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We live in a world where smartphones are commonplace. People use multiple mobile applications daily for things like entertainment, social media, e-commerce, and even work-related tasks. Applications are so ingrained into our lives that we expect a high-quality user experience every time. When those expectations aren’t met, we are much more likely to seek out an alternative application instead. This is where mobile app testing comes in.
Mobile Application testing is the process of validating that a developed app is free of errors or issues that would otherwise impact the user experience. Whether it’s confirming that an app can be successfully installed or checking for visual defects, mobile app testing plays an important role in the app development process and should be conducted prior to launching a new application to market.
Making Sure It Functions as Expected
A positive user experience begins with successful functionality testing. This is where you can verify that all of the functional components of the app are working as originally designed; from the installation of the app on different devices, navigating through the app, and testing through the different OS options. We can also check deeper functional layers such as verifying that all links throughout the application work correctly, executing different use case scenarios in forms, or checking login and user account functionality.
Functionality can be make or break for an application, depending on how core to the experience a feature is. For example, if an application is an e-commerce platform, any bugs relating to payment could easily deter users from wanting to use the app entirely. Creating a seamless experience increases levels of trust and the likelihood that a user would continue utilizing a product.
Ensuring It Works on All Devices
Differences in mobile devices and operating systems may result in different outcomes. Testing on different devices, in real-life scenarios, guarantees that your application will work for actual users. Compatibility testing allows you to confirm that device, platform, or operating systems differences won’t interfere with your desired functionality. Although simulators and emulators can provide a baseline idea of how an app will function, it doesn’t allow for testing device-specific features like the effect of charging the device, battery consumption, accelerometers, geo-location services, and push notifications. Testing on real devices simply provides a more precise outcome for testers.
By checking that an app is compatible across a variety of devices, you can guarantee that the content is loading as expected on different screen sizes. Compatibility testing will allow all users to access and interact with the different features of your app as intended.
Optimizing for Everyone
Not everyone can interact with applications the same way, and testing for those issues can easily broaden your customer base. It’s important to address the needs of as many users as possible – including those with visual, hearing, physical or cognitive disabilities. According to the CDC, one out of every four people living in the United States has a disability. As a quarter of the population, that’s a significant buying power. Overlooking it means potentially overlooking a large swath of your user base.
One common misconception about accessibility testing is that it only evaluates usability for a specific subset of people when in reality, accessibility affects us all. By designing a website or application with accessibility in mind, the user experience will improve for non-disabled users too. For example, the inclusion of captions for image content can help a sighted user better understand what they are looking at as well as make it easier for a screen reader user to know what is represented in the image.
Accessibility allows all users to do tasks more efficiently and effectively. By performing accessibility testing, there is a greater chance your app will be able to engage with and maintain a larger user base than ever before.
Creating Customer Loyalty
Research has shown that 53% of consumers think brands fail to meet user experience standards. Over half of users are disappointed with the products they’re interacting with. This can result in failed lead conversions and deleted applications.
Users are more likely to return to an app they feel functions correctly and is designed well. If people enjoy using your app, they’re likely to recommend it to friends and show more interest in additional products you provide. Providing a high quality app to a loyal customer base can help you reach even more users. Usability testing helps optimize your app for ease-of-use, so your audience wants to come back for more.
Testing Is Vital for a High Quality App
There are many key aspects to a successful app, like performance, connectivity, and intuitiveness. These, and most aspects of an app, need to be validated across multiple devices and user scenarios to ensure they perform as expected.
In order to stand out in a sea of options, you need to ensure that your app is high quality. Mobile app testing is key to providing the best application possible. Need help getting started? Reach out to us today!