The Right Mobile App Testing Services (and How to Find Them!)
Readying your mobile app for testing should impact the development process sooner than you might think. It starts with finding the right mobile app testing company to help with your project, well ahead of the actual test phase.
First, look for a company that performs testing in the U.S., so time zones, IP protection, project management, culture and language barriers don’t become obstacles. Second, choose a company with a highly trained QA staff that is flexible enough to accommodate your process and team dynamics.
Once you’ve partnered with a reputable mobile app testing service, you’re ready to tackle the next two tasks: integrating QA and testing experts into your Agile development process and establishing a fully articulated test strategy.
QA Integrated Seamlessly with Agile Development
Integrating highly skilled QA and testing experts into your Agile environment pays dividends immediately by shortening development cycles. This means releasing good code earlier. Experienced QA experts know where to look for problems, and how to ensure that your code is serving your business processes.
Pairing your development team with experts from a respected mobile app testing service gives you the flexibility to ramp up staffing to meet your development output during crunch times. It can also eliminate the need to pay salaries during slower times. Look for a mobile test partner who doesn’t penalize you for flexibility.
7 Components of Your Mobile App Testing Strategy
Before your app is ready for thorough QA testing, it’s time to establish a fully planned test strategy. The test strategy for any mobile app should include testing and QA based on these seven components:
1. Installation
Is the app easy to install? Does it require something that’s not obvious in the instructions?
2. Usability
Does the app do what it promises? Example — let’s say your app streams video. Users install it, access it, log on, and then discover that the sound goes out every so often. Usability testing by app testing companies will flag this defect, so users won’t delete your app and replace it with another.
3. Functionality
Do all functions work flawlessly? Functionality testing also extends to APIs and analytics, which answer questions like, “What’s causing shoppers to abandon their carts?” and “Does our server need beefing up to handle heavy traffic?”
4. Cosmetic appearance
Are graphics well placed and easy to read? Mobile apps are used on devices that vary widely in size and resolution, so it’s essential to test in every environment to ensure graphics render as they should. Additionally, some users require larger type in order to access certain buttons and features.
5. Control flow
Is the control flow intuitive and user friendly? For example, users expect to scroll from left to right and top to bottom, but it’s frustrating when a call to action at the bottom of a screen requires a user to scroll up to the top of the screen to take that action.
6. End-to-end operation
Each device represents one end of a connection that passes through cell towers, third-party payment processors, and other nodes. Does your new app complete all its operations along these nodes? When a customer submits billing and shipping information, does your app actually record them as a customer? Mobile app testing services look at how your app functions as part of a network.
7. Graceful failure recovery
Somehow, somewhere your app is going to fail, and when it does a graceful failure recovery should be a high priority. The right app testing company will put your app through its paces by testing auto-save features and error codes against various system failures to build resilience into your app.
Finding the right mobile app testing services for your project requires careful planning and teamwork. The payoff is happy, loyal users who will eagerly anticipate your next release.