Testing is one of the most time-consuming and tedious processes in web design and development. Without a well-documented testing plan, you could waste countless hours dismantling random design elements while accomplishing very little to ensure the site’s performance. A testing plan will also give the developer a clear idea on the site’s objectives as well as the project’s scope.
Below is a checklist of everything you need for a front-end testing plan. This comprises of all the tools and answers you need to maximize testing efficiency.
Knowing the Scope
First of all, you need to specify the limits of a project as guidelines for progress and completion. For example, your budget is a clear limitation to what the team can accomplish in terms of quality and functionality. You also need to consider the project’s timeline to make sure you have adequate time for testing. Usually, this process should take anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks, but it can also be done in a span of days depending on the project’s scale.
Knowing the End User
Apart from the funding and time limitations, remember that you should also look at the objectives. These objectives must be aligned with the end user. For example, will they be using a specific set of devices and/or browsers? Will you be targeting a local audience—or do you need to optimize for foreign users? Will they have high-speed internet access?
Understanding the project’s goals should help you organize and prioritize the focus areas of your testing plan. It should also help you identify the tools needed to get the job done, which leads to the last item in this checklist:
Knowing Your Tools
A testing strategy involves a diverse tool belt that addresses all the focus areas. Below are some of the tools you need to consider:
- A Debugging Tool: A debugging tool like Firebug for Firefox and DevTools for Chrome will help pinpoint issues with the site’s code. They will help you inspect on-page elements for layout issues, JavaScript errors, and other factors that affect performance.
- A Collaboration/Team Management Tool: To keep everybody on the same page, you need a tool like Asana and JIRA Software for agile teams. In can be used to specify, prioritize, delegate, and ensure the accomplishment of individual testing tasks.
- A Virtual Private Network: A VPN service is especially useful if you’re testing localized content. VPNs work by masking your IP address to access localized features such as translations and special headers.
- Performance Analytics Tool: Today, you can rely on tools such as Pingdom Website Speed Test and Google’s PageSpeed Insights to determine issues with latency. These tools also provide you with recommendations on how to improve speed, such as minimizing redirects, using browser caching, and reducing content size.
- A Cross-Browser Testing Tool: Keep in mind that websites tend to perform differently to specific browsers. With a tool like BrowserStack, you can cut the time it takes to perform cross-browser testing by simulating different browsers and devices in one place.
- A Responsiveness Testing Tool: Finally, a tool such as MobileTest.me makes it easier to test the mobile responsiveness of your site by emulate smaller displays. Right now, you can emulate flagship devices that comprise of smartphones and tablets.
Team and Client Communication
Last but not least, you need a reliable means of communication with your team and client to ensure the speedy accomplishment of goals. A rule of thumb is to inform everyone on how to properly report bugs. For this, remember that individual testers need to be specific and direct when describing issues. They should also iterate the steps needed to replicate the problem to help identify its cause(s).