Tag: retail software testing

Functional Testing vs. Automation Testing: What’s Best for Your Retail App?

Posted on by KiwiQA

Functional & automation testing are necessary aspects of testing retail software, each having distinct, unique benefits. Combining both the testing can enhance the testing quality and efficiency and minimize the testing costs. Based on the market research report, the global testing software industry will be a whopping $109.5 billion by 2027.

The retail industry has experienced an immense transformation because of changing user behavior. The retail industry has been adopting and embracing transformation. Software quality plays a crucial element in flourishing your retail business. This blog is all about comparing both testing methodologies and deciding which is best for retail applications. Before you consult with the experts in retail software testing services, read this blog.

Importance of Functional Testing vs. Automation Testing in Retail Apps

Testing retail apps safeguards the application functionality, security, performance, etc. The following procedure ensures that the application can meet industry-specific requirements & adhere to high-quality standards. Retail application testing avoids this by checking the software variation. In this competitive world, where businesses are prioritizing customer satisfaction, retail app testing is necessary. Retail app testing smooths the journey to secure shopping, protect the brands, and develop loyal customers by removing all the glitches.

By using functional retail software testing in the retail industry, the retail app operates as desired scenarios like product searches, checkout methods, and account management.

Testing automation in the retail industry plays a strong role in avoiding customer information breaches. The automation testing team would focus on app profiling, encryption, and profiling to safeguard the retail app against threats. By utilizing automation testing, the team would introduce testing frameworks to improve security measures and mitigate sensitive data breach problems. Scroll down to learn more about functional testing vs automation testing.

What is Functional Testing?

The functional approach serves as the foundation for online and mobile apps. Organizations can attract and retain consumers for a longer amount of time by providing a fantastic design and smooth functionality.

So, in functional testing services, the capabilities and functioning of an application are examined to ensure user accessibility. Users instantly reject complicated applications, while testers guarantee that the program is accessible to everyone.

Types of Functional Testing

⇨ Unit Testing

Unit testing verifies that every component’s code produces the expected results. Unit testing offers documentation of code development since each unit of code is extensively tested before advancing to the next one.

⇨ Integration Testing

Integration testing evaluates whether separate software components work correctly together. Individual modules may have completed independent tests; however, if they rely on other modules to function properly, this type of testing is required to guarantee that all pieces work together as intended.

⇨ System Testing

The following process of testing is performed to measure the integrated system adherence. System testing is performed by testers independently who were not involved in the program’s development. This testing is done in a setting that closely resembles production. System tests are critical because they ensure that the application fulfills the technical, functional, & customer criteria specified by the stakeholder.

⇨ User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

UAT testing involves showing the software to real users in an operational environment. Feedback received from these actual users, who have no previous involvement with the program and may identify serious flaws in internal teams, is utilized to make additional adjustments to the product before its general launch.

Advantages of Functional Testing

⇨ Ensures the App Meets Business Requirements

It verifies the app is performing as intended and matches the project scope. The QA testing professionals check every element of the testing phase to ensure that, in the end, the result matches the business objectives. This can enhance program quality and help reduce malfunctions, mistakes, and security flaws.

⇨ Detects Critical Issues Early

Functional testing can assist in decreasing the likelihood of software failures, which may have serious consequences for the organization. Functional testing can assist in reducing these risks by detecting and correcting flaws early in the creation process.

Disadvantages of Functional Testing

⇨ Time-Consuming

Functional testing may be tedious, particularly for big or complicated software systems. This situation can further lead to affect project schedules and budgets.

⇨ Resource-Intensive (Requires Manual Effort)

Extensive project documentation is necessary to execute functional testing efficiently. This can be costly to set up and operate, and it may necessitate extra costs.

Also Read : 7 Challenges in Retail App Testing and How to Overcome Them

What is Automation Testing?

Automated testing is a testing approach that employs software tools and programs to do testing tasks. The automation testing market is also forecasting rapidly, and in the future, it will be forecasted to be $68 billion by the upcoming year 2025. This testing approach is quicker, more precise, and more dependable than manual testing. It saves the testing team a significant amount of effort and time while enhancing test quality and effectiveness. QA automation services are typically used for testing situations.

Types of Automation Testing

⇨ Unit Testing

Unit tests are useful because they help to identify issues early in the development stage, lowering the cost of rectifying them. Unit testing is a valuable way for developers to understand the capabilities of each unit in the program and to encourage code reuse. Unit testing evaluates individual elements to measure the functionality.

⇨ API Testing

API testing ensures that the application functions properly from beginning to end. Testers won’t be able to view the source code, and the procedure will not use keyboard inputs and outputs.

