8 Important Segments Of Testing eCommerce Websites

Assessing an eCommerce Webpage/Application – The Right Strategy

In the digital age, it’s difficult to find someone who hasn’t purchased something online. Both eCommerce and retail businesses rely profoundly on their digital customers. Online shopping presents many perks such as convenience, time-effectiveness, and access to a breadth of products globally.

A well-functioning eCommerce/retail website is pivotal for the business’s success. It should offer a comparable experience to physical shopping. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores where the customer has already decided to visit, online users have a plethora of choices and might abandon the website if it doesn’t grab their attention immediately.

The website’s quality directly impacts the business’s success, implying that comprehensive testing is of utmost importance.

E-commerce applications/websites are web or mobile applications, and hence, they necessitate a variety of testing types.

• Functional Testing
• Usability Testing
• Security Testing
• Performance Testing
• Database Testing
• Mobile Application Testing
• A/B testing

To get a rapid summary of tests commonly administered on standard web applications, glance through:
=> 180+ Sample Test Cases for Testing Web and Desktop Applications

Nonetheless, retail websites are incredibly dynamic. Frequent transformations, such as fresh offers, products, bestsellers, and sales, are a staple. This constant flux can potentially overcomplicate the testing process.

The trick lies in breaking down and triumphing.

Let’s explore examples of how to assess an eCommerce platform:

E-Commerce Testing Checklist

Here are the critical segments and test cases for assessing an eCommerce website:

#1) Homepage – Hero Image

The majority of retail websites harbor bustling homepages replete with a host of elements. One significant element is the Hero Image:

This feature is a clickable picture or a slideshow that covers a sizable portion of the homepage.

Key points to consider during testing:

• Does it auto scroll?
• If so, what’s the time interval between image refreshes?
• Does hovering over the image cause it to scroll to the next one?
• Can it be hovered on?
• Can it be clicked on?
• If clicked, does it direct the user to the correct page or deal?
• Does it load simultaneously with the rest of the page or at last?
• Does it interfere with the visibility of other content?
• Does it render consistently across different web browsers and screen resolutions?

#2) Search

The search functionality is vital for a thriving retail site as users might not always locate what they’re seeking effortlessly.

Common tests for the search function include:

• Searching for products by name, brand, or category
• Ensuring displayed search results are pertinent
• Examining different sorting options (brand, price, reviews)
• Verifying the number of results exhibited per page
• Assessing navigation for multi-page results
• Validating the search function across different levels of categorization

#3) Product Details Page

Upon discovering a product, users are redirected to its detailed page.

The following features should be tested on the product details page:

• Product visuals
• Pricing
• Specs
• Reviews
• Checkout alternatives
• Delivery choices
• Shipping data
• In-stock/out-of-stock status
• Product variations (such as color, size, etc.)
• Breadcrumb navigation for categories

#4) Shopping Cart

The shopping cart is the concluding stage before making a purchase.

The functionality of the shopping cart should be tested for:

• Adding products while continuing shopping
• Increasing item count when the same product is added again
• Displaying all items and their totals in the cart
• Applying location-based taxes
• Adding more products and updating their totals
• Removing items from the cart
• Progressing to checkout
• Computing shipping costs
• Applying discount codes
• Retaining items in the cart if the user exits and returns later

#5) Payments

• Test varied payment methods
• Test checkout as a guest and registration process
• Test login process for returning customers
• Test user sign-up
• Ensure secure management of customer’s financial data (PCI compliance)
• Test session timeouts for inactive users
• Confirm order number in emails and messages

#6) Categories/Featured Products/Related or Recommended Products

E-commerce sites frequently showcase categories, featured products, and associated/recommended items.

When testing these fluctuating sections, focus on the algorithms that fill them. Examine the back-end queries and data extraction/BI systems.

#7) After-Order Tests

Execute tests after an order has been placed:

• Modifying an order
• Canceling an order
• Tracking an order
• Returns

#8) Additional Tests

• Login
• FAQs
• Contact Us page
• Customer Service page, etc.

Challenges Encountered in E-commerce Website Automation

To assure quality and performance while adhering to tight deadlines, consider the below factors when automating e-commerce websites:

#1) Due to the nature of eCommerce websites, fully automating every customer action is not feasible.

#2) With constant alterations, regression testing should be conducted daily to track the impact of these changes.

#3) Concentrate on automating integration scenarios, encompassing the entire user journey, from product selection to checkout and payment.

#4) Avoid automating an unstable application as minor changes may necessitate the creation of fresh test scripts.

#5) Test every product and its pricing details, irrespective of the product count. Minor errors can cause major losses.

#6) Consider the action of multiple browsers simultaneously when conducting parallel testing. Ensure that browser actions are reflected in others.

#7) Periodically update pages when running parallel tests to preserve cart information across browsers.

#8) Validate all links on the homepage, as well as in categories and sub-categories, using HTTP status codes.

#9) Formulate and execute robust test scenarios that simulate interrupted actions to guarantee script stability.

#10) Prefer manual xpath instead of relying on mutable web element attributes. Employ methods like contains() or scroll into view when necessary.

#11) Automate accessibility testing using keyboard actions instead of mouse actions to identify potential issues.

#12) Design test scenarios attentively, incorporating checkpoints and login scripts as required.

#13) Maintain separate scripts for different payment methods to prevent confusion. Test order cancellation post payment.

#14) Execute performance testing, measuring metrics such as requests per second, transaction per minute, response time, and task duration.

#15) Prioritize security testing, covering areas like denial of service attacks, data confidentiality, and credit card security.

#16) Automating localization testing can be challenging due to compliance with accessibility norms and multiple languages.

Conclusion

Having reviewed several tests, let’s touch upon some final thoughts on eCommerce testing.

An eCommerce website should perform well on both computers and mobile devices. It should be responsive and secure, with an optimized database and efficient ETL processes for data warehousing, OLAP, and BI. Testing for eCommerce should cover all of these elements.

However, the most defining aspect of eCommerce testing is whether visitors transform into paying customers. Conversion rate testing and usability engineering are gaining significance for eCommerce platforms. A/B testing can help identify features that enhance better conversion rates.

Consider utilizing tools explicitly crafted for eCommerce conversion rate analysis:

• Optimizely
• Unbounce
• Concept Feedback

Numerous usability testing tools are available, but the above three come highly recommended.

For additional tools, refer to:

• TOP 16+ Usability Testing Tools for Testing Your Web Application
• An Exhaustive Guide to Usability Testing – It’s Similar to Mind Reading!

About the Author: This article is composed by STH team member Swati S. If you wish to contribute and assist the testing community, contact us here.

As always, we cherish and value your feedback and queries. Please feel free to share your best and worst online shopping experiences below.