Virtually no company today can do without creating its own website. It does not matter whether it is commercial or informative; it must meet the needs and expectations of users. Otherwise, it will not be in demand and may even deteriorate the company's reputation.

To avoid possible problems with its functioning, you must test it before launching. We will analyze which tests are critically needed in this article.

Why Website Testing Is Important

Some companies decide to save time and money by checking the website before launching. This can lead to problems with its display, functioning on different devices, etc. The competition in the market is high, so users will probably not wait for the site to load correctly and will use another one that works without delays.

Each site must be created, filled, and thoroughly tested. You manage the last stage yourself or by involving proven website testing companies. Timely website verification leads to the following:

• Wide popularity among users.
• Increase in business revenue.
• Appearance of new opportunities for improvement and expansion.

Website verification is a mandatory step that you should complete before, not after launching it.

Need to check

When launching a website, you should check its every feature and area. Here is a short list of the main indicators you should consider first.

Readability

The appearance and readability of the content are the first things that platform users pay attention to. The text should be of optimal size and be divided into logical, easy-to-understand blocks. In addition, it should not contain errors or illegible characters.

If you have enough time, you can check the entire text manually. Another option is to use special tools like Hemingway or Grammarly. The first highlights difficult-to-understand sentences and evaluates the overall readability of the content, while the second finds errors and suggests more suitable phrases to replace.

Compatibility with Different Browsers and Operating Systems

Your launch site should be displayed correctly on different devices, browsers, and OS. To check its functions and launch on numerous computers and gadgets, you can use several physical devices or digital tools. You can use BrowserStack or Browser Sandbox to make sure that the website works equally well in different conditions. They are popular cross-browsing solutions that allow you to avoid having different physical devices.

Mobile Playability

Many website customers will open your website not using a computer but a mobile phone. Therefore, testing its functionality on different phones is also a must. As in the previous case, you can use several smartphones or tablets or use Google Search Console to play the site on different gadgets. Turning to modern digital tools significantly reduces the costs and time required for testing.

Loading Speed

The optimal speed of playing a site is from 2 to 3 seconds. If it takes longer to load, users will not wait and will move to another web resource. To avoid this situation, you must ensure the site is displayed quickly and correctly. You can use the PageSpeed ​​Insights tool to check only the loading speed or Pingdom to get additional information for overall page optimization.

SEO Settings

If your site is easy and convenient to use and its content is displayed correctly on different devices, this is half the success. However, do not forget about SEO optimization. It will help reproduce the site in search engines and attract new users. You should check the site for the presence of keywords, active links, social media buttons, sitemap, and more. SemRush or Moz can check the platform more effectively and quickly.

Usability

Customers may have different ages and experiences using digital platforms, so your website should be easy to navigate. It should have a logical architecture, a search box, and a support option. You can check the site for usability yourself, involve real users, or use a digital tool like Inspectlet. Over time, you will add new information or features to the site, so usability testing should be implemented throughout the testing lifecycle.

Presence of Broken Links

Broken links and errors are something that platform users often encounter. They slow down the website and affect its customer rating. You can easily check your site for broken links using Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker.

Plugin Compatibility

If you are talking about WordPress, you should be aware that some of its plugins or themes are incompatible with each other. You can get a report on possible problems and check the theme and plugin codes using the PHP Compatibility Checker.

The list of mandatory tests before launching a website can be significantly expanded. We have named a few important ones that you should consider. Don't forget to include the testing phase in website development to get the best results from its launch.