How to Test an E-commerce Website

E-commerce websites are the backbone of online retail, where customer experience directly impacts sales and brand reputation. With 58% of customers abandoning businesses due to poor experiences, ensuring a seamless, error-free user journey is critical.

Thorough testing of e-commerce platforms can help identify and address issues early, leading to higher engagement, better retention, and increased revenue.

This article will give a comprehensive understanding of how to test e-commerce websites.

What is E-commerce Website Testing?

E-commerce website testing involves thoroughly examining and validating an online store to ensure its performance, functionality, and security.

This process helps identify and resolve potential issues before launching the website, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for customers. Developers must implement various testing approaches to guarantee the platform operates smoothly and meets user expectations.

Importance of Testing an E-commerce Website

Below are the key reasons why it is important to test an e-commerce website:

• Validates critical features like search, checkout, and payment processes to provide a hassle-free user experience.
• Protects sensitive customer data, building trust and safeguarding against data breaches.
• Identifies and resolves speed and scalability issues, ensuring the website handles high traffic effectively.
• Confirms that the website works flawlessly across various devices, browsers, and operating systems.
• Detects and fixes issues like crashes or errors that lead to abandoned carts, securing customer retention and sales.

Types of E-commerce Websites

Below are the types of E-commerce businesses and their different types of websites:

• Business-to-Consumer (B2C): In this common model, businesses sell products or services directly to consumers. Examples include Amazon and Walmart, offering a wide range of goods.
• Business-to-Business (B2B): Companies sell products or services to other businesses, often in bulk. Platforms like Alibaba and ThomasNet are popular in this space.
• Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C): Individuals buy and sell to one another through platforms like eBay and Craigslist, which facilitate these transactions.
• Consumer-to-Business (C2B): Consumers offer products or services to businesses, often through freelance work or content creation, as seen on Upwork and Fiverr.
• Subscription-Based: Customers pay a recurring fee to access a product or service, such as Netflix streaming or music on Spotify.

Test cases for an E-commerce website

Below are some of the important features and website sections that need to be tested in a typical e-commerce website:

• Home Page: Verify the correct display of text, images, and functional links (catalog, login, cart). Ensure dynamic and static content loads correctly.
• Search and Navigation: Test search functionality for accuracy and speed. Ensure users can easily navigate key sections like product categories, cart, and account info.
• Product Catalog: Ensure all products have accurate descriptions, clear images (zoomable), and visible Add to Cart buttons that work smoothly.
• Order Processing: Validate that the order details match the user’s selection, the shipping methods are correct, and the return/exchange policies are accessible before checkout.
• Payment and User Data: Test customer data security, privacy, and accuracy. Check payment validations (name, card details, OTP), currency conversion, payment cancellation, and order confirmation generation. Ensure flawless integration with external payment systems and test payment scenarios under varying conditions (e.g., weak networks).

To ensure that all the features and sections are working properly, some important test cases need to be performed for every e-commerce website, such as –

1. General Ecommerce Test Cases

• The user should be able to navigate to all the pages in the website
• There should be a fallback page for any page load errors
• Verify that all the links and banners work properly

2. Login/Registration test cases for Online Shopping Website

• Test for valid username and password
• Test “Forgot Password” and Reset Password functionality
• Validate If user is registered or not, and if not, provide an option to create an account

3. Shopping Cart

• Test that all items are added into the cart
• Test that all added items have at least a quantity, price, and delete option associated with it
• Test that the user can increase/decrease the quantity from the cart

Read Test Cases for ECommerce Website to get a comprehensive list of all important test cases for an e-commerce website.

Types of Tests to Run on E-Commerce Websites

Several different tests must be run to ensure that the eCommerce website facilitates a hassle-free shopping experience – something to keep them coming back.

Functional Testing

Functional Testing checks if the website works in accordance with pre-determined requirements. It answers the question: “Is everything working as it is supposed to?”

This encompasses everything from basic link functionality to whether data fields accept correct variables to if the right pop-ups are triggered at the right time.  Functional tests comprise a variety of sub-categories: unit tests, smoke tests, sanity tests, regression tests, integration tests, usability tests, and more.

Since eCommerce websites have a host of functions as part of a user journey, functional testing is mandatory to ensure every one of them works as expected. However, given the number of links and fields any modern-day website carries, running functional tests will be tedious, time-consuming, and prone to errors.

Automation testing is the perfect alternative in this situation. Tools like Selenium, Appium allows testers to create and execute automated functional tests on websites so as to verify site efficacy without having to put in endless man-hours and resources.

