Mobile Testing. Importance of Testing

Most users can barely go an hour without their mobile devices, or, rather, the apps that are available on them. Technology going mobile has given a new twist to every aspect of our lives. As our perception of mobility has changed, so have the standards for mobile software development. A successful mobile application in 2021 is expected to not just work smoothly, but take the users’ breath away with out-of-this-world functionality. Otherwise, your fresh app release is at high risk of getting lost in the pile. In this article, we’re breaking down the instrument turning incompetent applications into powerful ones ― mobile software testing.

Importance of testing

Numbers to consider:

77% of users say they are concerned about performance of the mobile applications they install.
51% of mobile developers admit they don’t have enough time for thorough pre-release testing.
Among the biggest user concerns associated with mobile apps are bugs (58%), crashes (57%), and overall poor performance (48%).
If an application takes too long to launch, 28% of Americans say they would be willing to use a competitor’s digital product.
88% of Americans feel negative about brands with poorly performing websites and mobile apps.
Software testing is the only way to tell whether a program works as required (or works at all). As the main part of Quality Assurance, app testing is a multi-level process of huge importance when it comes to digital releases. Working in software development for two decades straight, we can’t help but stress the vital importance, cost-effectiveness, and strategic influence of application testing for any kind of solution ― small, large, complex, etc. Here are more reasons why we equate mobile app testing with development, planning, and technical support in terms of importance:

1. Early testing is cheaper than last-minute fixing
   History knows many examples of programmers and/or product owners acting carelessly about software testing. Even though not every bug is headline worthy (like The Great Google Glitch of 2020 or the infamous case of Amazon’s £1 sale), all the small bugs accumulate to trillions worth of financial losses every year. We’re not trying to deny the existence of lucky entrepreneurs, but want you to think: if absolute market leaders incur financial losses due to their technical errors, what can such an error do to a smaller company?

Software mistakes are preventable, and the only techniques to prevent them are quality assurance and in-depth software testing. With professionally executed QA, a potential glitch can be detected long before it takes place in real life. Budgets for QA practices can be easily estimated and planned ahead of time. But who can tell how much you’d need to urgently fix something in your product? This number is completely unpredictable, and considering the urgency and financial damage from the error itself, do not expect to get off lightly. Underestimating software testing means blindly betting the future of all your investments in the product on your developers’ skills and unwavering attention to detail.

2. Your app doesn’t have time for errors
   According to data collected by Quettra, 77% of people abandon an app in just three days since they install it. This percentage grows to 90% in one month and reaches the 95%-mark in 90 days. This means that a mobile application has roughly 72 hours to impress the user and start forming a habit of them using the app on a regular basis. Obviously, if an application fails to work as required, it is unlikely that users will spend three whole days trying it. Frankly speaking, these days people barely give buggy apps another go after a single crash. Why bother if there are literally millions of other options in app markets?

The fact people quickly lose interest in applications they download can be interpreted differently. For many, the easiest way out seems to be relying on push notifications. If a person installed an app and left it hanging, why not remind them that the program’s still there with an innocent message or two? That would be totally right if push notifications weren’t as overused as they are today. A mobile application can be considered successful only if users demonstrate a sincere willingness to use it regularly without being annoyed by countless pushes. That is absolutely achievable if the right mobile app testing services are applied from the very start of a project

3. End users are not your beta testers
   Another approach we frequently come across in mobile software development is to release a prototype instead of a polished version of a digital product. People doing so tend to think that a faster time to market is more important than the app’s performance. After all, you can always listen to negative feedback and release an update, right? Unfortunately, chances are the improved version of your product won’t get much attention in app stores considering the initial negative experience.

Putting your name on an application with questionable operability is very risky for your brand image and long-term reputation. Prototyping, MVP releases, and many other software development and mobile application testing techniques can keep you safe, so we highly recommend fitting them into your project planning.

#qatesting #qaoutsourcing #mobiletesting