Launching or refreshing a website is a huge milestone, but it’s what happens after the design and development that often makes the biggest difference. That’s where website testing comes in.
Website testing allows you to make sure your site works exactly as it should. From speed and usability, to browser compatibility and SEO, it’s how you identify and fix issues before they impact your users or site performance.
Keep reading because in this blog, we’ll explain what website testing is, why it’s important, and key areas you should focus on, so your website performs its best from day one.
What is website testing?
Website testing consists of a series of checks that are carried out on a website to ensure it performs as it should across all browsers, devices, and user types. Whether you’re launching a brand new site or making improvements to an existing one, it’s a vital part of any website project.
Testing a website encompasses both technical and user-facing elements. On the technical side, it ensures everything loads properly, functions as expected, and integrates seamlessly with third-party tools or platforms. On the user-facing side, it enables people to easily navigate the site, interact with content, and complete key actions like filling in a form or completing a purchase.
In short, it’s how you make sure your website is doing what it’s supposed to – reliably, quickly, and smoothly – for everyone who visits. And when done properly, website testing helps you catch problems early, improve user satisfaction, and drive better results from your online presence.
Why is website testing important?
Your website is often the first touchpoint people have with your brand. If something doesn’t work – whether that’s a broken form, a slow page, or an unclear user journey – your audience may leave without converting. Or worse still, you might never know they were there in the first place.
That’s why website testing is so important because it helps you:
- Catch bugs and design flaws before launch
- Optimise your pages for load speed and performance
- Improve experience for both mobile and desktop users
- Spot SEO issues that could impact organic traffic
- Boost engagement and conversions by removing friction
By regularly testing and refining your site, you stay ahead of issues and give users the best possible impression of your business.
How do you test a website?
There are several ways to test a website, each designed to tackle different areas of performance and usability. If you’ve ever wondered how do you test a website effectively, here’s a breakdown of the key components you should primarily focus on.
Browser and platform testing
Not everyone uses the same device or browser, which is why testing your website across multiple browsers and platforms is vital. Browser testing ensures your site loads and runs well on a range of different browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Platform testing ensures that your site works efficiently across different devices, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
Cross-browser and cross-platform testing typically checks for things like:
- Layout issues or broken elements
- Compatibility with different screen sizes
- Functional consistency on your menus, buttons, and forms
The variety of different browsers and platforms means that it can be easy to miss these kinds of issues and it can be detrimental. If a user can’t access your site, they could potentially leave and go to a competitor’s site. But with browser and platform testing, it can help you address issues and ensure you’re not missing out on valuable site traffic.
Website speed testing
These days, we expect speed in almost every aspect of our lives, and the same goes for a website. If a site is taking too long to load, then it’s unlikely that a user will hang around. Speed is also a major ranking and usability factor, and a slow website not only frustrates users but also affects your visibility in search engines.
Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can not only help assess page load speed, but also identify areas for improvement, such as:
- Image optimisation
- Server response time
- Unnecessary scripts or code bloat
With a website speed test, you can get an in-depth look at how long your site takes to load and what aspects and elements could be changed to make your site run quicker. You don’t want to lose traffic due to something simple like a large image file or a faulty autoplay on a video. A speedy page load is critical for getting users to your site and keeping them there.
User experience testing
The most important thing for any business looking to improve their website traffic is the quality of their user experience (UX). UX is all about bringing value to your target audience and it’s what keeps users coming to a website and potentially even recommending it to others. That’s why it’s hugely beneficial to have your site’s UX thoroughly tested.
User experience testing ensures your site is intuitive, enjoyable, and easy to navigate. It tracks how your users interact with your pages, what they click, how far they scroll, and where they drop off. Some common UX tests include:
- Heatmaps and user session recordings
- A/B testing of layouts or content
- User journey reviews and feedback sessions
The ultimate goal is to remove friction, streamline paths to conversion, and create a seamless experience from the very first click. UX is one of the most important aspects of website testing and it shouldn’t be overlooked.
SEO testing
A beautiful, functional site won’t deliver results if it can’t be found. You have to find the relevant search terms and phrases that potential visitors will use to find your site, and you need to include these throughout your pages to improve their search engine ranking.
Optimising a site for SEO isn’t just an important part of owning and running a successful website – it’s a must. This is because it gives your site the chance to stand out, climb up the rankings, and attract the right audience organically.
SEO testing ensures your website is structured and properly optimised for search engines, and this will typically include:
- Checking on-page SEO elements like titles, headings, and meta descriptions
- Structured data and internal linking
- Mobile optimisation and Core Web Vitals
- Identifying indexing issues or crawl errors via tools like Google Search Console
Let us help with your website testing
With any website project, it’s important to ensure your site doesn’t fade into the background, and website testing can ensure this doesn’t happen. From boosting performance, increasing traffic, and generating revenue, there are a multitude of benefits to thoroughly testing a website.
At Fifteen, we believe that great websites are built on insight, not guesswork. That’s why website testing plays a crucial role in every digital project we deliver. If you’re about to launch a new site or you’re improving an existing one, we’re here to ensure everything works exactly as it should – for every user, every time. Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help with your next web project.
