When a business finally decides to launch a website or an online presence for their company, which should be early on in the process, they should do a test of the site first. Whether your business is selling services or products, you should always make sure you are testing the site before launch. There are many things that can go wrong when starting a new business, but you want to make sure that your online presence is not one of them.
When you are looking to test your website, you need to log on to the site as if you are an outside user to see what the graphics look like, how the layout looks, search engine optimization, as well as what could be adjusted in grammatical sense, or just from an outside perspective.
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What to Check When Testing Websites
When you are looking to test your website, you should look into doing specific types of testing. This can save you both time and money down the road. In short, it will solve any problems before they have the chance to arise. Whether you are doing this check yourself, or someone on your team is, there are a few things that should be looked at.
When testing your new website, you need to make sure you look for these specific things.
Website Functionality
This is a very easy and quick task that should be done at the start of any testing and that is checking any links that have been embedded into the site. Whether they are internal links rerouting you back to the page or external links taking you to another site, you need to make sure they are fully functioning and can route you to where you need to go. You also need to check any connections through the software, browser, or database itself.
Website Security
Testing your website for matters of security is going to be one of the next most important steps you take to ensure there are no viruses and no breaches in your network. This could be in terms of login information, passwords, or anything that could store data or private information. If this step is missed or not thoroughly checked, there can be more problems for your users down the line. Then, these small problems could actually damage the trust you have built with them.
Your Requirements
When your company is looking to create a new website, whether that be refurbishing an old site or starting from scratch, you will have a list of qualities you would like to meet. When website testing, make sure you move through the list of requirements you would like to meet. Ensure that all of them are met before moving on to the next one. With all of these requirements met, you can be sure that in a few weeks or months, you do not have to go in and change anything about the site, whether that be big or small.
A Run-Through
What is not always thought of when web testing, is the need to run through all the options. Many businesses may create the site and just have a few other internal workers check it out. Once they gather that feedback, they may make the necessary adjustments. However, we suggest doing a full inspection of the different situations that may arise when the consumers are actively using the site. It can be very beneficial to think about what the average person will go to this site for or the actions they will take while on it. Then, make sure you test these actions to ensure that everything works correctly. It is helpful to run through everything that could possibly go wrong in each scenario. Hopefully, you’ll be able to resolve the problem before it occurs for an actual customer
How Often Should You Test Website Functionality?
Most businesses should put their websites through testing every 4-6 months in order to help with improvement as well as to check how the site looks and is working for a user. While your website may appear to be running and working the same as it was during the last check, it can’t hurt to update or just make sure there are no new kinks in the mechanics. You also want to make sure that there is no lagging within the website and that it isn’t freezing or taking too long to load. One of the worst things for your website is to be a slow site. It will cause traffic to decline and will hurt business in the long run.
What Websites Need to Be Audited More?
E-commerce websites need to be audited more often than some other types of sites. This is mostly applicable to retail companies that are constantly creating new products and merchandise. These need to be added to the inventory on their website so that customers can buy them!
Content publishing sites are also always uploading new content. So, they will constantly be testing their website and adding/adjusting their content. This also includes how their site is going to look with the new content they are adding to it. Whether this is a news outlet, a blog, or any other content page, adding and removing content will change the layout and the setup of the website. As you make these changes, you need to consider those factors.
What Are Different Methods to Test Your Websites?
Manual testing allows for someone, whether that is within your company or an outside hire, to access your website. Then, that person creates a report for the company to look over. The company can decide whether they would like to incorporate the recommended adjustments.
Automated testing involves using software to analyze your website for barriers and allows you to do this in a more hands-off way. This will allow you to finish more quickly and at a less expensive cost. However, you are more likely to miss things than if you have a real person doing it. While this approach may save you money right now, it may cost you more in the long run depending on if anything gets looked over and missed.
Website Testing From SEO Design Chicago
The goal for your website should be creating one that has no problems or errors along the way. There may not always be 100% success with all websites. However, you should always try to take every step and precaution to make sure that each user has an easy experience.
To learn more about website testing or to speak to a professional about your upcoming website, SEO Design Chicago is a great resource. Whether you are located within the Chicago area or need assistance remotely, we always have someone on staff who can help with any problem that may have arisen. While not every problem is the same, we believe that our specialized staff can help with any difficulties you or your company are experiencing. Our goal is to help you get the results necessary to get you and your company the best possible outcome. Big or small, we can efficiently help your company achieve any goals you wish to achieve. Connect with us today and we will strive to have your site improved in no time!
FAQ:
- What should you test on a website?
- Why does website testing matter?
- What are the two types of website testing?
- What types of websites should be tested the most often?
- How do you go about testing your website?
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