⇨ UI Testing

UI analysts examine the visual elements to measure their accuracy. These items must be presented appropriately and function properly to provide an improved user experience. UI retail software testing also ensures that the program can handle user actions. Its primary aim is to deliver streamlined UI & experience.

⇨ Performance Testing

Performance testing evaluates software’s speed, security, and response under stress. The fundamental purpose of this sort of automated testing is to detect and remove any potential operational obstacles, allowing the software to work as effectively as possible and give the most meaningful benefits to the user. Performance retail app testing is an important part of assuring software success in marketplaces. It helps to discover any issues that clients may have later.

Advantages of Automation Testing

⇨ Faster Execution of Tests

Automation testing identifies flaws more frequently than manual testing. Rapid bug discovery accelerates the whole developmental and testing process.

⇨ More Efficient for Large-Scale Applications

Automated testing may assist developers become more productive by automating operations that would otherwise be handled manually. Every time a new function or update is included in your application, you can set up your CI system to run and monitor the results of your automated tests.

⇨ Consistent and Repeatable Tests

It offers more reliable results, as tests are run regularly and automatically. Automated software testing enables you to quickly identify any flaws or regressions in the software, enabling you and your team to address such problems as they arise.

Disadvantages of Automation Testing

⇨ High Initial Setup Cost

One of the major drawbacks of automated testing is that it takes a significant amount of time and money to implement. However, this investment is generally swiftly repaid in terms of increased developer efficiency and more consistent output.

⇨ Requires Technical Expertise

Automation QA testers must be versatile, with an array of domain knowledge, technological experience, and testing abilities that enable them to provide high-quality software rapidly.

Comparing Automation Testing vs. Functional Testing in Retail Apps

⇨ Scope and Coverage

When comparing functional testing vs automation testing, Functional testing offers a detailed verification of whether the app is functioning well on every platform, device, and OS. Automation testing is required for broad & best for repetitive tasks.

⇨ Cost and Resources

Testing is a key to verifying the reliability and quality of the application. In functional testing, higher ongoing manual effort is required, whereas automation testing requires high initial costs & lower ongoing efforts. Automation retail testing services deliver scalable solutions as compared to manual testing.

⇨ Speed and Efficiency

Comparing functional testing vs automation testing in terms of speed & efficiency, functional testing is slower because of its manual nature. Functional testing verifies that the software matches the user’s expectations & follows all the needs. The automated testing delivers consistency and reliability & can be integrated into the continuous testing pipelines.

⇨ Flexibility and Adaptability

When comparing functional retail software testing with automation testing, in terms of flexibility & adaptability, Functional Testing is more flexible & adapts to change rapidly, whereas automation testing is less flexible and requires updated scripts for changes.

Having software capable of quickly adapting to the new requirement is necessary. Responsiveness and flexibility of application are key. Comparing Functional and Automation Testing in Retail Software, Test automation allows the reconfiguring of the quick test & limits the time spent on rectifying the modifications.

How To Choose the Right Approach for Your Retail App?

⇨ App Complexity and Size

When you look for retail testing services, understand the application size & complexity. Measure testing to project objectives to acknowledge project variability and encourage a versatile and adaptable testing strategy. This leads to more relevant and effective testing activities. The complexity & the size of your retail app play a key role in deciding which testing should be done. The complex and larger applications benefit from more automation.

⇨ Development Cycle and Time Constraints

Before you pick any testing methodology like functional testing vs automation testing for Retail Platforms, decide the development cycle and the time constraints. Shorter cycles may require automation testing.

⇨ Budget and Resources

A realistic and detailed budget and timescale for your project to develop & test retail mobile apps are essential since they can assist you in preventing common issues, such as overpaying, minimizing, and missing deadlines. The cost and timeline are estimations and allocations for your app resources for development, which include human, financial, and technological resources. To plan your budget and timescale, you must consider a variety of factors that might affect app development & testing costs and deadlines, such as the complexity, dimension, and standard of your app, the platform and technology you choose, and the size and competency of your team.

Also Read : How to Conduct Effective Performance Testing on Retail Apps?

⇨ Team Expertise

To follow the right approach for testing retail mobile apps, first, you should consult with skilled QA testers. Look for a testing company that has skilled & professional testers with extensive knowledge of manual & automated testing. Choose testing companies that are investing in improving their team’s abilities and training in automated testing. Choose a QA team that stays updated on the newest automation testing trends, innovations, and technologies. Renowned testing companies always offer the teams the resources they need to improve their domain skills even further. Start with the testing methodologies in which your selected testing experts specialize.

Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Functional Testing vs Automation Testing

⇨ Combining Functional and Automation Testing

The combination of functional and automated testing gives instant feedback and the capacity to swiftly react to changing surroundings and testing scenarios. Functional testing allows for verifying the functions of applications, whereas automation assures consistency and dependability in recurring operations.

⇨ Functional Testing for New Features and Exploratory Testing

The most successful functional testing methodologies combine both scripted and exploratory approaches. Scripted tests guarantee that essential pathways and popular use cases are regularly covered, whereas exploratory testing allows for in-depth research and innovative issue-solving.

⇨ Automation Testing for Regression and Performance Testing

Automation regression testing is the process of evaluating a software product or application utilizing automated tools and methodologies following an update or modification to the product. The automation process employs scripted tests, operations, and other procedures from a regression testing methodology.

Optimize Your Retail App’s Performance with the Perfect Testing!

After concluding the above-described things, you now understand functional & automated testing along with their benefits. We have discussed both testing methodologies briefly and created a brief comparison. Now it’s your turn to decide which retail software testing services to choose for testing your retail app. Make sure your choice should be according to individual project scope. Always make an informative decision to maximize the coverage & efficiency.

How to Conduct Effective Performance Testing on Retail Apps?

Posted on by KiwiQA

Retail and e-commerce apps have witnessed significant levels of growth in recent years in conventional markets and emerging economies. Performance is a must-have requirement in retail apps to ensure that they stand out in a competitive market. The primary goal of retail e-commerce app testing revolves around ensuring smooth and productive online shopping experiences. Retail apps that have performance issues, such as frequent crashes and slow loading times, can end up disappointing customers. You can notice how performance tests for retail apps can deliver promising results after you have deployed the apps.

The general definition of performance testing paints it as a technique to determine the performance of an app under different workloads. Performance tests emphasize different factors that determine app quality, including responsiveness, stability, concurrency, and adaptability. Retail businesses should focus on testing the performance of their apps to improve user experiences and capitalize on scalability. Performance tests for retail apps can help in the proactive identification of issues and the most effective performance tweaks and optimizations for the apps.

Importance of Performance Testing on Retail

The best approach to understanding the importance of performance tests on retail apps involves expanding its definition. You must know about the key objectives of performance test techniques before exploring how they are important for retail businesses.

What is Performance Testing?

Performance tests are a type of software testing technique that checks the performance of apps and software under specific loads. It is an important component in retail software testing that does not focus on identifying software defects or bugs. Therefore, performance tests are non-functional software tests that help you find the stability, responsiveness, scalability, and speed of apps with a specific workload.

Another important highlight that explains the significance of performance tests is their objectives. Performance tests in e-commerce testing services help with the evaluation of application output, data transfer velocity, processing speed, network bandwidth usage, workload efficiency, and memory utilization.

Retail apps can use performance tests to ensure faster page loading, better response times, and smoother navigation under any workload, thereby guaranteeing stability. Performance tests also help in achieving better scalability and speed by checking the capabilities of retail apps to adapt to increasing load without any issues.

The objectives of performance tests for retail apps prove why they are essential for the growth of retail businesses. With the help of professional retail software testing services, you can deploy a strategic approach to test retail apps. Professional testing service providers can come up with the best KPIs and roadmap for performance tests to simplify the testing process and achieve seamless customer experiences.

Also Read: Security Testing in Retail App: Safeguarding Customer Data

Why Performance Testing Matters in Retail?

Retail and e-commerce apps enable businesses to reach their customers through smartphones. Therefore, it is important to ensure that retail apps perform according to the desired benchmarks. You can understand the importance of performance testing with the following pointers.

First of all, you must know that retail testing software would have a major impact on improving user experience and customer satisfaction. Performance tests help in checking whether retail apps deliver seamless and responsive experiences. Retail apps can use such tests to provide better navigation, quicker page loading, and faster response times, thereby boosting customer loyalty and retention.

The common examples of performance issues in retail apps include slower response time, network performance, and higher memory utilization. All these issues lead to different consequences that might determine the difference between the success and failure of retail apps. For example, slower response times can lead to abandoned user carts. Higher memory utilization can prevent users from trying out retail apps on mobile devices. Similarly, issues with network performance can affect the responsiveness of retail apps, thereby leading to a negative impact on user experiences.

Types of Performance Tests for Retail Apps

Some of you may assume that performance tests for retail apps focus only on page loading speed, response time, and network performance. However, a professional performance test consulting agency would recommend different types of performance tests to identify different types of unpredictable and predictable issues. Let us take a look at some of the prominent types of performance tests for retail apps.

