Web testing is a crucial part of ensuring the quality, usability, and security of any web application or website. However, there are some common misconceptions that can affect the effectiveness and efficiency of your web testing process. In this article, we will discuss some of these misconceptions and how you can avoid them.
Web testing is a subset of software testing, but it has some unique characteristics and challenges that require specific skills and tools. For example, web testing involves testing across different browsers, devices, screen sizes, and network conditions. Web testing also requires knowledge of web standards, protocols, and security issues. Therefore, web testing is not the same as software testing, and you need to adapt your testing strategy and techniques accordingly.
Web testing can be discussed in many aspects. Web projects use various technologies and for each one, you have to have a testing strategy. APIs like gRPC, GraphQL, and the Rest have their testing strategies. On the frontend side, you can use Cypress or Selenium. On the database side, Junit can be used. Therefore, we cannot compare software testing with web app testing.
While manual testing is still useful for some aspects of web testing, such as usability and accessibility, it is not feasible or efficient to rely on manual testing alone. Web testing requires automation to cover the large number of scenarios, functionalities, and configurations that need to be tested. Automation can also help you save time, reduce errors, and improve consistency and reliability. Therefore, web testing can not be done manually, and you need to use automation tools and frameworks to support your web testing process.
As the development departments are focusing on delivering new futures as much as they can you cannot rely just on manual testing. It makes the release process time-consuming and also it has more risk with the regression tests. So, investing time on automating the test scenarios can help the team to release in more agile way and stable.
Web testing should not be treated as an afterthought or a final step in the development process. Web testing should be integrated into the development lifecycle from the start, and follow the principles of agile and continuous testing. Web testing should be done in parallel with development, and involve frequent feedback and collaboration between developers and testers. Web testing should also be done in different environments, such as staging, pre-production, and production. Therefore, web testing can not be done at the end of development, and you need to adopt a continuous and iterative web testing approach.
Bugs that are discovered have different costs depending on the stage they are found in. There is a standard that says if you find a failure at the requirements elicitation stage it has $1 cost if you find it at the requirements analysis stage has $5 and so on. You should begin the testing process immediately after defining the requirements in order to avoid exceeding the budget.
Web testing is not a simple or easy task that can be done by anyone. Web testing requires a high level of technical and analytical skills, as well as domain and business knowledge. Web testers need to understand the requirements, specifications, and expectations of the web application or website, and design, execute, and report on the test cases and results. Web testers also need to use various tools and technologies, such as web browsers, web servers, web services, APIs, databases, and scripting languages. Therefore, web testing can not be done by anyone, and you need to hire or train qualified and experienced web testers.
This is a common misconception that needs clarification. Successful web testing goes beyond just clicking buttons. It demands a testing mindset – the ability to validate functionality across various browsers, check responsiveness on different viewports, and examine network requests for web actions. A skilled web tester dives into console logs, ensuring error-free performance. It's not just about interacting with a website rather, It's about understanding the details to make a seamless user experience.
Web testing is not a one-time activity that can be done once and forgotten. Web testing is a continuous and ongoing process that needs to be updated and maintained regularly. Web testing needs to account for the changes and updates in the web application or website, as well as the feedback and issues from the users and stakeholders. Web testing also needs to follow the best practices and standards of web quality assurance, such as performance, security, compatibility, and compliance testing. Therefore, web testing can not be done once, and you need to monitor and improve your web testing process constantly.
Web testing is not a random or ad hoc activity that can be done without a plan. Web testing requires a clear and structured plan that defines the scope, objectives, methods, and criteria of the web testing process. Web testing also requires a documentation and communication plan that records and shares the test plan, test cases, test results, and test reports. Web testing also requires a risk and contingency plan that identifies and mitigates the potential issues and challenges of the web testing process. Therefore, web testing can not be done without a plan, and you need to create and follow a comprehensive and realistic web testing plan.