The Website Cross-Browser Testing: Why Is It Important?
Being an internet user, it is very much common for all the users to shift from one browser to another. The choice of having multiple browsers in one system has made it easy for the companies and users to switch on from Internet Explorer to other different browsers. No offense, the Internet Explorer has a very poor performance history and hasn’t got any updates, since 2006. Also, the poor HTML supporting facility has made people boycott the IE. But, are you sure that the new browser you are using, will not take you to the same maddening situation? Are you sure about the overcome situations that are not provided by IE? Let us check it:
What do our customers and clients want?
1) The customers don’t want to get stuck on one browser:
With the downfall of Netscape and Internet Explorer; there are many web applications available in the market, which are getting a much better response. There were times when Netscape and IE were the most dominating web browser but now; Google Chrome has taken over IE to become the World’s most popular web browser. If you too want to make sure that your customer doesn’t abandon your products due to lack of support by one of the major browsers then you must take the web application testing very seriously.
2. Modification shouldn’t be only in graphics but, the functions too:
One must not assume to be successful if the web application works on one browser. This doesn’t mean that it will work the same on other web browsers too, especially in the case of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). The reason is not its graphics and looks but the functionality. The best way to verify correct functionality in different browsers is to repeat the same used cases or tests across different browsers and switch to automate comparison of differences in information being displayed and actions taken.
3. Cutting-edge technology is not supported by all the browsers:
To take advantage of some of the cutting edge technology like, the HTML5 standard, which delivers the features of cross-platform portability, including mobile platforms; one must verify implementation in other browsers too. Also, you should check the browser versions too. Because many times the same form that works perfectly in one browser may fail to work properly in the other browser.
4. A separate test is not necessary for developing and maintaining each browser:
The creation of an automated test that can be recorded from one browser and then played back in other supported browsers requires a new test automation technology. The best example of a test-breaker is handling browser dialogue boxes. In this case, the address exists in a different browser implementation in a single script. Such an approach increases the cost of maintenance and also increases the risk of test failure due to lots of complexity.
5. No one wants to run browser-specific tests:
The lack of identical tests for each browser platform makes it very much challenging to compare test logs and test results. The availability of one test, which can run on multiple browsers and the advanced technology that automatically handles browser differences, makes your application productivity a lot easier. With this, you can figure out whether some inconsistency in results is esthetic or functional and can easily reproduce or modify the scenario, which can provide you with different results.
Since the web browsers are constantly updating and newer versions are introduced to the market released on a regular basis; it is very much important to keep track on any changes that can cause a huge impact on how sites work. One must continue to test a wide variety of browsers or devices in order to contain a large number of audiences. One of the best thing that the site owners can do in order to determine, which main browsers to focus on is to look for the reviews on site’s analytics report. This report will show the percentage of site viewers using specific browser versions, operating systems, and devices.
Taking care of the content displays and functions to occur correctly in all the applicable browsers will ensure the best possible experience for all the current end-users and also guarantee a future audience on large scale.