Website Testing: A Guide Before You Go Live

Before launching a business website, it’s essential to ensure that everything works as expected—from functionality and performance to responsiveness and usability. This blog serves as a practical guide to website testing, highlighting the key aspects to consider before going live. Whether you’re a developer, business owner, or project manager, understanding the testing requirements will help you deliver a seamless and reliable digital experience.

When Should Website Testing Be Done?

Website testing is often deprioritized compared to mobile or web application testing—but it shouldn’t be. Testing should be conducted at the final stage of the project, once development is complete, to validate that the website is ready for real users. Testing at this stage helps catch critical issues before the site is made publicly available.

Is It Mandatory to Follow Standard QA Procedures?

While full-scale QA processes may not be required for basic websites, it’s still important to follow minimum QA best practices. This includes:Maintaining basic test documentation, using a bug tracking tool (like Jira, Trello, or GitHub Issues), and keeping a log of issues and fixes for accountability.Even minimal testing discipline can help ensure a smooth user experience and reduce future risks.

Why Is Website Testing Important?

Your website is often the first point of contact for potential clients or users. If they land on your site through a Google search or referral, they’ll evaluate your business based on what they see. If your site has slow loading times, broken links, or inconsistent layouts—especially compared to a competitor’s polished site—there’s a high chance they’ll move on.

Website testing ensures:

• Better user experience
• Improved trust and credibility
• Higher chances of conversion

What Type of Testing Is Required for a Website?

Before launching your website, it’s important to perform a comprehensive set of tests to ensure it functions smoothly, provides a great user experience, and remains secure and accessible. Below is a priority-wise list of essential website testing types, tailored to business and marketing websites.

1. Usability Testing

Why it’s important:

A website must be intuitive and user-friendly. If users struggle to navigate your pages or find key information like services or contact details, they’ll leave—often for a competitor. Usability testing helps identify friction points in the user journey.

🔗 Why UI/UX Testing Matters for Your Mobile and Web Applications

How to do it:

• Simulate common user actions (browsing services, filling out forms)
• Collect feedback from actual users or stakeholders
• Evaluate navigation, clarity of content, and button placements

Best practices:

• Ensure clear CTAs (Call-to-Actions)
• Keep the layout clean and responsive
• Maintain consistent branding and page flow
• Use mobile-first design principles

Recommended Tools: Hotjar – for heatmaps and user behaviour, Maze – for remote usability testing, UsabilityHub – for user feedback

2. Browser Compatibility Testing

Why it’s important:

A website may look perfect on Chrome but appear broken on Safari or Internet Explorer. Browser compatibility testing ensures consistent functionality and layout across different browsers, devices, and screen resolutions.🌐🧩

How to do it:

• Test across major browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera
• Include mobile browsers (Android and iOS)
• Simulate using real devices or cloud-based browser labs

Best practices:

• Use standard-compliant HTML/CSS
• Avoid browser-specific code unless necessary
• Test on multiple devices and screen sizes

Recommended Tools: BrowserStack, CrossBrowserTesting, LambdaTest

3. Performance Testing ⚡📊

Why it’s important:

Website speed significantly impacts user experience, bounce rates, SEO, and conversions. A slow-loading page—even by a few seconds—can reduce engagement and trust.

How to do it:

• Measure load speed, time to first byte, image sizes, and script impact
• Identify slow-loading assets and backend delays
• Optimize media, cache settings, and server responses

Best practices:

• Keep the total page size below 2 MB
• Compress and lazy-load images
• Use minified CSS and JS
• Apply CDN for faster global load times

Recommended Tools: Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix ,Lighthouse

4. Security Testing

Why it’s important:

Even a static business website can be a target for malicious activity like spamming, form abuse, and data theft. Security testing ensures basic vulnerabilities are patched and user trust is maintained.