BrowserStack’s cloud Selenium grid allows QAs to run automated tests on 3500+ real browsers and devices. Testers can check how their sites behave in real-time and in real user conditions. They can even build test cases for eCommerce websites with dynamic web elements (promotions, coupons, updated product lists) to avoid unpleasant surprises when navigating the site.

Accessibility Testing

Accessibility tests ensure that a website (or app) is accessible to as many people as possible. In particular, it seeks to optimize software so that it can be accessed by individuals with disabilities – impaired vision or hearing, reading problems, physical or cognitive issues.

Not only does accessibility testing expand the potential user pool of an eCommerce website, but it also helps the site align with certain regulations such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Section 508, Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Depending on the country, these may just be guidelines and recommendations, or they may be legal requirements.

QAs execute accessibility tests to check if a site works well with assistive technologies – speech recognition software, screen readers, screen magnification tech, keyboards for individuals with motor function disorders, etc.

BrowserStack allows testers to run accessibility tests on real browsers and devices via BrowserStack Automate and axe library.  Axe is a fast-acting and lightweight tool that verifies entire documents against predetermined accessibility rules. It generated reports detailing violations, which testers can quickly analyze and resolve.

Performance Testing

Performance testing evaluates how a certain software performs under different conditions. Performance, in this case, refers to multiple variables: stability, scalability, speed, responsiveness – all under variant levels of traffic and load.

Performance testing is necessary to ensure that software operates at expected quality levels at all times. It checks parameters such as application output, data transfer speed, data processing speed, network bandwidth use, load-bearing capacity, memory consumption, command response times, etc.

BrowserStack’s real device cloud provides a comprehensive set of tools to execute performance tests. In the real world, traffic comes from a multitude of devices (mobile and desktop), browsers, and operating systems. Performance tests must account for this variety. With a platform like BrowserStack, this is easy to accomplish. 

Cross Browser Compatibility Testing

Expect every eCommerce website to be accessed from multiple browsers and multiple versions of each browser. The website will have to render perfectly on each browser and browser version, considering their various technical variances and idiosyncrasies.

The only way to ensure this is to perform comprehensive cross browser testing across real browsers and devices. Testers need to check how the website renders and operates in real user conditions, for which they need to test on multiple unique browser-device-OS combinations. Given that there are at least 63,000 possible browser-platform-device combinations in popular usage, QA teams need access to a massive on-premise device lab (constantly updated with newer devices) to perform satisfactory cross browser compatibility testing.

Not every organization has the finances or the human resources to set up and maintain such a lab, and they don’t have to. They can use BrowserStack’s cloud-based infrastructure hosting of 3500+ real browsers and devices. Be it manual testing or automated Selenium testing, testers can utilize BrowserStack to get 100% accurate results in real-world circumstances. Testers can also leverage Cypress testing on 30+ real browser versions.

Test Website on Real Browsers for Free

Cross-browser testing is a non-negotiable aspect of any eCommerce test. If an eCommerce site does not render perfectly on all major browsers, it will alienate users, leading to loss of traffic and potential revenue.

Website Speed Test

A report from kissmetrics states that a 1-second delay page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversion rate. Google also considers site speed as a factor when it comes to ranking search results.

Naturally, eCommerce websites must load as fast as possible, on every device-browser combination they are accessed from. A free tool like BrowserStack SpeedLab is perfect for running a website speed test on multiple real browser-device combinations. Simply enter the URL, and the tool will check site speed across a range of widely used device-browser combinations.

Mobile Website Compatibility Test

With most web traffic from mobile devices, eCommerce sites must be optimized for mobile viewing. Device and browser fragmentation can lead to issues with site rendering across different screen sizes and resolutions. To ensure proper functionality, developers use responsive design, which must be tested on real devices.

Testers can use BrowserStack’s responsive design checker to test on popular mobile devices on the real device cloud.

How to Test an E-commerce Website

Now that you know all the important test cases and types of tests for E-commerce website testing, below is a short overview of how to test an e-commerce website.

Step 1: Test Search and Navigation: Verify that the search function returns relevant products and that the navigation is easy to use across different site sections.

Step 2: Test Homepage Design and Features: Ensure the homepage layout displays correctly and features are accessible on various screen sizes and devices.

Step 3: Test Product Pages: Confirm that product descriptions, images, and customization options are accurate, clear, and function properly.

Step 4: Test Shopping Cart and Checkout Process: Test the entire checkout flow, from adding items to the cart to applying discounts and completing the payment process.

Step 5: Test Site Performance Across Devices: Ensure the website is responsive, loads quickly, and provides a seamless experience on all devices and browsers.

