle ones, that are difficult to find and debug.
However, a website’s quality assurance tester should have the knowledge and the experience to detect even the smallest, most confusing hidden bug. There a few ways to spot a bug in a website. Most website testers refer to the OWASP’s top ten vulnerabilities and test them out one by one. OWSAP is a nonprofit organization that is helping website testers by providing them with information about the ten most dangerous web application security loopholes. These are the most commonly found errors on most websites. It is extremely important to address these errors as soon as they arise , because these can be exploited by hackers to steal data or to crash websites.
But this requirement is a must for a third-party security app. A lot of organizations are now turning towards third party security solutions. The ideal application security program should use sound methodologies to bring out the best experience for the user. Cloud based performance and load testing platforms, like AccelQ, mimic the actual implementation settings, hence making it easier to spot bugs. The facilitation of a production environment makes it easier to test the performance of a website, and this is the biggest advantage of cloud testing.
Cloud based performance testing tools are a great way to keep things rolling smoothly, but understanding the website and looking for solutions, is also, equally important. Here a few tips from our experts, that can help you make sure that the website you built is bug-free:
1- Proofread the content
A bug doesn’t always have to be an error in website coding. There can be many hidden bugs in your content as well. So, proofread each and every word, to make sure it is grammatically correct and there are no spelling errors. There is nothing more off putting than a website that has spelling errors on its homepage.
2- Test your website’s browser compatibility
The key to a successfully running bug-free website, is that it remains consistent, regardless of the browser being used. Always start with a strongly supported browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox and then shift to E8, IE9, etc. and compare your findings with the browsers you used previously. By using this method, you should be able to resolve most of the bugs that pop up on your website in browser compatibility. If you want to make your job even easier, try some of the browser testing tools, that are easily available online. These browser testing tools will make sure your website runs smoothly on more than 300 latest browser combinations.
3- Test your website on various devices
Each user uses a different device to log onto the internet. With unlimited smart devices and fast paced technology, the job of a website tester has become even more difficult. You have to make sure that your website adapts to any screen size flawlessly. Most of the developers test the website on a laptop or computer screen. They are also most likely to make it appear great on a mobile screen. But with the plethora of gadgets like iPad, tablets, notebooks, laptops and mobile phones, it is almost impossible to get a flawless adaptation on every device. To make your website appear professional and crisp on every screen size, you can choose from a lot of free online tools to test your website.
4- Validate all links and font styles
Make sure that every link you put in, regardless if it is an internal or external one, should take you to the correct page. A broken link creates a really bad impression on the user, especially in e-commerce websites. Also make sure that all font sizes and themes are synchronized throughout the website.
5- Update your website security
Keeping your website security up to date is extremely important. Especially if it is an e-commerce website and sensitive information like customers’ credit card details etc., are required. Your customers are trusting you with their personal information, make sure that all pages are completely secure.
6- Check online forms and email notifications
If your website is using a feedback form, test it by filling it up and pressing the ‘send’ button. Make sure that the required information is being stored safely in the designated folders. Every time someone fills a form, they should get a confirmation email. Double-check the email notifications.
But remember, each website is different. The key to keep your website bug-free is to understand it completely. If you know how each and every framework works, you will be able to test your website with much more expertise. Plan your testing sessions based on website functionality like e-commerce issues, browser issues, form issues etc. This will help you identify bugs more easily.
Be inquisitive and talk to other developers and quality assurance testers regularly. With technological advancement, a new development is happening every day. Learning new terminology will help you convey your concerns to your website developer more effectively.
Remember, a fully functional website will generate more sales and interaction with your users and will also improve your SEO results. Hence, it is vital for you to test your website regularly. Even though it is a long and time-consuming process, but the final results are definitely worth the effort.
