5 essential tests to perform before launching a new e-commerce page
Adding a new page to your e-commerce site might seem straightforward, but you’d be mistaken if you think it’s that simple. Did you know that 79% of online shoppers who encounter issues with your page will never return? Or that 70% of mobile users will abandon a page if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load? With $6.5 trillion in annual e-commerce sales at stake, the cost of a poorly executed page is enormous.
Let’s make sure these issues never happen to you. By performing the five essential tests we’ll cover in this blog, you can ensure your new e-commerce page performs flawlessly, delighting customers and driving sales. Ready to discover how to transform your page into a high-performing asset? Let’s dive into the critical tests that will set you up for success and help you achieve e-commerce excellence.
Why Testing is Crucial Before Launch?
Launching a new e-commerce page is just the beginning. Comprehensive e-commerce page testing is vital for:
Preventing Revenue Loss
Studies show 53% of mobile visits are abandoned if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load. Testing ensures fast load times across all devices, keeping potential customers engaged. Page load time optimization is crucial for retaining visitors and reducing bounce rates.
Protecting Your Brand Reputation
79% of users won’t return after a poor experience. E-commerce site testing helps resolve issues that could harm your brand’s image, ensuring a positive user experience.
Ensuring Seamless Functionality
With 42% of users leaving sites due to poor functionality, testing ensures all features, from payments to filters, work smoothly, providing a hassle-free experience.
Avoiding Security Vulnerabilities
Security is critical for e-commerce sites. Security testing for online stores helps identify and fix vulnerabilities, protecting your business and customer data from breaches.
Optimizing for Performance
Testing uncovers performance issues related to server load and multimedia content, ensuring your page performs reliably even during peak times.
Top 5 Tests to Run Before Launching a New E-Commerce Page
1. Functionality Testing
Interactive Elements: Ensure that all interactive elements on your page—such as forms, buttons, and links—are fully operational. Test each element to confirm that it performs its intended action, whether it’s submitting a contact form, adding an item to the cart, or navigating to another page.
Third-Party Integrations: Verify that all third-party integrations, like payment gateways or inventory management systems, are functioning correctly. For example, if you use a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe, test transactions to ensure that payments are processed smoothly.
Device and Browser Compatibility: Check that your page performs consistently across various devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari). This ensures that users have a seamless experience regardless of how they access your site.
2. Speed and Performance Testing
Page Load Times: Measure the loading time of your page on different networks and devices. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can help you identify and address issues that might be slowing down your site.
Performance Issues: Look for elements that may impact performance, such as large images, heavy scripts, or third-party widgets. Optimize these elements by compressing images, minifying scripts, and using caching to enhance load times.
Tools and Techniques: Utilize performance-enhancing techniques such as content delivery networks (CDNs) and browser caching to improve page speed. Implementing these strategies helps maintain fast load times even during peak traffic periods.
3. Compatibility Testing
Browser Variability: Test your page on different browsers and their latest versions to ensure consistent performance. Variations in browser rendering engines can lead to layout issues or functionality problems.
Responsive Design: Confirm that your page’s layout and content adapt correctly to different screen sizes and orientations. A responsive design ensures that users have a pleasant browsing experience whether they are on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.
Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensure that your page looks and functions the same across various platforms and devices. Address any discrepancies to provide a unified experience for all users.
4. Security Testing
Data Protection: Verify that your page adheres to best practices for securing customer information. Check that encryption is properly implemented for sensitive data, such as payment details and personal information.
Vulnerability Checks: Use security testing tools to identify potential vulnerabilities in your site. Regularly scan for issues like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common threats.
Compliance: Ensure that your page meets regulatory requirements for data protection, such as GDPR or CCPA. Compliance not only protects your business but also builds trust with your customers.
5. Content and SEO Testing
Content Accuracy: Review all content on your page for accuracy, relevance, and clarity. Ensure that product descriptions, prices, and other information are up-to-date and correctly displayed.
SEO Elements: Verify that SEO components, such as meta tags, alt texts, and headings, are properly implemented. Use tools like Moz or SEMrush to check that your page is optimized for search engines and ready to rank well.
Link Integrity: Check all internal and external links on your page to ensure they work correctly. Fix any broken links to prevent users from encountering error pages and to maintain a smooth user experience.
