Cross-browser testing involves comparing and analyzing the features and behavior of your website and web apps in different browsers. The main reason behind conducting cross-browser testing is to ensure that your website functions optimally. It also helps in boosting the user experience of your web app and decreases its dependency on web browsers.
Having a great website is not enough today. The layout, design, and function must be perfect. Non-intuitive design or clumsy functionality make a lot of users throw up their hands and leave. Cross-browser testing in the past was quite an arduous process. However, that is no longer true with the rise of automated tools. With just a few clicks, you can test your website on different browsers.
Things to Know About Cross-Browser Testing
Cross-browser testing analyzes how your website or web application functions across a wide variety of browsers. Note that each browser interprets CSS and JavaScript differently. Therefore, the way each browser functions is different. With cross-browser testing, you can ensure that your app or website functions as intended.
The Importance of Cross-Browser Testing in Website Development
Testing your website on various browsers is imperative nowadays. It gives you an edge and lets you stay competitive. Following are the reasons why cross-browser testing is important.
Browser-OS Combination
Different web browsers run on various operating systems. Therefore, it is crucial to test how your website works across other OS and browser combinations.
The Version of the Browser
It is pretty common for web developers and QA teams to test their websites on browsers boasting the latest version. However, testing the website only on the latest version won’t serve you any good. You should test the website on browsers with different versions both old and new.
Traffic from Different Devices
Besides using various types of operating systems and browsers, you may receive traffic from numerous devices. Testing your website on a wide variety of devices will ensure that it is user-friendly and responsive.
Websites for Differently-Abled Individuals
There are chances that your website or web app can be accessed by differently-abled individuals. Cross-browser testing ensures that your website is compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Even a tiny inconsistency can wreak havoc and affect your website’s user experience. Therefore, identifying these inconsistencies is essential before making your website live to the public users.
Simplify Your Workflow with Automated Cross-Browser Testing
Nowadays, most web developers and QA teams use cross-browser testing tools online to save time and resources. Automation has become a buzzword in every industry. The same applies to cross-browser testing too. But what are the benefits of automating cross-browser testing? Cross-browser testing is essential in web development because of these reasons.
Analyze the Functionality of the Popular Browsers
By using the automated cross-browser testing tools online, you can now analyze the functionality of popular browsers. Moreover, these tools help you identify which browser is suitable for your website. Based on this feedback, you can implement a few chances to make your website compatible across all browsers.
Increases the Accuracy of the Testing Process
We all know the shortcomings of manual testing of web apps and websites. There are higher chances of forgetting to check a particular device or browser. With automated testing, there is no need to check each and every functionality. It ensures that all the devices and browsers in the test suite are free of the relevant issues. You should focus on the cross-browser testing best practices to increase the accuracy of the testing process.
Simultaneous Test Execution
In manual testing, it is just not possible to conduct simultaneous tests. Moreover, your QA team has to re-run the tests if there are any inconsistencies. However, with automation testing, you can eliminate all these nagging issues. It allows you to run simultaneous tests so that you get the best results. In simple words, running parallel tests becomes a lot easier when you use automated cross-browser testing tools.
Decreases Testing Costs
Let’s say you want to test your website on several types of browsers like Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Safari, etc. Then, you want to analyze the features of your website on the older versions of each of these browsers. All of this can consume a lot of time for your development and QA teams.
Moreover, it would cost you a lot of money since you need different machines and devices to test your web app. This is exactly where automated cross-browser testing comes in. You just need a single device with the right configuration and tools for automated browser testing.
Gain Competitive Advantage
When you have to invest time and resources in different operating systems and browser configurations, the overall process can be challenging. There is always a possibility of doing it manually the first time. However, things can become complicated if there is a new update. By automating the entire process, you can quickly analyze your web app on different browsers and devices.
When you save time, you can make your website or web app go live quickly. It provides you with a competitive advantage and ensures that your visitors access your website. Automated cross-browser testing makes sure that your audiences have a remarkable user experience.
Provides a Higher Test Coverage
One of the major challenges with cross-browser testing is the need to execute and re-execute tests across a wide variety of browsers, devices, and platforms. Usually, most QA teams don’t have that much time to test each combination. So, it is a common practice in manual testing to skip some of the combinations.
On the contrary, automated cross-browser testing helps you eliminate this bottleneck swiftly. It allows you to run your tests based on numerous parameters. This results in a website that has been tested extensively on various parameters.
Automated browser testing has become one of the most potent weapons in the quiver of your QA teams. Therefore, it is important to access the right tools to make cross-browser testing successful.
