Introduction
One of the worst things that can happen to a web or mobile application is for it to be riddled with bugs upon deployment. This will limit the application’s ability to solve the problems for which it was built. But that’s not all, it will also negatively impact user experience and trust in your brand, making you lose users to competitors. However, there is one way forward, Testing!
Testing is the process of trying out the features of your application before deployment and they are majorly two types: Manual Testing and Automated Testing. Manual Testing involves an individual downloading or accessing the application, clicking on buttons, checking out features to see if they work, and navigating through pages to confirm if they are well linked. It is worthy of note that this method of testing is prone to inaccuracy due to human error or negligence.
Automated Testing, on the other hand, is a process that involves using an automation tool to execute test case suites and predefined actions on a software application. The testing tool takes real outcomes and compares them with the expected result to generate detailed test reports. This method is the most effective way of testing as it is fast, more reliable, and efficient.
In this article, we would be sharing ways through which Automated Testing can help you save time and money.
1. Grows User Retention
Users have a low tolerance for faulty applications. According to an article by TechCrunch, 88% of people say they would abandon an app if they encountered bugs or glitches. Results also show that most apps are buggy because they went through Manual Testing which was unable to properly spot possible bugs and errors before deployment.
With Automated Testing, there’s a significantly lower chance of encountering a bug or app failure. This is because Automated Testing is more meticulous and less prone to human error such as fatigue or loss of interest during testing. With Automated Testing, you get to keep your users and reduce your churn rate, thus helping you grow revenue.
2. Builds Confidence in Your Brand
Most of the apps in App stores are buggy. According to a survey by Compuware, 56% of app users say they have experienced one form of error or the other while using an app. They also said this led to them losing confidence in the app’s reputation and brand, prompting them to give bad reviews of the App.
Through Automated Testing, you can significantly reduce the chances of your app ever getting a bad review. This is because you will be able to detect bugs much earlier before deployment and fix them before making your app available online or in the App store.
3. Encourages Focus on Developing More Features
Automating your app testing gives your engineering/software team more time to be creative, think outside the box and come up with new, exciting features that will keep your users hooked. This is because less time is spent on testing. Furthermore, it boosts the confidence of the engineering/software team, giving them the necessary wherewithal to explore new ideas without fear of building a feature that could break the app.
4. Improves User Experience
The major reason anyone would want to use your app is that it solves a particular problem they currently face. A fundamental part of user experience is how well your app can solve the problems faced by your users. Above all else, this would be the factor that determines whether users come back to use your app or switch to a competitor.
With Automated Testing, you can ensure that your users do not experience an app failure that would compound their problem rather than help them solve it. This helps you increase the number of transactions and activities on your app, thus resulting in more revenue.
5. Encourages users to talk about your App
Because many apps are buggy, an app that does what it says it does and works without bugs will stand out in the marketplace. This alone could even be enough marketing for your business in the form of word of mouth. And with this form of marketing comes a significant boost in sales and revenue. For instance Dropbox, a Google Drive competitor grew to become a $10 billion app majorly based on Word-of-Mouth alone. Getting the goodwill of your users also builds brand loyalty, scalability, retention rate and reduces the chances of your users jumping ship to use a competitor.
6. Faster release of App to market
Automated Testing saves you a lot of time. According to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), software testing is the 5th Phase and it typically takes between 1-2months if performed manually by the QA and testing team. However, with Automated Testing, you can complete the Testing phase of the Software Development Life Cycle in days, not months hence giving your app a faster time to market.
If your app is developed to solve a novel problem, this could be the difference between you having a First Mover Advantage over your competitors and gaining market share without worrying about whether your app is bug-free or not.
7. Improved Return on Investment
Most times, the reason businesses are skeptical about using Automated Testing is because it is more expensive than Manual Testing, and this is reasonable in the short-term. However, the long-term benefits of using Automated Testing greatly supersedes the short-term benefits of saving cost by performing Manual Testing. This is because Automated Testing saves a lot of time, energy and gives you a bug-free version of your app. Furthermore, Automated Testing encourages scalability – enabling you to reach more users and grow revenue over a short period.
Conclusion
It is quite obvious that the benefits of Automated Testing greatly outweigh that of Manual Testing. So if you want to build scalable, bug-free apps faster, Automated Testing is the way to go. However, it is worthy of note that the success of your Automated Testing depends largely on the tool you choose to perform the test. There are so many out there that it can be very difficult to choose the one that is best for you.
Testup is a Visual Automation Testing Tool that makes it extremely easy to test your application. It is easy to set up, does not require coding, and can handle complex testing scenarios. You can get started with a free trial of Testup by clicking here.
Happy Testing!
