Site testing
Site testing is one of the important life stages, after which the customer is provided with a finished project without errors, with good readability, perceived ease, convenience and reliability. We would like to tell you about the stages the site goes through before going into production.
Testing is a deviation of the actual result from the expected, in other words, it is the process of finding bugs (errors).
The basic rules for testing websites are steps that show the user how convenient and logical the project will be, how easy and possible it is to find this or that information.
Whether it is well perceived by the human eye and whether all the functionality of this site, which was delivered according to the TOR or brief, works correctly, these are the main indicators for the tester.
How to test a site?
Testing can take place in a variety of ways, but don’t forget about the testing process and strategy. It depends on the sequence of your actions. To date, website testing specialists use such types as:
Functional testing
- Usability testing
- Performance Testing
- User interface testing (UI testing)
- Security testing.
- Let’s take a closer look at these types of testing:
Functional testing
One of the important and indispensable types of testing. The most important rule of functional testing is correct function calculations. For example, let’s take an online store that has not only discounts for goods, but also many statuses when buying, n number of goods.
All of these options should be considered. After all, if the functionality of the project does not work in a certain browser, then it will not work anywhere. If we take certain functionality for web projects, then it is mainly checked:
- search and purchase of goods, ordering
- navigation
- forms authentication
- adding, deleting, editing a product, order, etc.
Website usability testing
Usability testing is a type of testing that makes a website usable and usable. The main goal is to show the user:
- Is your website understandable and user-friendly?
- Convenient navigation?
- What impression does the user have?
- What may or may not be needed.
- The main task of website usability testing is the design of what the user wants to find and acquire, that he is looking for the necessary information and nothing prevents him from doing this.
Site load testing
Performance testing is basically load testing. Load testing of the site is checked in most cases automatically, that is, with special programs. This gives a chance to test how it will work under a certain load.
The goal of this test is to have n number of virtual users submitting n requests at the same time (be it seconds even). Thus, the result gives whether our project was able to withstand, for example, 100 users who simultaneously bought goods or logged in to the site, the answer shows whether it is realistic for the site to withstand such a load.
User Interface Testing
UI testing is testing of the graphical user interface, which involves checking the site for compliance with the requirements for the graphical interface, whether it looks professional, whether it is made in a single style.
In most cases, user interface testing is carried out along with the following types of testing (UI):
GUI Standards Compliance Testing
Testing with different screen resolutions
Cross-browser compatibility testing, or compatibility with different Internet browsers and their versions
- Testing localized versions: translation accuracy (multilanguage, multicurrency), checking the length of interface element names, etc.
- Testing the graphical user interface on target devices (smartphones, PPCs, tablets).
- Website vulnerability testing
- This is the key to website reliability. The basic rules of this testing are testing for the vulnerability of different types of attacks. If this is an online
- store, then most likely you should check requests for Sql injection (database queries).
SQL injections are malicious code in database queries – the most dangerous type of attack. If it’s a different form of public (guestbook) then check for XSS injection. It makes it possible to inject arbitrary code and attack the computer of users who view infected pages.
Here, perhaps, are the main types that are used to test the site.
The main task of testing is to provide the customer, as well as the user, with a quality product. To do this, before testing any site, you should create a checklist for testing:
- web form validation
- data validation
- user interface testing
- payment testing
- testing print versions
- testing reports.
Any web resource is a complex multi-component mechanism that should provide effective user interaction with usability in order to ensure maximum usefulness and comfort for the visitor.
On the other hand, website development involves achieving the goals set by the owner: growth in sales of goods, services, positioning of the company, promotion of products, etc.
At the stage of creation and in the course of further work, one of the most important stages is site testing, which allows you to evaluate the functioning parameters in terms of profitability, efficiency for the owner and attractiveness for the user.
What are the site testing methods: QA and QC
Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) are interrelated, inseparable stages of checking and ensuring the normal functioning of a web site. The first method is preventive, i.e. is aimed at achieving the proper quality of work at each stage of development.
QC is an integral part of QA and is aimed at eliminating possible defects in the final product in order to ensure compliance with the requirements and indicators set by the owner.
Those QA test seeks to prevent, minimize the number of bugs at the stage of creating a web resource, QC – works with what happened as a result of development, and is aimed at eliminating, correcting flaws.
The first type works with the process, the second – with the final product, which together allows you to get a comprehensive quality check.
To understand how to test a site, it is necessary to consider all the types and methods used by specialists. Typically, their list includes standard steps aimed at consistently checking each aspect of the web site.