1. Load Testing

Load testing focuses on evaluating the performance of a retail app under normal and peak user loads. It involves using simulations of different levels of user traffic or load conditions to test the performance of retail apps. Load testing helps identify performance issues such as server overloading and slower response time.

2. Stress Testing

Stress testing is also an important requirement for software testing in retail apps, as it checks the performance of an app in extreme conditions. The process involves the evaluation of the app’s performance under heavy user loads and limitations on resource consumption. Stress tests are the best tools to determine how retail apps would work under peak load conditions.

3. Soak Testing

Soak testing or endurance testing aims to determine the performance of retail apps over extended periods. It focuses on testing the performance of retail apps for hours or days. The objective of soak testing in retail testing services involves the identification of memory leaks, performance degradation, and issues with the utilization of resources. Soak testing also checks the stability of an app in the event of prolonged use.

4. Spike Testing

Spike testing is also one of the notable variants of performance tests recommended for retail apps. It helps in measuring the response of retail apps to unprecedented growth in user traffic. Spike testing helps you find out whether a retail app can manage sudden spikes in user traffic without performance issues. Retail apps need spike testing to ensure that they don’t crash during special promotions or peak shopping time.

5. Configuration Testing

Configuration testing or compatibility testing focuses on the evaluation of application performance throughout different environments, configurations, devices, and platforms. Configuration testing is significant in identifying the ideal configurations for a retail app to work on different operating systems, hardware setups, network conditions, and browsers. It is a crucial requirement to achieve a consistent user experience with retail apps across diverse environments.

6. Isolation Testing

Isolation testing is also a critical requirement in the performance testing of retail apps, as it helps identify and isolate performance bottlenecks. The technique involves isolating different components or units of code for independent testing. It helps in the identification and resolution of defects in the earlier stages of the development process. Isolation testing helps narrow down the scope of a defect, thereby enabling easier detection and resolution.

Key Metrics to Monitor During Performance Testing

Performance tests for retail and e-commerce apps use different metrics or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the overall performance of the app and achieve better user experiences. Some of the most crucial metrics in performance tests would draw your attention to the following.

  • Response Time

The response time is a common metric used in retail e-commerce app testing under different conditions. It is the time that an app takes to respond to user commands, such as completing transactions or loading pages. Poor response time indicates a delay between users entering information and the app’s response time. For example, users are more likely to feel frustrated and close the app when it is unresponsive for a few minutes.

  • Throughput

Another important metric used for performance testing is the transaction throughput. It measures the number of transactions that the app can manage in one second. The throughput of a retail app indicates its capability to offer support for concurrent users.

  • Concurrency

Concurrency is another crucial metric that you can find in retail testing software that can help measure the load that it can handle at a time. It shows the capability of the app to handle more active users at a specific point. Concurrency is a valuable metric to check the potential of the app for scalability.

  • Resource Utilization (CPU, memory, disk I/O, etc.)

Resource utilization is a useful metric in performance tests to determine the productivity of retail apps. It focuses on monitoring CPU, network, and memory usage to ensure that the app works efficiently and uses available resources.

  • Error Rates

The error rates in retail software testing to check the performance of retail apps refer to the percentage of failures or errors in the testing process. Error rates provide a clear impression of the stability and reliability of retail apps.

Also Read: Why Retail App Testing is Critical For Your Business Success?

How To Prepare Performance Testing For Retail Apps?

The growing emphasis on performance tests has created curiosity about the ideal strategies to implement such tests. You can rely on performance test consulting services to discover the ideal roadmap for testing the performance of retail apps. Professional performance testing service providers can understand your requirements and prepare the ideal roadmap to test retail apps. Here are the essential steps involved in performance tests for retail apps.

1. Setting Up the Test Environment

The first step in a performance test involves setting up the test environment, and you must know what it would look like. You must know about the hardware, network configurations, and software that you will use for the app. Comprehensive awareness of these aspects can help you identify problems more easily.

The configuration of the testing environment must aim to replicate the production setup with servers, network configurations, and databases. Make sure that you have deployed the retail app in the test environment and have integrated monitoring tools to measure performance metrics.

2. Choosing the Right Tools

The selection of the ideal testing tools can help you make the most of e-commerce testing services from trusted platforms. Some of the popular choices include JMeter, NeoLoad, and LoadRunner. JMeter is an open-source and free performance testing tool that can ensure the simulation of higher loads and the evaluation of system performance.

LoadRunner is a powerful performance testing tool with its own scripting and debugging engine. NeoLoad is also a trusted performance testing tool for load and stress testing through the simulation of high traffic volumes.

JMeter is useful for retail app performance tests as it is free and offers a user-friendly interface. However, it has certain limitations, so you need to integrate other open-source libraries.

