In the current era of sophisticated technology, the average user is tech-savvy and doesn’t excuse any bugs in mobile applications. According to Compuware, 48% of users are less likely to use an app again if they are troubled with the app’s performance. Whether it has software bugs, crashes and freezing issues, slow load times, unintuitive navigation, security vulnerabilities, privacy breaches etc., the majority of customers will just abandon your application forever. Having some of these problems will eventually result in losing your customers’ loyalty, large amounts of money and a significant number of users.
Today’s technology industry is intensely competitive, that’s why it’s obligatory to have and maintain an excellent quality of any kind of an application. Just a few clicks and swipes are enough for a user to praise or abandon an app. As reported by Compuware, only 16% of users can give the app a try for a second or third time. Obviously, you may consider fixing your problems after the release of the app but it can be damaging to your company’s prestige. It’s good to remember Richard Branson’s words “While a good reputation precedes you, a bad reputation will follow you for a long time.” Hence, it’s essential to have your applications tested in order to obtain numerous benefits.
The advantages of mobile apps testing
Ensured functional quality. Testing determines whether the app can be successfully downloaded, executed and interacted with the supporting back-end content infrastructure. It’s a vital factor in the development process that brings to market the high-quality product.
Real device testing. It helps to guarantee an in-depth analysis of functionality. Testing on real mobile devices always gives precise outcome for the app and it can totally ensure that a given feature works on an appropriate gadget. It also facilitates a great user experience.
Real-life usage. Simulators and emulators cannot deal with such issues as phone call interruptions, charger effect, and battery consumption. Testing on actual devices allows getting constructive feedback on these questions. Besides it, real devices provide accurate results with features like accelerometers, geo-location, and push notifications.
Attractive UI/UX. The look and feel of an app and its usability are also tested including the peculiarities of different gadgets. Testing on real mobile devices helps to assure a user-friendly interface.
Loyal customers. Satisfied customers who enjoy using your app will memorize the company as a reliable one and they will recommend your application to friends. With loyal customers and high-quality app, you can reach thousands and even millions of users.
High reputation. Having your applications tested is increasingly considered for any company that wants to stay competitive and get great prestige.
Boosted revenues. Mobile testing requires an investment at the beginning but it must be done in order to get higher profits in the future. Nowadays, even small startups can afford to do testing by cooperating with testing service providers and usually it will be cheaper than employing a full-time tester.
According to Google’s Think Insights on Mobile, 67% of users are more likely to buy the product or use the service if they have a positive experience with your mobile app or website and there are more than 5 billion of smartphone owners worldwide. It’s a very compelling argument to impeccably test or check an app now.
How to get started?
It’s always rewarding to start the process of mobile testing with general analysis. Exploration testing aims at determining an overall quality level, it also helps to define risky areas of any app or finds solutions when some requirements are incomplete.
After the exploratory part, testers usually write a Test Plan or Checklist and all the necessary tests are guided by it. For example, functional testing verifies that a software application performs and functions correctly, usability helps to assess app easiness and attractiveness based on the experience of our skilled testers, compatibility checks interoperability with particular hardware, performance testing determines application productivity and regression tests the modified application etc. Besides it, the test analysts should be fully informed about the purposes and intentions of your apps, target audience type and distribution channels.
