Getting started with Automated Digital Experience Testing

Automation testing has reduced the effort and time spent on testing. This is why many organizations have moved to manual and automated tests. Compared to manual testing, automated testing involves setting up the process, which requires much effort. Still, once you get through, it can save your valuable time and effort on execution. On the other hand, the efforts and time spent on manual testing always remain the same.

Setting up an interaction interface between a person and a business based on digital technology is a part of creating a digital experience. Customers, partners, and employees can engage with an organization or brand using digital tools like mobile apps, websites, social media content, e-commerce websites, and smart devices in retail locations. These tools offer a digital experience and pave the way for brand interaction.

Organizations can create services that can only be provided by the internet and other contemporary technologies thanks to digital experiences, which allow them to go beyond simply automating paper-based processes. To maintain customer loyalty and contentment, businesses and organizations must adopt digital experience testing strategies that are precisely defined and carefully planned.

The goal of putting the customer first, not information technology, is at the core of the digital experience first approach. Utilizing digital technology merely for the sake of having access to it is very different from doing so to enhance customer encounters and better meet customer demands.

IT organizations can only design and execute exceptional digital experiences with operational frameworks. Executives in software development should adopt a customer-focused strategy as part of their efforts to support digital transformation. Testing of the digital experience is essential.

Following the best practices for modern application delivery can help application development and delivery leaders overcome the challenges posed by testing digital experiences and significantly increase their chances of providing a successful digital experience.

This blog post will walk you through creating a testing plan for an automated digital experience. Let’s have a look:

Know your aim behind performing the Digital Experience Testing.

You must first comprehend the project or product being evaluated to determine the reason for assessing the digital experience. This will be useful to you in identifying the group you are aiming for and their specific needs. Be mindful of the organization’s business goals and objectives and the function the testing goal performs in connection with those other goals and objectives. Establish the metrics, such as general performance, conversion rates, and user engagement that will be used to gauge the testing’s effectiveness. The testing goal should be reviewed periodically and changed as needed throughout the testing process because it may change as more knowledge about the product and its users is gathered.

1. Identify test cases and scenarios:

Identifying important user interactions on any app or website requires analyzing how users interact with it and figuring out which features and functionality are most important and commonly used. Several effective ways to achieve this objective include user research, analytics, and comments from actual users.

Test cases and scenarios based on the most significant user journeys and exchanges can be created after those are identified. The development of test cases for specific user flows, such as creating an account or making a purchase, and test cases for specific features and functionality, such as looking up goods or updating account information, fall under this category.

In addition to the various types of devices, it is crucial to consider the various user types and their requirements, such as new and returning users.

One method to ensure that a website or application has been thoroughly tested and is working properly for all users is to create test scenarios that cover various combinations of test cases and user interactions and devices.

2. Create a test strategy:

After finding test scenarios, a test plan for a digital experience would go on to explain the particular testing scenarios found during the project’s requirements gathering and design phases. This would follow the process of determining test situations. This would cover the specifics of the actions and inputs necessary to carry out each test, the anticipated results, and any acceptance criteria that must be satisfied for the test to be effective.

The test strategy should also include a list of all the personnel and resources needed to complete the tests and any tools or equipment that will be used. The test plan would also have information on the testing schedule and milestones, including start and finish dates for each testing activity and any dependencies or risks that might impact the testing procedure.

3. Create a fully functional test infrastructure:

Several crucial steps must be taken to develop a testing workflow for a digital experience, and they are as follows:

• It takes careful attention to detail to set up the necessary hardware and software to make a testing environment that accurately mimics the production environment.
• Specifying the hardware, software, and running systems that will be tested. This entails identifying the devices, browsers, and operating systems the target audience uses most frequently and ensuring that tests are included in the testing process.
• The testing infrastructure is the process of choosing and setting up the resources and testing instruments required for the tests. Examples of testing tools include issue-tracking software, load-testing tools, and automated testing systems.
• One aspect of this is setting up a workflow for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) that automates the testing process. The execution of tests can be carried out immediately as part of the build process by integrating testing tools into the development process.

You are in charge of producing and maintaining test data that can be used to evaluate the various use cases and circumstances related to the digital experience when you manage test data.

Managing test results includes:

• Keeping track of test results.
• Documenting and analyzing them.
• Identifying and tracking issues.
• Producing reports on the overall quality of the digital experience.

To ensure a digital product’s value and high quality, creating an efficient, repeatable, and automated testing process is essential.

4. Test Observability:

Test observability is a crucial component of testing the digital experience. It enables teams to watch how digital products function and work. Due to this visibility, teams to identify issues quickly and come up with answers. They can also ensure the digital experience is of the highest caliber.

Test observability is required when evaluating digital experiences for the reasons listed below, among others:

• Teams can see how the digital experience performs under various loads and user scenarios using test observability and spot any bottlenecks that need to be fixed. This enables teams to resolve any potential issues and enhance the online experience.
• Test observability allows teams to see what occurs in the background when a test fails. This expedites the debugging and troubleshooting processes by enabling them to find and address the root cause of the issue quickly.
• Using test observability, teams can see where their tests need to be revised to address specific aspects of the digital experience. They can improve test coverage because of this.
• Inspecting output test observability allows teams to keep an eye on the performance and behavior of a digital experience after it has been deployed into production. This enables them to recognize and address any problems that might arise quickly.
• By providing insights into how tests are performing and which elements of the digital experience need more testing, test observability allows teams to gauge the effectiveness of their testing efforts. The areas of the digital experience that require extra testing can be identified using this information.

Test observability is a crucial component of testing digital experiences. It enables teams to validate the functionality and usability of their digital products before making them available to end users and monitor and improve performance after the product has been put into production.

5. Documentation:

Documentation followed by reporting is essential for digital testing as they provide a thorough account of the testing process. The document considers the steps taken during testing, the outcomes, and any problems or flaws discovered. This data is crucial for debugging and troubleshooting and communicating to stakeholders like project managers and development teams about the status and progress of testing. Documentation and reporting can be a reference point for additional testing tasks and ensure testing is done consistently. Documentation and reporting help develop a transparent evaluation method for the digital experience.

LambdaTest can be used for automated digital experience testing services. These services are offered for a diversified set of devices and browsers for testing across the application or website. As a user, you can use these services for testing applications and websites on many devices and Browsers without accessing any of them physically.

LambdaTest is a renowned digital experience testing cloud that allows testers and developers to write their code faster. More than two million users across the globe rely on the LambdaTest platform for all their testing requirements. LambdaTest helps provide an insightful, scalable, and secure environment at various points in the DevOps lifecycle.

Wrapping Up!

Undoubtedly, digital experience testing is essential for improving and seamless user experience. Omni-channel customer testing involves evaluating a brand’s customer experience across all its accessible channels and touchpoints. This entails assessing the user experience across numerous digital channels, including the mobile app, website, in-store, social media, email, and other platforms. A consistent and seamless experience, regardless of the channel used, guarantees that consumers can easily find the information and services they need across all channels.

Businesses can identify and fix problems that have a negative impact on the customer experience by using digital experience testing. Digital experience testing checks an organization’s digital goods and services to see if they are seamless and offer a good customer experience. It evaluates the website’s browser compatibility across various devices and platforms and assesses its functionality, usability, and speed. This leads to higher degrees of customer satisfaction, loyalty, and earnings. Additionally, digital experience testing is an excellent technique for businesses to use to ensure that the digital goods and services they provide meet the standards of their various industries and satisfy the demands of their clients.