The growing popularity of mobile phones, laptops and tablets has led us to browse the internet for viewing various websites like social media, e-commerce etc using these devices, as opposed to the past when we only used a desktop to surf the internet. It is this trend that has made responsive website design extremely important. Every product developed needs to be tested both for the hardware and software, and a website is no exception.
In this article, we’ll cover the software side of things – testing our website if it is compatible on different browsers the user will open it on, the importance of said testing and how to test a WordPress site for multiple browsers. So without further ado, let us begin!
What is Cross Browser Testing?
Cross Browser Testing, as the name aptly suggests is a way of testing websites for several web browsers, operating systems, size of the viewing screen and devices. The primary aim of cross-browser testing is to make sure that the website runs perfectly on different browsers thus, assuring the quality of the product.
Having seen what is Cross Browser Testing, let us move on to the Importance of Cross Browser Testing.
Just like every device has different hardware specifications, web browsers too have different specifications and with each consumer being different, they might prefer one browser over the other.
According to research statistics, 79.6% of users use Google Chrome followed by Firefox at 10.1% and then Edge/IE, Safari and Opera respectively. With this diversity, it is imperative that your website looks consistent to the users across platforms.
A consistent website across web browsers, operating system and screen size, after all, add to user experience. Since these errors are not due to WordPress, figuring them out can be difficult. And rather than a user pointing it out, it is better if you yourself do cross-browser testing. Post the testing, once you figure out areas that need to be fixed, you need to make changes to the website code, and then launching it officially.
Does Website Audience Preference Count?
Given the vast number of web browsers available, chances of customers using one out of them is plausible. However, testing your website for multiple browsers is easier said than done. This being so because the code changes for each would be different and this can become a whole lot tedious. One of the ways is to figure out which browser your audience uses frequently.
If your website is already live then this way is probably the best, as all you need is a tool to know the stats.
One of the most popular ways that almost every website uses to track their audience is Google Analytics.
All you need to do is:
- Log in to your Google Analytics account
- On the extreme right corner, modify the date range you wish to see the stats for
- Navigate to Audience >> Technology >> Browsers & OS
By default, Google Analytics will display the ‘Top 10’ list to you along with parameters like Sessions, Users, Behaviour etc.
If you have recently launched your WordPress website and haven’t yet set up Google Analytics, here is our article for a step-by-step guide on how to add Google Analytics to WordPress website.
Tools to make your testing easy!
Given the advancement in technology, we even have tools to make cross-browser testing feel like a breeze. Listed below are 3 tools to ease your testing process.
- CrossBrowserTestingCrossBrowserTesting is a cloud-based premium tool and offers a 7-day free trial period.It allows you to run Live Testing (interactive and manual), Visual Testing that allows users to take multiple screenshots, as well as, test the responsive layouts quickly, Automated Testing like Selenium & Appium for multiple desktop and mobile browsers and, Record & Replay in the Beta mode. Some of the other features include simple CI integration with tools like GitHub, Jenkins, Jira etc., an intuitive REST API and over 1500 different test configurations.
- Browsershots
Browsershots is an open source tool that allows you to select browsers and operating system along with screen size, colour depth, Javascript, Java and Flash based on your choice. This is a great cheat sheet tool for designers to test if their website is responsive.All you need to do is, enter the URL of the website you want to test and your website joins the queue. When your turn comes, the tool displays screenshots to you. However, this is not real-time as it doesn’t run live tests.
- Test Complete
TestComplete allows you to create automated GUI tests in one browser and run them in parallel across 1,500 remote test environments – like browsers, operating systems, resolutions, and devices in the cloud. It supports integrations like Jenkins, git, Selenium, Visual Studios, Jira etc.TestComplete also provides you with real-time test results and lets you export the automated test results into CSV and XLS files for easy sharing. Moreover, this tool has a 30-day free trial period post which you need to upgrade to the premium version.
Lastly, does hosting matter?
Now, that your website is tested you need to make sure it is hosted on the right service provider. We at ResellerClub understand the importance of time and how crucial it is for small-and-medium-sized businesses who are stepping in this giant online world. Our cloud-based WordPress Hosting is managed by tech experts which gives your business wings to fly, with super fast website load speed. Moreover, with the hosting being managed you need not worry about the WordPress maintenance and can concentrate on running your business.
After all, the right hosting and cross-browser compatibility can make and break your online business website. So what are you waiting for? Go test your WordPress website for multiple browsers today!
If you have any questions, suggestions or, have already tested your website and prefer a tool, do let us know about it in the comments section below. Au revoir!
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