Introduction
In the digital age, users expect seamless web experiences across a multitude of platforms and devices. However, this expectation often goes unmet due to the lack of Cross Browser Compatibility Testing during software development. Developers may create applications that seem perfect in their own environment, but without thorough cross browser testing, these applications might not function correctly across all the different machines and browsers that users utilize.
What is Cross Browser testing?
It is nothing fancy but a way to know whether your users can experience your website the way you built it and intended it to be. Cross browser compatibility testing involves testing the websites across different browsers, OS, Devices, etc. It is important to know that not all browsers behave the same. They render HTML, CSS, and JavaScript uniquely on each platform and browser version too. It may sound simple to hear, but it is a daunting task for the developers to test too many combinations. The best way to deal with it is to have your device lab or depend on a third-party cloud-based cross browser compatibility testing tool like pCloudy’s Browser Cloud. Affording in-house infrastructure is not feasible for every organization. They can choose from a list of free cross browser testing tools that provide access to thousands of devices. Providing consistency in website behavior and experience across all browsers, devices and operating systems are some of the main functions of cross-browser testing.
Why is Cross Browser testing important?
Your website is the face of your business in the digital world. It is essential to ensure that your website functions properly, provides the best user experience and the information your customers are looking for. Cross browser compatibility testing doesn’t only mean verifying the compatibility of a website across browsers or its versions but also means validating if your website is performing consistently on different devices and operating systems (and its versions). Every browser interprets the website code differently, so the developers should ensure that browsers read the code right to provide the best user experience on all platforms. There are many browsers in the market. The most popular ones are Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, UC Browser, IE, etc. Their popularity varies from region to region. Overall, Chrome tops 60% of the browser market. Sometimes businesses only test for Chrome which means ignoring the remaining 40% of the users. The business should always include testing on all the browsers and not just Chrome. Cross browser compatibility testing bridges the gap of test fragmentation and helps you ensure you aren’t ignoring the other chunk of your user base. Efficient Cross browser Testing can prove to be a game-changer for organizations.
How to perform Cross Browser Testing?
You must have understood the concept of Cross Browser testing by now, but how exactly should you go about this?
You can start by creating a Cross Browser Compatibility Testing checklist that comprises a list of functions and components to run the website on each browser. The checklist should contain all the functions that you expect your website to perform on the browsers.
When everything is in place, test the website compatibility by running it on your browser and compare the results with the set standards. You can start this by running your website and validating the defined functions on your primary browser first.
A detailed test plan would help prioritize and select the browser-OS combinations to test, based on your website’s traffic analysis and the data about the browsers your users mostly use to visit your website.
Choose between automation or manual testing or both. Manual testing needs more time and effort. In modern testing, manual testers usually perform exploratory testing where human indulgence is valued more in figuring out the UX pain points of the user while using the website. Manual testers execute test scenarios one after another, whereas automated cross browser testing automates interactions via code on different browsers any number of times.
You would also need a secure infrastructural backbone and decide on several devices to test. You can either choose simulators to test the web application on different browsers or choose real computer systems, which might not be scalable for some businesses because of the high investment involved. However, test results on simulators are unreliable, so managing a real-device lab would provide a quality test outcome. It is also recommended to go for a cloud-based testing platform, where you can run your tests remotely on several secure devices and browsers at lower cost as compared to setting up and maintaining an in-house browser lab.
You can use cross browser compatibility testing tools that make it easy to manage the above tasks. There are many free cross browser testing tools available online that help you test your website on numerous browsers. Although they save time and effort, we still can’t ignore the fact that the human prowess to identify flaws can only be captured by a human mind. Also, working on tools promotes a cross-functional working environment and lets the teams collaborate on identifying and fixing errors.
All the actions above jointly ensure productive cross browser testing to validate your website’s health and efficiency on each browser as expected.
How to choose which browsers to test?
It depends on your target audience, their browser preference, browser popularity, regional presence, etc. It does not mean that you ignore other browsers, but make a mindful analysis of what is required and what is not. Whatever method you adopt to perform cross browser compatibility testing, its intention should be to ensure that your web app or website operates consistently across all possible browser-OS-Device combinations. But with so many options available, cross browser testing becomes challenging for the developers to select particular browsers to test. Let’s break it down further to understand on what basis we can take this decision:
The popularity of Browsers: There are a good number of most commonly used browsers. Let us say – Chrome and Firefox are the top two most popular browsers in the market. To capture the target market share, choosing the popular browsers is a part of the marketing strategy.
Analyzing the website traffic: Based on the user traffic usually tracked by analytics tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, SEMRush, etc., you can track which browser your users are using to visit your website, from which device they view it and through which operating system they access the site. Based on this information, the marketing and business teams decide on the browsers they would need to select to test and meet the organizational goals.
When do we perform Cross browser testing?
When to perform Cross browser testing depends on your workflow and your role in the process. QA and Development teams test the functionalities continuously whenever they create any new feature in the CI pipelines. Firstly, if you are a developer, you will need cross browser testing to test new website features and ensure it is compatible across browsers before moving to production. Secondly, the quality assurance team performs cross browser testing at the pre-release release cycle so that no browser compatibility issues arise in the updated website version. Correcting any abnormalities before the website goes live to avoid escalations from end-users and face the consequences of a bad user experience is of utmost importance. Developers and the QA team involve themselves in testing the web application because the former knows the in and out about the code, and they can help identify and fix issues faster. They also collaborate with other teams, like marketing and business teams, ensuring it matches the quality standards they want to offer to their customers to maintain a trustworthy business image. It promotes a conducive work environment and creates a collaborative culture within the organization among different teams.
