there is more to software testing than "click, click, click"

Progressively more and more web applications are being launched these days. Thanks to the rising number of smartphone devices, your users can now log on to any web app at any time and from anywhere. Such a trend reveals no indications of stopping with the number of global mobile phone users predicted to reach around 3.8 billion by the year 2021 and a third of millennials expenses 4-5 hrs a day on mobile and online.

Develop better software, faster.

To stand out in this complicated and competitive market, you need to offer a helpful, user-friendly, informative, and accessible online experience to each user. To maintain all these traits, the website should be tested effectively. The IBM’s Systems Sciences Institute disclosed that “the price for fixing a fault found after solution release was four to five times more than one exposed during design and up to hundred times more than 1 recognized in the maintenance stage”.

Software Testing. No Pain, No Gain.

Such figures exposed the significance to find bugs as soon as possible and to systematically and meticulously test an app prior to it is launched in the marketplace. That is where web app tests come into the limelight. The product testing from a reputable Web Application Testing Company is an incredibly imperative part of app development yet some software developers underestimate it. Web app testing normally comprises numerous stages that confirm that an app is completely functional and runs securely and smoothly. It is a vital part of web app development and guarantees that an application is running appropriately before its release. If the development is done with the principle applied named agile principles, it is crucial to “mix” the tests part with the development phase appropriately. 

What is Web Application Testing?

The web app is a program delivered all the way through the net in the shape of a browser interface. One of the key purposes of a web application is professionally and effectively communicating and interchanging information with its customers while being compliant with a series of operating systems (OSs) and browsers.

Web test or Web app test is a practice in software testing that guarantees that the functionalities and quality of the application as per the necessities. Web testing checks for underlying problems like security breaches, functional discrepancies, environmental issues, integration problems, or traffic stress before it’s delivered.

What are the Core Reasons for testing your Website?

Here are some of the important reasons to convince you about that:

• There are several browsers obtainable in the market; your niche customers might be using distinct ones. Therefore, it is significant to test that your site functions appropriately on every common browser
• Websites can encounter various problems such as images not loading, search functions not operational, broken links, forms not submitting correctly, etc. To guarantee your site doesn’t face any such problem, it is crucial to conduct web app testing on it
• Testing for web standard conformity as well as compliance is crucial as these websites are more accessible, extra user-friendly, and have extra chances to rank high on Google
• Statista revealed that the number of smartphone users is said to hit 4.68 billion by the year 2019. With such a huge population using mobile phones, it is vital to test that your web app is properly tuned to several mobile gadgets
• Web app tests can also assist you to enhance your conversion rate through multivariate or A/B testing
• Web app testing assists to judge the accessibility of your site
• Supports to test and examine your website’s performance
• Tests your web app for appropriate Google Analytics installation can also assist you to measure the figures of your guest accurately
• Web app’s security is a critical issue that is effectively dealt with proper web app security tests
• SEO test is another most important section of website testing that assists your site rank higher on varied search engines. On the other hand, content testing of your website is also a vital aspect of website tests

Web Application Testing - Techniques:

If you wish to make your web application right, you need to get through distinct types of testing phases as per your requirements. Let us have a look at each one of them!

1.    Functionality Testing 

Web App Functionality Testing is a procedure that counts various testing parameters such as APIs, user interface, security testing, client and server testing, basic website functionalities, and database testing. The functional test is very effective and it enables users to perform both automated and manual tests. It is carried out to test the functionalities of all features on the web app.

Important checklists that are carried out:

• Validate the workflow of the system
• Check there is no unacceptable redirects or dead page
• Confirm all the validations on every single field
• Validate the data integrity
• Wrong inputs to carry out negative tests

Don't settle for half-baked solutions.

2.    Usability testing

This form of test is the procedure by which the computer-person interaction properties of a system are evaluated, and flaws are detected for mitigation. It has now turn into a critical part of any web concerned project.

To verify how the web app is user-friendly with:

• General appearance
• Test the controls and navigation
• Check for user intuition
• Content checking

3.    Interface testing

This form of testing makes sure that all interactions between the application and web server interfaces are running flawlessly. This comprises examining the communication procedures and ensures that error messages are accurately displayed.

Majorly, 3 areas to be tested here are - Web, Application, and Database Server

·      Web Server: Test Web server is managing all app requests with zero service denial

·      Application: Testing requests are sent perfectly to the Database and the result at the user side is presented accurately. Flaws, if any, should be caught by the app and should be merely shown to the admin and not the end-user

·      Database Server: Confirm queries sent to the database provide anticipated result

Let's test together.

4.    Compatibility testing

Compatibility testing is to make sure whether the web app is compatible and user-friendly across varied browsers and on a series of devices. Here are the distinct components of compatibility tests:

• Operating system (OS) compatibility
• Browser compatibility
• Compatible to several devices such as mobile, notebook, etc.

