Web Application Testing: A Step-by-Step Process to Get It Right

The testing phase is an incredibly important part of application development, yet some developers underestimate it. The problem is that the probability of an error increases with each code lifecycle, and the cost to fix it increases over time.

However, with proper website testing, none of this happens. If application testing goes smoothly, it is ready for release. It’s that simple.

If development follows Agile principles, it is important to properly "blend" the testing phase with the development phase.

Web Testing: Key Stages

If you want to build the application correctly, you need to go through 6 main stages of the testing phase. Let’s look at each one!

Step 1: Functional Testing

What is a web application? We’ll assume you already know the basics and get straight to the point.

The first step in the testing phase is verifying the functionality of the web application. Functional testing checks database connections, all links on web pages, cookies, forms used to send and/or receive information from the user, and so on.

It should be performed early in development to speed up the entire application creation process and reduce risks at the end of the cycle. It boils down to performing a set of tasks that can be accomplished either automatically using software tools or manually by a human tester.

Once you have the results of these tasks, you simply compare them with the expected result. This must be done several times with different input data. If the accuracy level is the same each time, the application is considered functionally correct.

Of course, no one expects all minor bugs to be fixed every time, but frequent website testing gives us a better chance of developing the most functional applications.

Step 2: Usability Testing

If you think about how to test a website, the second step should be usability testing. This type of testing combines the previously mentioned functional testing and overall user experience.

This is not the same as user acceptance testing, as they are completely different goals and stages of application development at which these tests are conducted.

Usability testing can be conducted either by external testers simulating the intended user base or by the developers themselves. If you want to conduct external testing but don’t know where to find suitable testers, applications like Apple’s TestFlight can help.

Usability testing can be divided into 4 stages:

Developing a testing strategy to cover all application functions, including navigation and content
Recruiting internal or external testing participants
Conducting testing with a team of experts
Analyzing results and improving the application accordingly.

Step 3: Interface Testing

During this web page testing, it is checked whether all interactions between the application server and the web server run smoothly. Not only the interaction process is checked, but also the display of error messages. Additionally, this test determines whether server and/or user interruptions are handled correctly.

Step 4: Compatibility Testing

In the age of portable devices and all kinds of screens, compatibility testing is necessary to ensure the web application displays on all device types.

Developers need to conduct a browser compatibility test to check if the application displays correctly in different browsers. Another test is mobile browser compatibility testing, which, as the name suggests, should confirm that the application displays correctly in mobile browsers.

On different operating systems, some application elements may display differently. Therefore, it's important to perform compatibility tests with as many operating systems as possible, especially the most popular ones like Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as various popular browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc.

Step 5: Performance Testing

After confirming your application's functionality and responsiveness, you need to check its performance under high load. Performance testing involves testing at various internet speeds as well as under normal and peak load conditions.

Even in a broader context, it would be a good idea to check the overall web server performance at a basic level using automated website speed testing, because page speed significantly impacts user experience and SEO for your public site. Focus on mobile optimization, as mobile SEO plays a key role in attracting quality traffic from search results. This article provides a good overview of how to conduct a basic speed test using free tools and how to use the resulting data to prepare an optimization plan. It's not exactly deep performance or stress testing, but it's a good starting point.

Stress testing is useful for determining the application's breaking point; it involves subjecting the application to increasing loads until it stops functioning. Ultimately, you need to detect the application's failure point before your users do.

Also, keep in mind that you need to determine how the application recovers from failures. If recovery isn't smooth, you need to work on improving it.

Step 6: Security Testing

Once a web application is developed, it needs to be tested for security. This type of testing involves various processes aimed at identifying the application's weaknesses and improving them as much as possible.

Typically, a series of fabricated malicious attacks are used to check the application's response and behavior under such conditions. If security flaws are found, it's important to find the best way to fix them.

Here are the main stages of security testing:

Understanding security goals and planning tests based on each one's security needs
Identifying the application's security requirements
Gathering information about the components used in application development, including OS, hardware, technologies, etc.
Identifying and listing all potential threats and vulnerabilities
Preparing a threat profile based on the listed vulnerabilities and risks
Preparing a test plan
Automated testing in addition to manual testing
Preparing a security test document
Executing security test cases, fixing identified defects, and retesting
Creating a detailed security testing report outlining resolved issues and remaining risks

Best Web Application Testing Tools

How to test a website? Easy. Just find the right web application testing tools. Let’s look at some that are specifically designed for web application testing.

