Can Cross Browser Testing Improve User Experience?
In today's fast-paced online world, customers make split-second decisions based on what they see. Even a slight delay in loading a cute mascot GIF can drive them away from your website. They may assume there's an issue, reload the page, and ultimately leave, either planning to return later or seeking an alternative elsewhere. This underscores the significance of ensuring your website functions seamlessly across all environments.
That's where cross-browser testing plays a crucial role. It verifies that your app performs optimally across all major browsers, enabling you to retain your customers and keep them satisfied.
What is cross browser testing?
Cross-browser testing offers a seamless and standardized user experience regardless of the browser choice. It provides an assurance of consistent performance in web applications across various browsers, operating systems, and devices. This makes the testing process essential because browser differences affect the appearance and functionality of web content.
Why Cross Browser Testing?
The primary goal of cross browser testing is to help developers identify and rectify errors that affect the user experience. It is responsible for delivering reliable and accessible web applications without hindering their functionality and accessibility.
Key aspects of cross browser testing include:
- Ensuring the web application’s functionality across browsers.
- Verifying compatibility with multiple operating systems.
- Testing the adaptability of various screen sizes and resolutions.
- Make it accessible to users with disabilities by using supporting technologies like screen readers and alternative input devices.
Who Performs Cross Browser Testing?
Cross-browser testing is a collaborative effort of developers, testers, and marketing teams. They come together to emphasize the application's significance across different browsers.
Key Roles:
Clients and Business Analysts:
They frequently pick the browser, platform, and device combinations to evaluate. Traffic and usage data assist stakeholders in prioritizing environments that are relevant to their target audiences.
QA Teams:
Executing the test cases in several browsers ensures functionality and compatibility across multiple technologies. They discover issues and rectify them to ensure smooth web app operation.
Design and UI Teams:
These teams assess the website's layout, fonts, and images. They adjust based on test results to ensure visual consistency and responsiveness.
Development Teams:
Developers may test compatibility and performance sooner in the coding process. This is critical for ensuring new features work in multiple browsers without compromising functionality.
Automated Testing Tools:
Modern testing tools with no code/low code features, such as ACCELQ, speed up the process by minimalizing the errors.
When to do Cross Browser Testing?
Every web application must go through cross-browser testing to verify that new features are compatible and do not cause any disruptions when updated. But when should it be included in the process?
It must occur early on before the program is released for production. In staging, QA teams constantly test across many browsers. This method validates that the program functions properly and has no new errors.
Including regression testing in new code development will prevent issues with existing functionalities. Many firms are adopting shift left testing methodologies to speed up problem fixes and quality control.
How to perfrom effective cross browser testing
As you have understood who and when to perform, it is now time to begin the step-by-step implementation process.
Test Plan
Initiating the discussions with the client or business analyst helps determine the testing scope. Further test plan specifies the testing requirements, resources and timeline. The most effective strategy is to test the 100% application on 1 or 2 major browsers. Later can perform testing on critical components on the rest of the browsers. Initially, it is an ideal plan to test the entire application on all browsers, but we must consider the valuable time and money.
Testing Environment
Setting up a test environment representing all browsers and devices is costly. It is even more inadequate to do the entire process on old versions.
Emulators or VMs: These can imitate the original devices you wish to test. Although this method is most cost-effective, it affects scalability and gives non-reliable testing results.
Remote Access: Testers can remotely connect with real devices and nearly make the whole customization with the additional tools and frameworks.
Cloud-based Testing Platforms: This method offers automation, collaboration, and managed infrastructure. Testers who sign up can start testing immediately with pre-configured operating systems.
Automated Test Cases
Introducing automated cross-browser testing helps create and execute repetitive test cases with improved test consistency, efficiency, and accuracy. QA teams need to be selective about automation testing tools that offer VPNs, it establishes a connection between remote machines, which is essential for functional and UI testing.
Test Execution
Establish a test environment in accordance with the requirements and start executing the tests. Begin with constructing a test script which can ease the process for testers leaving them to select the suitable script.
Test Report
This is the step where testers return to the development and design teams to fix the bugs. Later testers need to retest for confirmation and document them for future reference. There is no need to repeat the entire process rather, test the bug-detected parts.
Considerations during Pre-Testing Stage
When preparing for cross-browser testing, there are several important decisions to make. Here are the key factors to consider:
Prioritizing testing scenarios:
Test scenarios have a major impact on applications' functionality and user interface. Double-check them at the beginning of the testing process by comprehending fundamental factors. This initial focus aids in the early detection of critical flaws during testing, saving time and resources.
Performance comparison:
Use a consistent set of test cases across platforms and browsers for functionality assurance. Comparing application performance across browsers helps identify compatibility issues and report the differences as flaws.
Operating Systems:
Another critical step is to identify your target audience’s primary operating systems. Windows, Android, IOSm and macOS are among the available operating systems. Test these operating systems first to ensure maximum compatibility and performance where users are concerned. Consider the preferences and habits of your target audience to guarantee that the app operates well on the most popular platforms.
Conclusion
Modern browser testing tools have revolutionized cross-browser testing by replacing complex coding with simple online recorders. They even allow non-technical team members to create and run tests. These tools streamline workflows, save time, and enable comprehensive testing. This simplifies issue resolution, optimizes performance, enhances usability, and ensures a consistent user experience across various platforms.
For those aiming to refine their cross-browser testing processes, ACCELQ offers a robust, cloud-based solution. Its AI-driven platform facilitates the automation and acceleration of testing workflows, helping organizations boost their testing efficiency and achieve quicker delivery times with higher-quality results. Connect with us to streamline your testing process.
Suma Ganji
Senior Content Writer
Expertly navigating technical and UX writing, she crafts captivating content that hits the mark every time. With a keen SEO understanding, her work consistently resonates with readers while securing prime online visibility. When the day's work ends, you'll find her immersed in literary escapades in her quaint book house.