Tools for Testing E-Commerce Site

Below are two commonly used tools for testing and E-commerce website:

• BrowserStack: A cloud-based platform for cross-browser and device testing. It enables testing on real devices and browsers, ensuring your e-commerce site performs seamlessly across different platforms. It supports manual and automated testing, offering comprehensive coverage without physical devices.
• Selenium: An open-source tool for automating web browsers, ideal for testing e-commerce sites. It helps automate tasks like product search and checkout validation across various browsers, ensuring smooth functionality.

Common Bugs in E-commerce Website Testing

Below are some common bugs in e-commerce website testing and their solutions:

• Absent Product Data: A common issue on eCommerce sites is missing product data, such as details about color, size, images, titles, or product specifications. It can also include anomalies like products not appearing in search results or not being added to the cart. This issue can significantly hinder a customer’s ability to view or purchase a product, directly impacting revenue.
  Solution: Ensure that there is a checklist to verify all product details when uploading products to the site.
• Redirect Error: Missing redirects can severely impact eCommerce websites, especially when pages are migrated to new URLs. This can negatively affect organic search rankings, paid search results, and the overall user experience. While spotting errors on key pages is easier, secondary pages may be overlooked.
  Solution:Work with a dedicated team or an SEO agency to map out and configure proper redirects across all pages.
• Poor Images without Zoom Function: Shoppers are often hesitant to buy products online because they cannot see or touch them in person. High-quality product images that showcase the product from various angles and include a zoom feature are essential to overcome this skepticism.
  Solution: Invest in professional photography and ensure all images have zoom functionality for a closer look at details and features.
• Low Page Load Speed: Slow-loading pages can cause high abandonment rates, with up to 53% of mobile visitors leaving a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Fast load times are critical for user experience and revenue generation and can also impact Google rankings.
  Solution:Test the site on BrowserStack SpeedLab to optimize page load speed across different browser-device-OS combinations.

• Malfunctioning Payment Function: Payment processing errors can have severe consequences, including jeopardizing customer funds. A malfunctioning payment system must be addressed immediately, as it can lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of sales.
  Solution: Ensure rigorous data security measures for payment details and support multiple payment methods to accommodate customer preferences.

Challenges of E-commerce Testing

Here are some key challenges when it comes to E-commerce website testing:

• Often, eCommerce websites use content management systems like Shopify, Woocommerce to build the site in the shortest possible time. However, these platforms offer integration with third-party services for various purposes – gift cards, social media features, online payment management, etc. However, too many third-party integrations increase testing effort, as each of them needs to seamlessly and securely communicate and interact with the site.
• With new devices and browser versions coming into existence as fast as you can blink, eCommerce website testing must keep up. However, it isn’t an easy task to identify every new device-browser-OS combination, procure them, run tests, and undertake optimizations to make the site compatible with the new kids on the block.
• eCommerce sites offer a large number of functions for uses to leverage. Isolating every single function and user scenario for testing can be quite difficult, at least in the initial rounds of testing.
• Given that eCommerce sites tend to store the financial information of an extensive userbase, they are heavily targeted by hackers. Keeping this information safe from repeated attacks requires significant effort, skill, and know-how. 

Best Practices for eCommerce Testing

Below are some best practices for E-commerce testing:

• Use real browsers and devices to test on: More than half of all internet traffic shopping emerges from a mobile device, which means the site must be optimized to work perfectly on popular mobile devices. As mentioned before, BrowserStack offers 3500+ real browsers and devices for testing. Simply sign up, choose the device-browser-OS combination and start testing to ensure compatibility.
• Run A/B tests to find out which version of the site appeals most to users. It’s possible that more users like a site displaying its best-selling items rather than good reviews. Try out various features and visuals to find which works best.
• Don’t cut out manual tests. eCommerce sites are entirely user-facing, which means human perception is of utmost importance. Automation alone cannot comment on whether a site is easy to use or impressive to view. You’ll need to run manual test cases for eCommerce websites to function and render at optimal levels.
• Focus on usability and performance tests in particular. Remember, users have a million choices when it comes to digital shopping avenues. Your testing efforts should cover a significant number of user scenarios to ensure that people don’t have to deal with easily bugs, errors, and inconveniences. 

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Conclusion

When building test scenarios for eCommerce websites, take the above categories into account. Of course, depending on the nature of the suite, more types of tests may be required. However, the tests described above must necessarily form a part of any QA blueprint pertaining to an eCommerce site. Use this article as the foundation from which to start shaping the expanding test cycles required for optimized eCommerce site performance.