Zephyr

Currently, Zephyr is the most popular web application testing tool – and for good reason. Here are its key features:

One-click integration with JIRA, Confluence, Jenkins, Bamboo, and more
Deployable in the cloud, on a server, or in a data center
Advanced analytics and DevOps dashboards
No annual commitments required

TestLink

TestLink is an open-source tool that will help you manage website testing in the simplest way. It includes many useful options and features, including:

Chart support
Metric support
Test creation and execution
User-friendly interface
Defect recording

PractiTest

PractiTest is a great tool for testing and web application development. It allows you to:

Create manual tests and organize them based on cycles, sprints, etc.
Seamlessly integrate manual testing with automation and CI processes; other integrations include, but are not limited to: JIRA, Pivotal Tracker, YouTrack, FogBugz, Bugzilla, Redmine, GitHub, Selenium, JUnit, SoapUI, QTP, Jenkins, Circle CI, and Slack.
Reuse tests and correlate results across different releases and products
Release your products with confidence and control

TestComplete

TestComplete is an easy-to-use AI-powered UI testing tool. It supports various scripting languages as well as different testing methodologies.

With TestComplete you can:

Test any application with AI-powered object recognition
Easily create and maintain automated GUI tests
You can choose to write scripts or not, thanks to flexible test automation
Reuse your functional tests
Use an automation tool built for continuous testing
Take advantage of excellent customer support

Other useful features include:

Support for 7 different scripting languages
Ability to record reliable automated tests without scripting knowledge
Industry-leading object recognition
Extensive defect tracking and reporting capabilities.

Selenium

Selenium is an open-source tool for testing web applications, and it is currently one of the most popular online software testing tools.

It can perform automation on various operating systems, including Mac, Windows, and Linux, as well as on the most popular browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, IE, Headless Browsers, etc. It supports several programming languages for creating test scripts, including Java, Python, C#, Ruby, JavaScript, PHP, and Perl.

HP UFT (a.k.a. QTP)

If you don't know how to test web applications, HP UFT/QTP might be just what you're looking for.

This useful tool allows you to automate all kinds of applications, including but not limited to: Web, Desktop, SAP, Delphi, Net, ActiveX, Flex, Java, Oracle, Mobile, PeopleSoft, PowerBuilder, Siebel, Stingray, Visual Basic, and others.

Here are some key features of this system:

Broad technology support
Continuous testing
One-click transition from manual to automated testing
API and web service testing
Mobile version of UFT
Keyword-driven or script-based testing
Designed for collaboration
You can choose from two different solutions: Unified Functional Testing (UFT) and Lean FT.

Additional features of Lean FT include the following:

Test development in Visual Studio using C#
Test development in Eclipse using Java
Source control / version control tools
Integration with open source TDD and BDD frameworks

Tricentis

Tricentis is a unified solution that supports over 150 different technologies to help plan, build, stabilize, and execute resilient end-to-end tests.

It supports 3 types of tests:

Agile dev testing
Automated continuous testing
Distributed load testing

System capabilities include:

Predictive analytics
Agile test management
Service virtualization
Risk-based design
Reporting
Test data management
Cloud service provisioning
Supports all kinds of protocols, including but not limited to HTTP(s), JMS, AMQP, Rabbit MQ, TIBCO EMS, SOAP, REST, IBM MQ, NET TCP, etc.

BugZilla

As the name implies, Bugzilla helps you find bugs hidden in your applications. Additionally, it has many useful features, including:

Optimized database structure for increased performance and scalability
Excellent security to maintain confidentiality
Advanced tool for remembering queries
Integrated email capabilities
Editable user profiles and comprehensive email settings
Comprehensive permission system
Well-established as Mozilla's bug tracking system

And here are some of the benefits:

Improved communication
Improved product quality
Increased customer satisfaction
Ensuring accountability
Increased productivity
Bugzilla can adapt to various situations

Sauce Labs

Sauce Labs is a continuous testing cloud that ensures flawless mobile application performance across all devices, operating systems, and browsers.

Key features include:

Automated web testing
Mobile app testing
Continuous testing experts
Comprehensive coverage
Enterprise security and scalability
Sauce Labs offers 4 different subscription plans so you can review all included features and choose the plan that best fits your needs and budget.

LoadUI Pro

LoadUI Pro from Smartbear is an excellent tool for creating load tests and obtaining detailed reports on test results. Here's how it works:

Quickly create API load tests

Check the speed and scalability of new API changes in minutes
Preview API performance behavior before release to production
Shift performance insights left so developers build more reliable code

Get real-time insights from API load tests

Simultaneously apply different loads to APIs
Record traffic from mobile devices and replay it at scale
Visualize the impact of the load test on server and network resources.

Simulate traffic from cloud or on-premises

Scale any created load test an unlimited number of times
Generate load from Windows or Linux nodes
Send mixed traffic from on-premises or external networks.

Visualize the impact of load on your servers.

Operating systems: Linux and Windows performance collections
Web services: IIS, Apache, Tomcat, WebLogic
Databases: MS-SQL and MySQL performance

Execute comprehensive AP load testingI

Save time by reusing functional API tests as load test scenarios
And