LoadRunner offers unique advantages, such as interactive simulation of user transactions, root cause analytics, and reduced scripting time. It also supports performance tests for mobile applications and access to diverse test resources directly in the browser. The notable setbacks of LoadRunner are that it is extremely expensive, presents compatibility issues, and consumes excessive memory.

NeoLoad is another common tool you may come across in retail testing services for its unique functionalities. It offers browser-based performance tests and encourages collaboration across different teams. In addition, it facilitates the easier creation of tests and the optimization of test resource utilization. On the contrary, it has some setbacks, such as a lack of support for integrating third-party tools and poor reporting functionalities.

3. Creating Effective Test Scenarios

It is important to note that you cannot detect all performance issues in retail apps with one test scenario. In some cases, retail apps might not have the resources to create different testing scenarios. Therefore, it is important to create realistic user scenarios for the riskiest performance issues.

The ability to create effective test scenarios depends on how you understand different user journeys. After all, user journeys create different types of scenarios in which users need the best performance from retail apps. For example, page loading time is an important requirement in test scenarios for browsing products, while network performance is crucial for checkout processes.

Best Practices for Conducting Performance Testing

You can implement performance testing effectively for retail apps by following certain best practices. Experts recommend the following best practices to improve the quality of your performance test routines.

1. Iterative Testing

Performance testing should follow a proactive approach with the help of iterative testing throughout the complete development lifecycle. You should ensure performance unit testing and repeat the same tests in the later stages before deployment. Earlier, regular and repetitive testing helps you keep an eye on performance issues from the beginning.

2. Automated vs. Manual Testing

The confusion between automated and manual testing in performance tests for retail apps can be a significantly challenging task. Manual performance testing is recommended when you have expensive automated testing tools. On the other hand, automated testing is useful in scenarios where you have large datasets and repetitive tasks.

3. Analyzing and Interpreting Test Results

The ability to read test results can help you make the most of software testing in retail to monitor performance issues. You can browse through test results with the help of KPIs to ensure that your retail app performs according to expectations. It is also important to analyze and interpret the test results from the perspectives of different audiences, such as project managers, customers, and decision-makers.

4. Optimization Post-Testing

Once you have discovered the notable performance issues for retail apps, you can implement performance tweaks and optimizations according to your requirements. You can implement tweaks such as optimizing your retail app for the app store or optimizing the images in the app. On top of that, you can also opt to optimize the code of your retail apps. Regular performance monitoring and config caching can also resolve performance issues in retail apps.

Case studies of successful performance optimizations can offer a clear impression of the ways in which you can improve performance. One retail app reduced the cost per install with the help of a social media user acquisition campaign. On top of it, a retail app implements weekly updates and security patches to provide a user-centric experience.

Common Challenges in Performance Testing Retail Apps

The support of professional retail software testing services can help you ensure that you have the perfect retail app for users. On the other hand, you would also have to deal with the following challenges to achieve the best results from performance testing.

  • Handling High User Volume

The most formidable challenge in performance tests for retail apps is the management of high user volumes. You would have to expose a retail app to peak user traffic conditions for stress testing and load testing. In such cases, simulation of realistic user behavior can be difficult, thereby calling for automation of customer user journeys.

  • Dealing with Third-Party Services and Integrations

The requirement for third-party services and integrations might come into conflict with the scope of performance testing. Without compatibility, there is no way you can leverage third-party services and integrations for retail apps. The continuously changing requirements of retail apps and increasing complexity create challenges for enterprises in measuring the scope of performance testing.

  • Ensuring Consistency Across Different Devices and Platforms

Adopting different devices and platforms in performance testing might be one of the challenges. On top of that, you must also ensure consistency among the devices and platforms you use for performance tests. The device or platform used in the test can affect different network parameters, and a well-defined strategy can help you achieve consistent testing across all devices and platforms.

Boost Your App’s Speed: Optimize Performance Testing Now!

Performance tests are crucial requirements for retail apps as they depend on performance to maintain and improve user engagement. Retail and e-commerce apps need performance test consulting services to prepare the ideal roadmap for performance tests. You can leverage different types of performance tests with distinct metrics to measure the performance of retail apps.

You should try to implement a robust strategy for performance tests by following the best practices to prepare for and conduct the tests. For example, you must set up the test environment, select the right tools, and come up with realistic test scenarios. Most important of all, you must also understand the challenges associated with performance tests for retail apps.

The value of retail e-commerce app testing without performance tests would only revolve around functional aspects. With the help of a professional service provider, you can make the most of performance tests to make your retail app the top performer in the market.