A Complete Guide to Cross-browser Testing

The browser is the ultimate passage to the internet; without a browser, you cannot open any website or web application. Since the advent of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, features and functionalities of browsers have evolved over time to accommodate greater ease of use and functionality.

Since there are many different browsers, users have their favorites. As a business, you want to ensure that your application and website are perfect for all users. How is that possible?

Cross-browser testing is the solution. This is an essential step in ensuring that your website or application generates positive user experience and of course, generates profit.

What Is Cross-browser Testing?

Cross-browser testing is a kind of non-functional testing that evaluates and confirms a website or web app’s functionality and behavior on various browsers. Cross-browser testing reveals if the features of your website and apps are functional to all of your target users. In other words, it is a test to see if your website and apps are working to provide an excellent user experience to all of your consumers.

Why Do You Need Cross-browser Testing?

Consumers have their preferences in terms of browsers. Depending on the application or website being browsed, different browser features and specifications will impact the user experience. For example, a specific website or an application may run more efficiently on the Safari browser than in the Opera browser. Cross-browser testing will ensure that your services, applications, and websites are fully functional across all browser types so that all users can enjoy a great experience, regardless of the browser they are using.

How to Perform Cross Browser Testing

Cross-browser testing entails testing and evaluating how your website or application performs in various browser settings. To see how effective your website or application is in different browsers, there are two methods for performing cross-browser testing.

1. Manual Method

   The manual cross-browser testing method entails a human tester interacting directly with your website across all browsers. The tester can test and evaluate using a pre-written checklist and take note of any errors they find. In other words, the tester will act as a customer using various browsers to view your website or application and see what needs to be fixed or improved.

2. Automated Method

   Automated cross-browser testing is done through scripting. With this technique, programmers create scripts that reload your website on various browsers. These scripts can simulate a user visiting your website or application to verify and validate different features and functionality. The script will automatically translate any errors or features of your website and application that need to be fixed for a specific browser.

Steps Involved in Setting up Cross-browser Testing Process

With how cross-browser testing is designed, it is important to follow a testing process that will ensure your website is compatible with all browsers. To have a successful cross-browser web test, here are the key important steps.

1. Planning

   Planning is essential in laying out what you want to happen with your website on various types of browsers. This includes the type of content and features you want, how you want your website to appear on a browser. In addition, it’s crucial to include any potential flaws in your planning as well as action plans for how to make it better.

2. Development

   Development is how you are going to perform cross-browser testing. The best process is to split different parts of the development into website areas, such as:

   • Home page
   • Product page
   • Checkout area
   • Payment process
   • Other necessary areas

3. Discovery/Testing

   Discovery and testing are the actual testing processes for your website. Whether you want to test it manually or automatically, this is the process of loading your website and application workflows on various browsers and devices and discovering any errors that need to be fixed or improved.

4. Incorporating Fixes

   Finally, it is time to concentrate on fixing every error that cross-browser testing has uncovered. Each browser has different features and has a different reaction to your website. As a result, improvements and fixes may differ with each browser.

Techniques for Cross-browser Testing

Website cross-browser testing will see how compatible your website is across a wide range of browsers. Ideally, cross-browser testing should be done on different computers and devices running on different operating systems. Here are several methods for conducting cross-browser testing.

• Local Setup on a Single QA/Dev Machine

  Setting up infrastructure in a single machine to perform cross-browser testing is very common. It means that you’re using a single device with different browsers to test your website. A single computer or a mobile device can have multiple browsers, so you can test your websites on all available browsers on that single device.

• Setting up the Central Infrastructure In-house

  You can set up a central infrastructure for cross-browsing testing, which includes software, browsers, emulators, and multiple devices. The central infrastructure can potentially be used from:

  • CI Execution: This can be done by running tests that are triggered by a continuous integration (CI) against browsers or emulators that are set up on the main infrastructure.
  • Local Machine: This set of tests can be performed on any development or testing device that is executed on the central infrastructure.

• Cloud-based Solutions

  A cloud-based cross-browser testing solution is a kind of automated cross-browser testing that makes it simple to conduct compatibility testing on your website by executing automated scripts and carrying out live interactive testing in actual browser environments.

KPIs for Measuring Cross-browser Testing

KPIs are essential in performing cross-browser testing to understand how effective your website or application is in specific browsers. This helps you evaluate the different aspects of user experience in a different browser. Here are the key metrics that you should focus on.

• Duration

  Duration is the amount of time it takes for a tester to navigate and complete a transaction on the website or application using a specific browser. Examples of transactions include creating an account, navigating products, completing a checkout process.

• Step Duration

  Step duration refers to the amount of time it takes to complete a single task within a whole transaction. An example is how long it will take the page to load after clicking a specific button.

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

  LCP refers to the amount of time a specific page with full content will take to load. An example is how long it will take for the product description page to load after clicking.

• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

  CLS refers to the movements of the content of a specific page if there are videos, pictures, or audio, which are types of content that would take longer time to load.

• First Input Delay (FID)

  FID refers to the time from when a user first interacts with a specific page (i.e. when they click a hyperlink, tap on a button, or use a custom, JavaScript-powered control) to the time when the browser is actually able to begin processing event handlers in response to that interaction.

• Time to Interact

  Time to interact refers to the time of a specific page to fully load considering all the content of a page, including videos, pictures, and audio.

Benefits of Cross-browser Testing

For QA testers, software developers and managers, cross-browser testing has many advantages. It guarantees that your company website is delivering the desired high-quality user experience on all types of browsers, and consequently, to all types of customers.

• Increase Testing Speed With Simultaneous Execution of Test Cases

  Scalability is one of a website’s most crucial features, but it’s also one of the hardest to achieve. However, you can easily overcome this difficulty with cross-browser testing. Cross-browser testing enables you to quickly and concurrently execute important tests across browsers and devices, which prompts you to develop a strategy to handle a high number of users and loads, whether it be gradual or sudden, without interfering with user experience.

• Reduce Costs

  Cross-browser testing is the most cost-effective service your company can use to manage your website. Your business cannot grow and make money if you spend a lot of money building a website that only works in one browser. Instead, cross-browser testing assures you that your valuable website can function properly for all users and browsers.

• Increase Test Coverage

  The requirement to run tests repeatedly across a wide range of browsers and devices is one of the main difficulties in making sure your website is ready for all users. However, you can swiftly get rid of this challenge by using cross-browser testing. It has more coverage, making it possible to run multiple tests simultaneously in various browsers much more quickly and effectively.

• Get More Accurate Test Results

  You get better and more accurate results when you use different types of cross-browsing testing. A skilled and knowledgeable tester can accurately note all errors that require attention. An automated method also depends on technology that offers precise data that aids in raising the effectiveness of your website.

Test More With Fewer Resources

With a reliable and trusted cross-browser testing service provider, you do not need to spend money on additional resources or hire additional staff to test your website and make sure it works in all browsers. Instead, a trustworthy cross-browser testing service can give you everything you need to accurately assess the state of your website, as well as all the information you need about it and what can be done to get better results. Visit QASource now to learn more about how we can help!!