Building a website is a tedious task, and it truly does take a strong team to do so. While there are many steps in the web-build process, quality assurance (QA) is one that could enhance all aspects of a website.
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality assurance is a step in the web-build process that focuses on ensuring that aspects on a site are effectively improved. This is when the site is getting a second or third set of eyes looking over it that will guarantee that each element will live up to the client’s standards. A typical QA team will test a site for mobile responsiveness, appearance, spelling and grammar, and functionality, all of which are major elements of a website.
Why is Quality Assurance Important?
There are many reasons why QA is important. Since QA is a major step in the web-build process, it becomes a routine that allows the tester to locate and correct any issues that may have popped up after the design and development process is complete. The benefits of QA include the following:
Ensures That Your Website Functions Properly
It is necessary to check that all elements of a website are working properly before it is published to go live. A QA tester will use several tools such as Browserstack to test the site in all browsers, including Chrome and Internet Explorer. This also includes testing on all mobile devices, such as Android and Apple products. Typically, a tester will look at the most recent version of the browsers and devices to determine the website’s functionality.
Boosts User Experience
QA also tests how user-friendly the site is. In an ideal situation, a site will be simple and easy to follow. Making sure that the content flows is something that the QA tester will look at. With that being said, if major elements on the site are too large or too small, the site becomes difficult to navigate. The QA tester goes through as if they are the potential client and makes note of what works and what does not work. For example, if a site has videos throughout, it is important to make sure that all of the videos play and that they load properly. Also, most of the time the site will have a contact form. If the contact form is difficult to fill out, it becomes problematic for the user. The QA tester prevents this error by entering in the information to guarantee that the contact form is functional for both the user on the frontend of the site and the client on the backend of the site.
Strengthens Your Brand
Every business wants to have a reputable brand. When you have a website that does not work, the user will become frustrated. With QA, the tester is there to make sure that everything down to the smallest of details is accurate and functional. A few benefits of having a functional site include:
- Happy users – users typically will utilize your products and services if they have a pleasant experience
- Repeat customers – users are more apt to keep coming back to your business if you have a site that is easy to navigate and trust
- Potential increase in business – once users realize that your site makes it easy to get the desired product or service, they are more willing to share their experience with others and recommend your business to them
Prevents Errors
At the end of the day, we are all human and errors do occur. It is not uncommon for spelling mistakes to slip through the cracks. Without QA, some of these errors could go unnoticed. However, with a QA tester, these errors can be caught and corrected. Most QA testers will skim over the text for basic mistakes and then use a tool such as Grammarly to double-check their work. Basic HTML knowledge is also helpful and can be used to spot major page elements that may be broken or out of place. This is why QA testers will look over the entire website to make sure that everything is functional and matches the provided design mockup.
QA is crucial and should not be overlooked when building a website. It ensures that the site is functional, user-friendly, and error-free. Without QA, the efficiency and functionality of a site could be below the standards of the client and the user, leading to a negative appearance of the brand. Overall, QA is highly recommended and is beneficial in the web-build process.
Interested in learning more about how QA can improve the performance of your website? Give Compulse Integrated Marketing a call at 844-821-2154 to connect with us now.