| Test Type | Key Areas | Tools/Techniques |
| Functionality Testing | Interactive Elements (forms, buttons, links), Third-Party Integrations (payment gateways, inventory management), Device and Browser Compatibility (desktop, tablet, mobile; Chrome, Firefox, Safari) | Manual testing, automated testing tools, Integration testing tools, API testing tools, Browser compatibility testing tools, device emulators/simulators |
| Speed and Performance Testing | Page Load Times, Performance Issues (large images, heavy scripts, third-party widgets) | Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, Performance monitoring tools, image optimization tools, script minification tools, caching mechanisms |
| Compatibility Testing | Browser Variability (different browsers and versions), Responsive Design (adaptation to different screen sizes and orientations), Cross-Platform Consistency (consistency across various platforms and devices) | Browser compatibility testing tools, cross-browser testing tools, Responsive design testing tools, device emulators/simulators, Cross-platform testing tools, manual testing on different devices |
| Security Testing | Data Protection (encryption for sensitive data), Vulnerability Checks (SQL injection, XSS, etc.), Compliance (GDPR, CCPA) | Security scanning tools, penetration testing, Vulnerability scanners, web application security scanners, Compliance audits, legal consultations |
| Content and SEO Testing | Content Accuracy (product descriptions, prices), SEO Elements (meta tags, alt texts, headings), Link Integrity (internal and external links) | Content audits, manual review, SEO analysis tools, keyword research tools, Link checkers, broken link detection tools |
Checklist-
Streamlining the Testing Process: Automation and Efficiency
As your e-commerce site grows, manually testing every new page can become overwhelming. Fortunately, automation can streamline your testing process, ensuring efficiency and scalability. Here’s how to leverage automated solutions to enhance your page testing:
1. Implement Automated Testing Tools
Visual Testing Tools: Automated visual testing tools can check hundreds of pages quickly, identifying layout and design issues that manual testing might miss. Tools like Percy and Applitools compare screenshots of your page against previous versions to spot discrepancies.
Performance Monitoring: Use automated performance monitoring tools such as New Relic or Pingdom to continuously track your page’s load times and performance. These tools alert you to slowdowns or issues in real time, allowing you to address them promptly.
Security Scanners: Automated security scanners like Snyk or OWASP ZAP can regularly check your site for vulnerabilities. These tools scan your code and third-party components to identify potential security threats before they become a problem.
2. Integrate Testing into Your Development Workflow
Continuous Integration (CI): Incorporate automated tests into your CI pipeline to catch issues early in the development process. CI tools like Jenkins or GitHub Actions can run tests automatically whenever changes are made to your codebase, ensuring that new updates do not introduce bugs.
Automated Regression Testing: Implement automated regression testing to ensure that new changes do not negatively impact existing functionality. Tools such as Selenium or Cypress can execute pre-written test cases to verify that all aspects of your site continue to work as expected.
Performance Testing Scripts: Develop and run performance testing scripts using tools like Gatling or JMeter. These scripts simulate traffic to your site, helping you assess how it handles different load conditions and identify potential bottlenecks.
3. Optimize Your Testing Strategy
Prioritize Critical Pages: Focus your automated testing efforts on critical pages that have the highest impact on user experience and revenue. For instance, product pages, checkout pages, and key landing pages should receive more rigorous testing compared to less critical sections.
Regular Updates: Regularly update your automated tests to reflect changes in your site’s functionality and design. As your e-commerce platform evolves, ensure that your testing suite evolves with it to cover new features and integrations.
Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor the results from your automated tests and adjust your strategy based on the insights you gain. If certain types of issues are recurring, refine your testing processes to address those specific areas more effectively.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in E-commerce Page Testing
Even with automated tools and a solid testing strategy, several common pitfalls can still impact the effectiveness of your page testing. Here’s how to avoid these pitfalls and ensure a seamless testing process:
| Pitfall | Description | Solution |
| Ignoring User Experience | Focusing solely on technical aspects without considering user needs. | Incorporate UX testing with tools like Hotjar and Crazy Egg. Conduct usability sessions to gather real user feedback. |
| Overlooking Mobile Optimization | Neglecting mobile responsiveness can result in a poor user experience on mobile devices. | Include mobile responsiveness checks using tools like BrowserStack and Responsive Design Checker. |
| Skipping Accessibility Testing | Failing to test for accessibility issues excludes users with disabilities. | Integrate accessibility testing with tools like Axe and WAVE to ensure compliance with WCAG standards. |
| Neglecting Browser Compatibility | Assuming consistent performance across all browsers without thorough testing. | Test across various browsers using tools like CrossBrowserTesting and LambdaTest. |
| Inadequate Testing of Integrations | Overlooking third-party integrations can result in functionality issues. | Rigorously test all integrations, such as payment gateways, to ensure seamless operation and error-free transactions. |
| Insufficient Load Testing | Underestimating load testing can lead to performance issues during high-traffic periods. | Conduct load testing with tools like LoadRunner and BlazeMeter to assess performance under stress. |
| Failing to Monitor Post-Launch | Assuming testing ends after launch can result in missed issues. | Implement ongoing monitoring with tools like Datadog or Site24x7 to detect and address issues after pages go live. |
Final Thoughts
Adding a new page to your e-commerce site might seem straightforward, but the stakes are high. With the sheer volume of online stores and rising customer expectations, even small errors can significantly impact your sales and reputation. From technical glitches to user experience issues, the potential pitfalls are numerous and costly.
By addressing common pitfalls, leveraging advanced testing practices, and optimizing your testing resources, you can greatly reduce the risk of these issues. Thoroughly testing your e-commerce pages before launch not only enhances the user experience but also safeguards your business against potential setbacks. Ready to take your e-commerce site to the next level? Ensure your new pages are flawless with expert support from our web development team. At TogetherWeShip, we specialize in providing top-notch web development services that ensure your e-commerce site performs flawlessly, every time. Let us handle the technical details so you can focus on growing your business. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your goals.