Site design testing
It is otherwise referred to as UI Testing and is actually an integral part of UX Testing. Checks compliance with the stated requirements of the graphic component of the web project.
Site design testing includes not only an analysis of its user-friendliness, but also an assessment of the semantic load of graphic content. It should reflect the main message, mission, goals of the brand or company, so attention is paid not only to the compliance of graphics with interface standards, but also to the color scheme, style, size and type of fonts.
To evaluate the visual component, you can involve both specialists in the field of web product development, marketers, designers, and testers from the target audience that this project is aimed at. They, not being experts in this field, will be able to assess the attractiveness and usefulness of graphic content from the user’s point of view.
Responsive layout testing and cross-browser compatibility
One of the most important stages of checking a resource, at which the web studio evaluates the possibility of its work on various devices, the ability to adapt to changing sizes, screen resolutions, browsers, etc.
Standard layout testing includes checking for:
- correct display of the main blocks;
- compliance with the approved layout;
- the ability of the user to use different scales without distorting the picture;
- correct display of the translation;
- availability of clickable elements (links, buttons, icons, etc.);
- highlighting tips, where provided;
- the presence of captions for images when they are turned off;
- correct display of blocks when text is entered into them;
- availability of critical functions in case of disabled JavaScript.
Also at this stage, the possibility of the normal functioning of the web site in various conditions is determined:
- Website testing on mobile devices, tablets, laptops, PCs of various models.
- Correct display of content in browsers, at least the most common Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Safari.
- Ability to work with any screen resolutions.
- Compatible with various types of operating systems: Mac, Windows, Unix, Solaris, Linux, etc.
Security Testing
The main tool for determining the reliability, the degree of resource vulnerability to external influences, the level of protection from cyber attacks. The main goals that site security testing should contribute to:
- confidentiality. Protection of personal information from unauthorized interference;
- ntegrity. The ability to fully restore lost or damaged data after a virus or other kind of attack;
- availability. A clear definition and observance of the hierarchy in access to information of various levels of confidentiality.
This phase of the security audit checks the following aspects:
Functions of the SSL protocol, testing the site for errors during the establishment of a connection and the exchange of commands between the server and the browser.
Correct display and operation of captcha.
Lack of external access to closed pages.
Algorithm for saving errors and information about hacking attempts.
Automatic termination of the user’s session after idle time for a certain period of time.
Correct operation of registration and authorization mechanisms.
The effectiveness of a web project audit at the stage of creation or in the course of work can only be ensured by comprehensive testing of the site layout, usability, security, cross-browser compatibility, functionality and performance.
Often, errors in one of the aspects of work can be the result of unsatisfactory work of a completely different mechanism.
Site load testing (site stress test)
This technique is always included in a comprehensive audit of the site, as it allows you to identify real opportunities, the degree of endurance, the level of stability of the system, to determine the boundaries, the transition beyond which can disable the web resource.
The checklist of this technique includes the use of various methods that create opportunities to go beyond the comfort zone. Here, the work of a web project is checked and analyzed under the conditions:
- increasing the volume of databases;
- the presence of a significant number of visitors;
- excessive workload (site load testing);
- going beyond the planned parameters of functioning (stress test);
- long continuous work in the intensive mode.
During such checks, the actual page loading speed, response time, bandwidth, as well as the possibility of expanding and scaling the site in the future are determined.
Usability Testing: UI/UX Testing
This stage makes it possible to evaluate the usefulness of the resource for the user, the availability and ease of access to the necessary information, the degree of comfort when working with the functionality, performing various actions. Goals that can be achieved by usability testing (UX Testing):
- Determine the degree of convenience for the visitor.
- Eliminate unnecessary elements that complicate the work with the functionality.
- Evaluate the simplicity, clarity of navigation.
- Analyze the user’s attitude, the degree of satisfaction with the work of the resource.
Method checklist:
- navigation check. Allows you to make sure that all buttons are in working order, the user can get to the main menu from any page;
ease of operation. It makes it possible to assess the clarity of the structure, the degree of overload with unnecessary elements that do not carry a semantic load;
The main methods used at this stage can be divided into two categories:
Laboratory. It analyzes the behavior, emotions, impressions of testers when performing various actions in the application. All data are recorded by observers who are in the same room.
Remote. These are types of site testing, in the implementation of which testers working with the functionality of the system and performing assigned tasks, and observers do not work together. User behavior is recorded using available automation tools and then analyzed by experts.