Beta Testing your Website

You’ve built your website. Now you need to test it to make sure it works on most browsers. And most devices.

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INTRODUCTION

When they build their website, most people use their main computer. And their main browser.

Next, using that main computer and browser, they look at the site to make sure everything correct.

However, that is no guarantee of success. For a website to be successful, it needs to be beta tested with various browsers. And various devices.

This is called Beta Testing. It is time-consuming and tedious. But it can really pay off.

That is because websites behave differently on different browsers. And on different devices.

On the one hand, if you don’t Beta Test, if you don’t discover the problems experienced in different browsers and on different devices, here is what will happen:

People using those browsers and devices will come to your site. They will think your site is broken. They will leave. And not come back.

Without knowing it, you drove them away.

On the other hand, if you do Beta testing, if you do discover the problems and fix them, here is what will happen:

People using those browsers and devices will not be driven away. They will stick around and explore your site!

Here is what I suggest for browsers and devices:

BROWSERS

We can’t test every browser. There are too many.

So instead, test the most popular browsers.

Here is the market share of the major browsers in February 2019, according to statcounter:

1. Chrome: 62.4%
2. Safari: 15.6%
3. Firefox: 4.4%
4. UC Browser: 3.7%
5. Samsung Internet: 3.4
6. Opera: 2.9%
7. Internet Explorer: 2.6%
8. Edge: 2.2%

And there are many more browsers.

Nobody can test them all. So let’s simplify it.

If we only test the first three browsers (Chrome, Safari, and Firefox), we will cover 83% of all browser market share.

According to Pareto’s Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, that should be sufficient.

OPERATING SYSTEMS

As with browsers, we can’t test every operating system. There are too many.

So instead, let’s test the most popular operating systems.

Here is the market share of the major operating systems in February 2019, according to statcounter:

1. Android: 36.5%
2. Windows: 36%
3. iOS: 13.99%
4. macOS: 6.4%
5. Unknown: 4.8%
6. Linux: 0.8%

Nobody can test them all. So let’s simplify it.

If we only test the first three (Android, Windows, and iOS), we will cover 86% of all operating systems in the world.

If we just add macOS, we will cover 94% of all operating systems in the world.

In either case, we will have exceeded the 80/20 Rule.

Originally published on March 6, 2019

Last updated on September 09, 2023

TOPICS: Android, Apple, Browsers, Devices, Linux, Mac, Windows,