Who can perform Cross browser testing?
Anyone who knows how to develop for the open web or a web designer. The best thing is you need not have coding expertise.
Marketers and web designers vouch for cross browser testing tools providing an interactive experience wherein any team member can test the website’s responsiveness and performance over different browsers.
It is commonly performed by quality analysts who test websites based on different test scenarios on various browsers. It ensures that the code matches the pre-defined cross browser compatibility standards.
The front-end design and development teams religiously execute cross browser tests to find out how the website front-end is behaving on different devices and interfaces.
Best Practices for Cross Browser Testing
Cross browser testing ensures that your web application performs consistently across different browsers, devices, and operating systems. Implementing effective cross browser testing can be challenging, but following best practices can streamline the process and improve results. Here are some best practices to consider:
1. Define a Testing Strategy
Create a Detailed Plan: Start by outlining a clear strategy for cross browser testing. Define your objectives, the scope of testing, and the specific browsers and devices you will target. A well-documented plan helps in aligning your team and ensuring comprehensive coverage.
Prioritize Browsers: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics to identify the browsers and devices most commonly used by your audience. Focus your testing efforts on these high-priority browsers first.
2. Maintain an Updated Browser and Device List
Stay Current: Regularly update your list of browsers, devices, and operating systems to ensure your testing reflects the latest market trends. New versions are released frequently, and maintaining an updated list helps you stay relevant.
Include Older Versions: Don’t ignore older versions of popular browsers. While it’s essential to test the latest versions, many users still rely on older versions. Testing across a range of versions ensures broader compatibility.
3. Use a Mix of Manual and Automated Testing
Manual Testing for UX: Manual testing is crucial for identifying user experience issues that automated tests might miss. Focus manual testing on exploratory testing to uncover usability and interface issues.
Automated Testing for Efficiency: Implement automated cross browser testing for repetitive tasks and regression testing. Automation tools like Selenium, Cypress, or Pcloudy’s Codeless Automation can execute tests across multiple browsers efficiently.
4. Integrate Cross Browser Testing into CI/CD Pipeline
Continuous Testing: Integrate cross browser testing into your continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. This ensures that every code change is tested across your targeted browsers, catching issues early in the development cycle.
Automated Triggers: Set up automated triggers for cross browser tests to run whenever there is a new code commit or deployment. This helps maintain code quality and browser compatibility continuously.
5. Use Cloud-Based Testing Platforms
Leverage Cloud Services: Cloud-based testing platforms like Pcloudy provide access to a wide range of browsers and devices without the need for extensive in-house infrastructure. These platforms are scalable and cost-effective.
Real Device Testing: Whenever possible, test on real devices instead of simulators or emulators. Real device testing provides more accurate results, especially for mobile browsers.
6. Create Comprehensive Test Cases
Detailed Test Cases: Develop detailed test cases covering all possible user interactions and scenarios. Include various screen resolutions, orientations, and browser settings.
Accessibility Testing: Ensure your test cases include checks for accessibility features. This not only broadens your audience but also ensures compliance with accessibility standards.
7. Perform Regular Regression Testing
Consistency Checks: Regularly perform regression testing to ensure that new changes don’t break existing functionality across different browsers. Automated regression tests using Pcloudy’s self-healing capability can quickly heal & fix broken scripts helping you save nearly 70% on test maintenance efforts.
Version Control: Keep track of different versions of your web application and perform regression tests on all supported versions to maintain consistency.
8. Monitor and Analyze Test Results
Detailed Reports: Use tools that provide detailed test reports, highlighting any issues found during cross browser testing. Detailed reports help in quickly identifying and fixing problems.
Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback loop where developers, testers, and other stakeholders can collaborate on resolving cross browser issues. Continuous feedback helps in improving the overall quality of the application.
Optimize for Performance
Performance Metrics: Test the performance of your web application across different browsers. Ensure that your site loads quickly and operates smoothly on all targeted browsers and devices.
Resource Optimization: Optimize resources like images, scripts, and stylesheets to ensure fast loading times and smooth performance across browsers.
10. Stay Informed and Updated
Continuous Learning: Stay informed about new developments in browsers, testing tools, and web technologies. Participate in webinars, read industry blogs, and attend conferences to keep your knowledge up-to-date.
Community Engagement: Engage with the testing community to share experiences and learn best practices from others. Communities like Stack Overflow, GitHub, and testing forums can provide valuable insights.
By adhering to these best practices, you can enhance your cross browser testing efforts, ensuring a consistent and high-quality user experience across all browsers and devices. This not only improves user satisfaction but also strengthens your brand’s digital presence.
Conclusion
Now that we have an idea of how crucial Cross browser Testing is from the QA perspective and the development of modern web apps. It helps us understand how we need to ensure that the components of the website are working efficiently on various browsers, operating systems and computer systems. There was no need for cross browser compatibility testing if each browser built was as per the Open web standards. But to be the best in the market, these things vary and make businesses dependent on cross browser testing. Cross browser testing is inevitable and has become an essential part of the QA process. It helps detect and solve any issue beforehand to avoid any user complaining about a broken website later. The ultimate purpose of all this effort is to provide an unbeatable user experience on all platforms so that you can hold the user base for the long term.
July 17, 2023
June 09, 2023
