How Important Is Website Testing?

You can only hope that website designing was as easy as writing the code and making the website go live. But the process is not that easy and simple. There is a lot of wo…

You can only hope that website designing was as easy as writing the code and making the website go live. But the process is not that easy and simple. There is a lot of work that needs to be done before you put your website live on the internet. You can’t make a buggy and glitch infested website go live because for most visitors that will be your first and last impression. The most important task that needs to be completed before a website is available to the public is testing. If you are working with the right website design service providers, they will make you a part of the whole testing process already. Why is testing that important? Here are some reasons.

The Browser Differences

One of the biggest problems website designers face when designing websites is the variety of browsers available today. Each browser has its own preferences and elements it works with. A website that works perfectly with Internet Explorer might not work the same way with Chrome. Similarly, a website that runs smoothly on Chrome might create troubles when you run it on FireFox. There are many tools that have been designed specifically for website designers to check browser compatibility. The issue of browser compatibility becomes even more serious for websites that have web applications integrated in them. If your website runs certain applications, make sure you actively check their performance on various browsers.

The Device Differences

While device can be very different in terms of their internal specifications, the most recent and biggest challenge for website design companies is the varying screen size. You know there are billions of devices that allow access to internet today and all of them have different screen sizes. If your website looks great on a desktop computer or a big screen tablet, it might not look the same on a smartphone. You do realize that the world is fast shifting to mobile devices, and so you must design websites that appear pleasing and appealing on mobile devices. Once again, there are various tools that now allow you to see how your website will look on different screen sizes without you having to check the website on those devices in reality.

The User Preferences

Here’s the thing, when you are all set with browser and screen size compatibility, you are faced with the monster of user preferences. Every computer user has their preferences when using internet. For example, some users using the internet might have turned off images to save their bandwidth. Have you thought of how your website will look without the images? Similarly, there are users who have JavaScript disabled on their browsers. In addition to that, browsers like Chrome now disable flash content by default. You have to think of the alternatives for such users if they make up a large part of your target audience.

The Convertibility

When your website is being designed, you have to make sure that it does not only look good but also has the potential to convert. Conversion does not always mean making a sale but at times it is all about making users stay for long on your web pages. There are certain website layouts that really appeal to the users and seem easy to navigate. Furthermore, there are certain points on a screen where users like to concentrate more. It would be best to have your website layout designed in such a way that your call–to-action buttons are located in the areas where users concentrate the most. AB testing is a good method to improve the overall convertibility of your website.