Online experiences serve as the vital pulse driving modern organizations in the digital era. Online applications’ dependability, functionality, and user-friendliness have become highly crucial. As a result, the essential discipline of web app testing has emerged. Users today anticipate frictionless experiences across various platforms, browsers, and use cases.
Hence, this systematic approach ensures these applications meet and exceed user expectations — with the best usability, security, and overall user experience. That too in various circumstances. Web app testing is the foundation of digital goods quality control. It makes it feasible for stakeholders, designers, and developers to address potential issues. Moreover, it is done before they have an impact on end consumers.
Therefore, today in this guide, we will explain web application testing. Moreover, we will delve deep into the types, methods, and best practices a web application testing company should adopt. So, without wasting time, scroll down below for insights.
Why is web app testing important?
Web app testing plays a pivotal role in developing and maintaining web applications. Here’s why:
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Quality assurance
Web apps could harm user experiences. Hence, they are tested to make sure they work as intended. It finds and stops flaws, mistakes, and faults.
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User satisfaction
Website testing in software testing ensures that consumers interact with the web app without hiccups. As a result, user satisfaction is increased, and return visits are encouraged by a smooth experience.
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Performance
Apps with sluggish and unresponsive performance lose users. Hence, web app testing comes to the rescue to evaluate the app’s responsiveness, stability, and speed in various scenarios.
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Security
Thorough testing reveals coding flaws and vulnerabilities in the program. Data breaches or unauthorized access can result from unrecognized security problems.
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Cost-effectiveness
Fixing errors during testing is far less expensive than doing it after launch. Hence, web app testing is beneficial when it comes to cost-effectiveness and also saving time.
Moving forward, various types of web app testing serve different purposes. What are these types? Let us find out.
What are the different types of web app testing?
Web app testing encompasses a range of testing types. Each of them serves a specific purpose. This concerns evaluating an application’s functionality, user experience, and security. As a result, the key types of web app testing include:
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Functional testing
This kind of testing focuses on verifying the application’s functionality. The functionality of all features, buttons, forms, links, and interactions is ensured. User flows, data processing, input validation, and error handling are all tested during functional testing.
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Usability testing
Testing for usability determines how user-friendly a program is. Users’ ability to utilize the interface, accomplish activities, and reach objectives is evaluated by testers. This kind of testing provides insights regarding the user experience. As a result, it pinpoints potential areas for improvement to increase customer happiness.
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Compatibility testing
Performance consistency across various contexts is ensured via compatibility testing. This is because online applications may be accessed using multiple hardware, browsers, and operating systems. The application’s appearance and functionality are tested across a range of platforms.
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Performance testing
Performance testing gauges the web application’s speed, responsiveness, and stability. Furthermore, load testing simulates diverse user traffic volumes. By doing so, bottlenecks are found, and the application is confirmed to be able to manage heavy traffic.
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Security testing
The goal of security testing is to find vulnerabilities and flaws in the program. Those that may be abused by attackers. This involves evaluating data encryption, etc. Hence, penetration testing entails attempting to penetrate the application’s security to find possible dangers.
Now that we have so many types of web app testing, what methods can you use to implement these types? Let us find out.
What are the different methods of web app testing?
Web app testing employs several methodologies and approaches. It assesses the various aspects of an application’s functionality, etc. Some of the critical testing methods include:
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Manual testing
During manual testing, users manually navigate the program. Additionally, it entails interacting with its features and spotting any problems or irregularities. So this approach is helpful for scenario-based testing, usability evaluation, and exploratory testing. Those that demand human judgment.
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Automated testing
Web automation testing utilizes scripts and testing tools to automate the execution of test cases. Regression testing and repeated activities benefit significantly from this approach. It consists of end-to-end tests, integration tests, and unit tests. Moreover, these are the ones that automatically start up each time the codebase is modified.
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Black box testing
In black box testing, the program’s functionality is the main emphasis. That too, without being aware of its core structure or coding. The team creates test cases using the specifications of the application. Additionally, the goal is to confirm that the app operates as planned.
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White box testing
Examining the application’s internal code and structure is a component of white box testing. It is also known as code-based testing. In this testing, the testers create test cases to evaluate the logic and code routes to find problems that other testing techniques might miss.
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Gray box testing
Grey box testing combines black box and white box testing components. Testers possess only partial knowledge of the program’s internal workings. This also enables them to create tests concentrating on particular areas of concern.
After going through the web app testing methods, why not look at its best practices?
What are some of the best practices for web app testing?
Web app testing requires a systematic and well-structured approach. It ensures thorough coverage and effective identification of issues. So here are some recommendations:
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Test data diversity
Use a variety of data inputs during testing to cover different scenarios. It also ensures that the application effectively handles a wide range of user inputs.
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Automate repetitive tests
Automate tests that are repetitive and require frequent execution, such as smoke tests. So do it to save time and improve efficiency.
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Capture screenshots and videos
Document issues with screenshots and screen recordings. As a result, it provides developers with clear visual evidence of defects.
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Isolation testing
Isolate different parts of the application to test specific components or modules independently. It aids in pinpointing the source of issues.
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Version control
Maintain proper version control of test scripts and documentation. As a result, it tracks changes and ensures consistency across testing phases.
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Negative testing
Test the application by intentionally inputting incorrect or invalid data. It ensures it responds appropriately and also gracefully handles errors.
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Cross-functional testing
Collaborate with different teams, including developers, designers, and business analysts. It makes sure that testing covers various aspects of the application.
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Documentation clarity
Ensure that test case documentation is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Even team members not directly involved in testing should uphold this consistency.
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Prioritize critical paths
Focus on testing critical user flows and functionalities first. This ensures thorough validation of essential parts of the application.
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Real-world network conditions
Test the application under varying network conditions. This includes different levels of connectivity and bandwidth. This also assesses performance in real-world scenarios.
Conclusion
Thorough web app testing becomes the pillar of excellence in web app development. Testing ensures that apps adhere to changing standards. This becomes possible by assessing functionality, performance, and user experiences. This continual improvement process promotes customer satisfaction. Additionally, it boosts brand recognition and encourages ongoing development.
As technology develops, adopting sound testing procedures is still crucial. This makes it easier to create apps that succeed in the digital environment. By following our blog, you will be able to make informed decisions. You can hire a web application testing company to nail your testing efforts.
References
- https://www.tutorialspoint.com/software_testing_dictionary/web_application_testing.htm
- https://www.guru99.com/web-application-testing.html
- https://www.browserstack.com/guide/web-application-testing
- https://katalon.com/resources-center/blog/types-of-web-testing