5.    Performance testing

This form of testing is carried out to confirm the server response time and processing under varied load situations. Web app performance testing mainly includes:

• Stress testing - Stress testing is conducted to find the upper limit capability of the system and to find out how the system performs if the present load goes above the maximum limits.
• Load testing - Load test is the easiest kind of testing performed to understand the system’s behaviour under a precise load. The load test will result in calculating essential business-critical transactions and load on the app server, database, etc. is also evaluated.
• Spike testing - It is conducted by adding the no. of users unexpectedly by a very huge amount and calculating the system’s performance. The major purpose is to identify whether the system could sustain the workload.
• Soak testing - It is popularly also called endurance test. Soak testing is performed to find out the system parameters under constant projected load. During this form of testing the parameters such as memory, utilization is evaluated to determine memory leaks or else additional performance problems. The major objective is to find out the performance of the system under sustained usage.

6.    Security testing

This form of testing is carried out to confirm if the web app is secured on the web as information and data leaks or theft and unofficial access are common problems and below are some of the methods to authenticate the system’s security level.

• Sensitive Data Exposure
• Injection
• Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
• XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
• Insecure Direct Object References
• Broken Authentication and Session Management
• Security Misconfiguration
• Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards
• Missing Function Level Access Control

We Test It So You Don't Have To.

    7. Crowdsourced or Crowd Testing

Crowdsourced testing or crowd testing is a growing trend in QA testing which leverages a crowd (a huge number of people) for testing software apps rapidly and efficiently. Generally, testing is done by in-house software testers whereas crowdsourced testing is done by a prominent Web Application Testing Company around the world through a crowdsourced platform. Crowd testing is an appealing concept and assists unravel several unnoticed defects.

    8. Database Testing

This form of testing is also called data testing or back-end testing. The database is one important element of your web app and stress must be laid for testing it scrupulously. Testing activities will count-

• Check and confirm the response time of queries and mitigate them if required
• Testing if any flaws are displayed whilst executing queries
• Data Integrity is handled while generating, updating, or deleting data in a database
• Testing data retrieved from your database is revealed correctly in your web app

Software Testing As A Service

 9. Localization Testing

This form of testing confirms your web app is accessible to a global audience. It counts technical, linguistic, and visual checks to overcome dialect as well as translational issues. Some localization test solutions also suggest modifications for improving your localization optimization.

Mainly checks:                                                                                                     

• Performance – Is your web app accessible and functions over a set of locations?
• Local descriptions – Do you understand distinct address formats to cater to distinct locations? Have you got the appropriate contact info for every location?
• Translations – Do you have to introduce any particular special characters or dialects?

10. Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing confirms your web app is available to all users. Whether users have a disability or a slow net connection, accessibility traits allow them to confirm their rights always matter.

Mainly checks:

• Accessibility – Have you included colour-coding, image visual controls, audio alerts, alt text, transcripts, etc.?

Hire Trusted QA Experts.

How to Efficiently Test a Website App?

In Software Engineering, the website app testing is mainly performed depending on your specific web app testing requirements.

·     Thoroughly perform cross-browser compatibility tests

·     Execute performance testing under several situations

·     Define and choose crucial parameters for usability testing

·     Confirm load testing is incrementally performed

·     Keeping URL strings unchangeable in security testing

·     Apply tests to each component, extensions, and third-party of the web app

·     Integrate exploratory tests into the SDLC (software development lifecycle)

·     Incorporate the development team during the testing process

Get your software tested.

Web App Testing-“Key Benefits”     

Web app test enhances the quality of your applications and website, bringing an immense range of rewards to your business.

·     Higher revenues

How much does error or flaws on your web app cost your business? Well, when Amazon crashed in 2018, it lost a shocking USD 34 million every hour. While your company may not be on a similar scale as Amazon, however, bugs are extensively regarded as the ‘conversion killers’ of the web world. If in case your site functionalities do not function as it should do, is hampered by slow load speeds, throws up a 404 error or crashes, for instance, the users would not hang around on your website. Web testing by a leading Web Application Testing Services provider identifies any issues with your web app with no troubles. Web application testing identifies any flaws with your site. With e-commerce sales globally estimated to hit more than USD 6.5 trillion by the year 2023, your revenue now relies on your online experience more than ever before.

·     Accelerate your Time-To-Market

Web app or website testing gives your developers significant feedback to smartly create a maintainable codebase, fix bugs, and optimize your online experience – all prior to launch. Instead of fire fighting errors, your developers can set the web world now on fire by giving a superior and updated digital experience. When combined with the agile test procedure, web app testing accelerates your time-to-market, so you get ahead of the race.

·     Boost your Brand Name

Enterprises now live and die by their image on the market. The shattered trust or faith due to a functional defect, security breach, or poor user experience can be expensive to repair. Web app testing identifies such problems to secure your brand image and boost your web app performance. It enables you to scrutinize your web presence using a series of methods. Web application testing also determines other issues that have a negative effect on your UX (user experience). For instance, if your site is littered with slow image loading, broken links, or is not optimized for mobile along with other such complications, your business might fall through the crack.

