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For a long time, the creative industry overlooked the importance of Quality Assurance in their design and development processes. However, 15 years ago, as websites and mobile apps launched for a global audience grew more complex and now needed to function across multiple devices and operating systems, this changed. That's where qa testing for creative agencies comes in.
Using the 16+ years of experience PLUS QA has working with creative and digital agencies worldwide, we will highlight in this post why QA testing is essential for creative agencies and should not be an afterthought before launching a web or mobile application.
Why is QA Essential for Creative or Digital Agencies?
Launching a high quality website or mobile app on-time and bug-free is crucial. QA testing plays a major role in achieving this so here is a list of what we think are the most important reasons to include QA testing early in your process.
Ensures High-Quality Deliverables
QA testing ensures that the final product meets all specified requirements and is free from defects. This is crucial for maintaining an agency's reputation for delivering top-notch work consistently.
Enhances Client Satisfaction
By identifying and resolving issues before the client sees the final product, QA testing helps ensure client satisfaction. Satisfied clients are more likely to return for future projects and provide positive referrals.
Saves Time and Money
Catching and fixing issues during the development phase is generally far less costly and time-consuming than addressing them after the product launch. Finding issues early prevents problems and reduces the cost of corrections.
Protects Brand Reputation
Releasing a product with a lot of bugs will harm user trust and brand reputation. Convincing users to return after a poor experience can be tough, so delivering a quality product from the get-go is critical for maintaining a positive image.
Improves User Experience
QA testing ensures that a product is user-friendly in both functionality and design. For websites, apps, and digital campaigns, a smooth user experience leads to better engagement and higher success rates.
Ensures Compliance and Standards
QA ensures that the project adheres to relevant standards and regulations. For example: Including accessibility testing not only makes the software inclusive for people with disabilities but also minimizes the risk of accessibility-related lawsuits.
Facilitates Continuous Improvement
QA testing provides valuable feedback that can be used to refine processes and methodologies. This ongoing improvement leads to higher quality work over time.
Supports Creativity
A strong QA process allows creative teams to experiment and innovate with confidence, knowing any issues will be caught and addressed before the final product is delivered.
Builds Trust with Stakeholders
Consistent QA practices demonstrate professionalism and reliability, helping to build trust with clients, partners, and other stakeholders.
For creative agencies, where the end product is often a direct reflection of the agency’s capabilities and creativity, QA testing is an essential part of the project lifecycle.
PLUS QA: The Best Testing Partner for a Creative Agency
Over the last decade and a half we have helped hundreds of digital agencies testing their applications. The success of our team has been built on trust and reliability in the work we provide. We consistently deliver results and here are some of the reasons our clients tell us why:
Being Available in the Same Time Zone
Being based in the US helps engineers who fix bugs to be able to provide feedback in real-time and receive a prompt response from our team. This facilitates better communication across the lifetime of the project.
Testing on Hundreds of Real Physical Devices
Tapping into a pool of crowd testers can be extremely helpful but also time-consuming. Our testers can access hundreds of devices within minutes and provide feedback to developers fixing bugs much quicker than any average QA team.
Flexibility
Working with hundreds of agencies taught us to be patient and understand that the creative process will often bring last minute changes to a project and therefore affect its timeline. Thankfully, our team is agile and able to quickly adapt to new project requirements and scope (without compromising on deadlines.)
Experience with Thousands of Projects
Unlike inexperienced testers, we have teams that specialize in working with creative agencies. We’ve tested a diverse portfolio of projects; each with their own challenges and unique requirements, and we bring that experience with us forward to the next project we test.
Design Fluent
Testing any type of application needs to be a valuable addition to a project. Your QA partner needs to understand basic design principles but also have some common sense when it comes to user experience and usability in general. Many of our team members come from a background in design and web development and we are able to leverage that skillset to catch critical design issues that could impact the user experience of a product.
Quick Turnaround
Some of our clients have maintained a strong partnership with us for more than 15 years. Often, new clients are surprised how quick we can turn around testing on a website, an e-commerce or any other type of interactive application.
Conclusion
In this post, we've explored why qa testing for creative agencies is essential. There are thousands of creative agencies across the United States and our experience with many of those in both US and European markets have taught us the importance of being patient, sharp, fast, and effective in our testing processes. Time is crucial for any digital project, and rapid market access is essential to stay relevant. A solid QA process, marked by consistency and a deep understanding of the experience, is vital.
If you’d like to learn more about the value we can offer as a testing partner for your creative agency, visit our Digital Agencies QA service page or contact us for more information.