Every web application has to undergo cross-browser testing since you can never be sure what browser your users will be using. You could make a fantastic app that looks wonderful on Chrome, but what if it doesn’t work on Internet Explorer (which has been retired, tragically) or Safari? If a consumer attempts to use your web app on one of the other browsers and it does not work on, they will most likely delete the app and look for another. Cross-browser testing helps prevent this by verifying that your app functions as expected across all major browsers. In this manner, you can retain your consumers and increase the adoption rates of your applications.
Customers will buy what they see and will most likely leave your website in seconds if even your content takes too long to load. They’ll most likely reload the page, figuring there’s a problem, and then leave to return later, or they’ll assume the site’s broken and find an alternative in a wink. That is why ensuring that your website is compatible with various environments is critical.
Even though the page is best optimised for browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox to handle the demand, users are using outdated versions or different browsers. And their number crunching is too high to ignore.
It would help if you had information about the survival of the fittest. This will ensure the success of your website. Cross-browser testing assures that you are on the fittest side of the ecosystem.
What is Cross Browser Testing?
Cross-browser testing is the process of ensuring that your website/web app works accurately across a variety of browsers, operating systems, devices, and viewports. It is a critical step in producing web apps that match your consumers’ requirements and expectations, regardless of the browser being used. You must ensure cross-browser compatibility of your websites and web apps when viewed via:
- Different browser- OS configurations: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and operating systems like Android, Windows, Linux, Mac, and iOS.
- Multiple Devices- Devices such as Smartphones, Laptops, Desktops, and Tablets.
- Aid Assistive Technologies- Your website must be compatible with the tools used by differently-abled people.
Why is Cross Browser Testing Important?
Have you ever considered what might happen if a visitor visited your website and discovered it was not rendering properly? Instead, the consumer prefers to navigate to another website. According to one study, 50% of buyers will move to a new product if they have a negative product experience. It implies that you risk losing consumers and their conversions without comprehensive testing.
Any website comprises several components, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are handled differently by each browser. Maintaining consistency across platforms helps to create a better end-user experience.
Before you launch your website, you must confirm that it works appropriately on various browsers, browser versions, devices, and operating systems. Cross-browser testing improves user experience by discovering cross-browser compatibility issues with your websites and online apps. This helps to speed up the debugging process. It also helps to guarantee that you don’t sacrifice the end-user experience.
How to Perform Cross-Browser Testing?
There are two methods for performing website browser testing, sometimes known as cross-browser testing:
Manual Cross Browser Testing:
Teams can perform cross-browser testing manually, noting changes in functionality across multiple web clients or manually running test scripts on other clients. This form of online browser testing is best suited for small web application testing, but the sheer amount of human involvement necessary to test every component to almost 100% precision is beyond one’s ability.
To manually test a website, we must install many browsers and operating systems on different computers and mobile devices. Then, we must manually run the identical test cases in each environment. This takes time and causes exhaustion for testers. As a result, the total testing time is huge. Furthermore, manual testing in a variety of settings is impractical. As a result, cross-browser testing automation is essential to accomplish testing operations efficiently.
Automated Cross-Browser Testing:
Consider manually testing any website across numerous browsers, which means testing every piece and page by hand. Still, the main difference is that it’s a boulder in the midst of a desert, which is inconceivable in today’s market with so many browsers, operating systems, and gadgets. It is nearly hard to cover such a wide variety of combinations manually.
As a result, automated cross-browser web application testing has become critical for practically all organisations that want their applications to perform consistently across all devices they serve, which is also one of its fundamental principles. As a result, cross-browser testing automation technologies become relevant. Cross-browser testing may be conducted quickly and easily with automation tools.
Cross-browser testing automation tools include the following features:
- Ability to test across thousands of genuine test environments.
- Testing is possible on real-time devices with diverse resolutions, settings, and browsers.
- These tools offer visual, functional, and regression testing.
- Parallel test cases allow for faster completion time.
- The tools support CI/CD integration.
- Test reports include screenshots and logs. Some tools provide a video recording of the assessment, which may be referred to when needed.
The Best Approach is Both
What strategy should your team use for cross-browser testing? Some teams focus solely on manual or automated testing, but the best method combines the two. Begin with manual, exploratory testing to identify the portions with the most risk and relevance to the business—the places where your organisation risks losing customers or money if they stop operating. With a list of test scenarios to help you, start adding automated tests to handle the most crucial and time-consuming test cases. This balanced plan offers you the best of both worlds.
Conclusion
Cross-browser web application testing is critical for designing high-speed applications, but it is also a very demanding test suite since it must deal with a wide range of browsers, operating systems, and devices. However, appropriate planning and methods may significantly simplify, speed up, and improve the process’s quality. Planning for cross-browser testing begins with re-evaluating your list of browsers, operating systems, and devices and then repeating the process regularly. So, if you haven’t begun this process yet, is the time to plan your actionable items and testing tasks.