·     Cut back your budget

There is a plethora of positive lucrative connotations thanks to web application testing. For instance, by determining and mitigating any hardware or software bottlenecks, you can immensely reduce your technology costs. Your development procedure is also updated, so you can add worth at all points of your online experience.

Recommended tools to practice web app testing:

How to test your web app? Easy! You simply need to follow searching for the appropriate web testing tools.

Let us explore some of the best tools designed specifically for web app testing:

#1) LambdaTest

It is a scalable cloud cross-browser test platform developed to provide all websites and web app tests needed for cloud-based structure. LT Cross-browser test platform helps confirm your web app components (such as CSS, HTLM5, Video, JavaScript, etc.) render impeccably across all mobile and systems web browser with support of automated, visual, and manual, tests. With the aid of this incredible tool, you can access up to 2000+ combinations of mobile & desktop browsers on the cloud.

#2) LoadNinja

This amazing web testing tool allows you to load test your web app with actual browsers at scale, by making use of test scripts that can be replayed right away after recording, creating actionable browser-centric performance information to debug errors and isolate issues in real-time.

#3) Zephyr

 It is one of the most popular test tools. Here are its crucial features:

·     Server, Cloud, & Data Center Deployment Options

·     One-click integration with Bamboo, Confluence, JIRA, Jenkins, and more

·     No Annual Commitment Needed

·     Advanced DevOps and Analytics Dashboards

#4) TestLink

TestLink is a well-liked free tool that can assist you in managing your website testing in the simplest way possible. It comprises a bunch of beneficial features including:

• Metrics Support
• Charts Support
• User-friendly UI
• Defect Recording
• Test creation and execution

#5) PractiTest

This is also one of the amazing tools for web-based app testing & development. It lets you to: Generates your manual tests and systematize them based on sprints, cycles, etc.

• Flawlessly integrate your manual tests with your CI and automation procedures; other integrations comprise but aren’t restricted to: Pivotal Tracker, JIRA, FogBugz, YouTrack,  Selenium, Bugzilla, Redmine, JUnit, GitHub, QTP, SoapUI, CircleCI, Jenkins, and Slack
• Releases your products with control and confidence
• Re-use tests and correlate outcomes across distinct products and releases

#6) TestComplete

It is simple to use UI testing tools with AI. It supports a series of scripting languages and several test methods. With TestComplete, you can:

• Create and maintain GUI automation testing easily
• Reuse your functional testing

·      Test every app using object recognition with Artificial Intelligence

• One can select to not to script or script with the flexible automated testing
• Use an automated tool built for continuous tests
• The benefit of great customer support

#7) Selenium

It is an open-source and free tool for web application testing and at present; it is the most popular online software test tool out there. It can automate across varied Operating Systems counting Linux, Mac, and Windows, as well as the famous browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, Headless Browsers, Internet Explorer, etc. It supports several programming languages for testing scripts counting Python,  Java, Ruby, C#, PHP, Perl, and JavaScript.

#8) HP UFT (or QTP)

This helpful web testing tool can automate all forms of apps, including but not limited to Desktop, Web, Oracle, SAP, ActiveX, Net, Delphi, Flex, Java, PeopleSoft, Mobile, Stingray, Siebel, PowerBuilder, Visual Basic, etc.

 #9) Tricentis

Tricentis is one tool that supports over 150 varied technologies while helping you plan, build, stabilize, and carry out resilient E2E (end-to-end) testing.

 It supports three different test types:

·     Distributed load testing

·     Automated continuous testing

·     Agile dev testing

It supports all forms of protocols, comprising but not limited to AMQP, HTTP(s) JMS, Rabbit MQ, REST, SOAP, TIBCO EMS, NET TCP, IBM MQ, etc.

 #10) BugZilla

 It will help you spot if there are any bugs unseen in your applications. Besides, it also comprises all beneficial features:

• Sophisticated query tool that can retain information of all your searches
• Integrated email capacities

·      Optimized database structure for high scalability and performance

• Outstanding security to guard the privacy
• Well-proved under fire as Mozilla’s bug tracking system
• Complete permissions system
• All-inclusive email preferences and editable user profiles

What should you expect from Testing Companies?

If you decide to consult an external web application testing company, ensure they provide you robust insights and can cater to your precise business requirements, over a series of solutions and also give a solid portfolio of work. The prominent testing companies like KiwiQA also focus on more than just detecting defects. They develop long-term evidence-derived goals that intend to boost your returns in the foreseeable future.

Final Verdict

Web Applications are varied from desktop software, so treat them in a different way and follow a robust website testing methodology to get better testing results. They are flawlessly interacting and integrating with other software across the globe. Therefore, testing is significant as the lot is at stake.