How to do it:

• Check SSL certificate implementation and HTTPS redirection
• Scan for cross-site scripting, outdated plugins, and data leaks
• Review third-party scripts and integrations

Best practices:

• Enable HTTPS and renew certificates regularly
• Sanitize all form inputs
• Use CAPTCHA on forms
• Disable open directory listings

Recommended Tools: SSL Labs – for SSL configuration testing,Detectify – for website vulnerability scanning,OWASP ZAP – open-source security testing tool

5. Accessibility Testing

Why it’s important:

Accessibility testing ensures that people with disabilities can access and navigate your website. It also aligns with WCAG guidelines and can positively influence SEO rankings.

How to do it:

• Review color contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility
• Use semantic HTML and ARIA labels
• Check for alt text on images and descriptive links

Best practices:

• Use headings correctly (H1, H2, etc.)
• Ensure all forms have labels
• Avoid relying only on colour to convey information
• Enable tab navigation for interactive elements

Recommended Tools: WAVE,axe DevTools,Lighthouse

SEO Benefits – Improving Search Engine Rankings

Website testing doesn’t just ensure functionality—it plays a direct role in boosting your SEO performance. Search engines like Google take into account a site’s speed, usability, mobile responsiveness, and accessibility when ranking pages. A well-tested website is not only more reliable for users but also more favourable in the eyes of search engines.

1. Drawing More Inbound Links

A website that loads fast, functions well, and provides a clean user experience naturally attracts more organic backlinks from partners, bloggers, directories, and media. When other sites link to your content or services, it sends strong SEO signals to search engines.

How testing helps: Ensures all links work (no broken pages), Maintains consistent performance under load, Helps establish a trustworthy online presence

2. Increasing User Confidence in Your Business/Brand

First impressions matter—especially online. A glitchy, broken, or slow website creates doubt in a visitor’s mind about your company’s credibility. On the other hand, a well-tested site builds trust and authority.

How testing helps: Prevents visual errors, broken forms, or slow-loading pages, Enhances mobile and cross-browser experience,Creates a polished digital face for your brand

3. Bringing Visitors Back Regularly

Repeat visitors are a signal of value to Google. When users return to your website, it suggests that your content or services are useful. Consistent testing ensures your site remains smooth over time, encouraging users to bookmark, return, and explore more.

How testing helps: Minimizes downtime or usability issues, Ensures consistent updates without breaking features,Supports content delivery with good load times and reliability

4. Driving Interactions and Inquiries

Whether it’s a contact form submission, newsletter signup, or service inquiry—your website should smoothly convert visitors into leads. Testing ensures all interaction points function as intended.

How testing helps: Validates form submissions, buttons, and CTA workflows,Removes friction from user journeys,Boosts lead capture and engagement rates

Common Test Cases for Website Testing

1. Verify there are no broken links on all pages
2. Check website responsiveness on Safari browser (iPhone)
3. Check website responsiveness on Samsung Internet (Samsung devices)
4. Check website responsiveness on Huawei Browser (Huawei devices)
5. Ensure the current year is updated in the website footer copyright
6. Verify the cookie consent banner is displayed and functions correctly
7. Verify there are no grammar or spelling mistakes on any page
8. Test website appearance and readability in browser dark mode
9. Evaluate performance using Google Lighthouse
10. Verify contact form submits data and sends confirmation
11. Check the Google Translate integration and display
12. Verify that all images load correctly and are optimised
13. Ensure all pages have relevant meta titles and descriptions
14. Verify all CTAs and buttons are clickable and functional
15. Test mobile hamburger menu opens and collapses properly
16. Verify that the custom 404 error page appears for broken URLs
17. Check scroll behaviour and presence of scroll-to-top functionality
18. Test all social media and external links open correctly
19. Check the browser console for JavaScript or resource errors
20. Verify that sitemap.xml and robots.txt files are correctly configured

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Pradeep K

Founder of Testvox Helping startups and SMEs deliver high-quality software products to market, with over 10 years of experience in the software testing industry. Expertise in Automation Testing, Exploratory Testing, and Performance Testing. Passionate about enabling businesses to achieve seamless and robust software solutions through innovative testing methodologies.