The Benefits and Costs of Outsourcing Website Testing
Website testing and tracking bugs is a full-time job for web development companies. Building and maintaining complex web applications requires a dedicated team of professionals. This is not an easy job. It requires a wide variety of skills. New devices and browsers make ensuring websites and applications are bug-free on every device harder and harder. Outsourcing is a great solution, but there are a lot of things to consider before choosing this route.
Why You Need Website Testing
A website has become an integral part of any business. And simply having a website is no longer adequate; it needs to be a good one. All websites can be improved and made to achieve more. Testing and quality assurance have many benefits. It leads to improved layouts that showcase relevant information. It can raise on-site conversion, clicks, sales, and visits. It eliminates underperforming or problematic elements such as bad links, buttons, ads, text, and code. It helps your website function at its best. Many times, your website is the first impression a client or customer has of your business. You want it to be a good experience.
This makes website testing vitally important. Automated monitor and performance testing makes sure your site is always available and responsive and notifies you of problems instantly. Manual scripted and exploratory testing on multiple browsers, devices, and screen sizes identify any experiential problems. Make your site even more user-friendly using A/B testing. The occurrence of bugs is increasing and can be costly. On top of making sure your site is running smoothly and is quick and easily accessible, you need to be testing for and tracking bugs.
Should You Outsource?
All of these tests require time and money. It is worth considering outsourcing to a website testing company. If you have a small team, you can task them with running tests. Ensuring high-quality website requires many skills. Members of your team need knowledge of web development, communication skills, and domain expertise at the very least.
The value to your company of outsourcing equals the benefits minus the costs. Some costs might include contracts, process changes, and communication. When making these decisions, involve everyone in your company that might be affected by your decision: developers, designers, project managers, etc.
It is assumed that outsourcing will speed things up. This is not necessarily the case. Most outsourcers are half as effective in the first few months and take up to a year to reach maximum effectiveness. It takes web testing companies time to learn what works best for your business.
There are many benefits as well. Companies like QAwerk have teams of professionals with years of experience. They ensure usability, security, user-friendly design, and functionality. You are paying professionals to perform a specific task. You get a fresh set of eyes on your website. Outsourcing alleviates pressure from your team and gives you the peace of mind that all checks have been carried out and documented. A high-quality website generates better results for you and your customers and clients.
Elements to Consider When Outsourcing
- Service Level Agreements – These describe in detail the level of service a vendor will provide. Some types of SLAs might include client satisfaction, volume of work, on-time delivery, effectiveness, availability, and sensitivity.
- Mobilization – After signing the contract, there is a period of mobilization. During this time, certain elements are organized: people, knowledge acquisition, infrastructure, and processes.
- Communication – The ability to communicate seamlessly with your outsourcing partner is important. Make sure open channels and effective points of contact are maintained. An effective communication model includes issue resolution, escalation, and reporting.
- Quality – The point of outsourcing is to improve the quality of your website significantly. The testing company that you choose should assess testing capabilities, identify gaps in test processes, and implement positive changes.
When it comes to your website, quality assurance is important. When a potential customer travels to your site, you want the experience to be flawless. This requires testing and bug tracking. It is possible to maintain your site with an in-house team, but it is not always the best scenario. Outsourcing might be your best option. It is important to consider the benefits versus the costs to determine the value derived from such a decision. There are many benefits to partnering with a company that specializes in web application testing and quality assurance for websites. Their team of professionals may have the capabilities to improve your website in ways your current staff is incapable of accomplishing.