Never Launch An E-commerce Platform Without Testing – Here Is Why

Published on: 26 March 2021 Last Updated on: 22 November 2024

In simple words, without sounding too nerdy, let us try to look at what performance testing is.

Performance Testing is the process of rigorously testing all the tech and digital components of an E-commerce business. This includes the desktop version of the platform and mobile app testing. The key is to look at and analyze how the entire tech and digital ecosystem operates. Especially when exposed to real-world use.

Imagine hundreds of people using the E-commerce platform app at the same time. The questions that then arise are-

Is the server able to handle the heavy load of all the traffic using the mobile app at the same time?
Is there a lag or breakdown that any of the users are experiencing or is there a UI and UX compromise under stress?
What are some of the benchmarks and standards that one should use to judge speed and whether the platform is exposing some bottlenecks?

Performance Testing is more than just looking at loading page speeds. It seeks to test each aspect of the E-commerce platform and suggest the perfect optimization for the same.

Important Things To Consider During Performance Testing For E-commerce:

In this section, we request experts at QA Madness to help us. Specifically, to list some important things that should be considered during performance testing.

1. Testing Financial Transactions

One area where things can go wrong is in financial transactions. With so many people using the same platform at the same time, testing becomes necessary. You need to test to ensure that every transaction is going through.

Integrations with Payment Gateways, the ERP, and Inventory Management Software are all areas that should be covered under this software testing services.

2. Checking The Mobile App Exhaustively

Mobile app testing perhaps constitutes one of the most important verticals for Performance Testing. How does the app perform?

Is it SEO friendly?

Is there a compromise in the graphics?

These are the common issues that mobile app testing will help resolve.

In addition to the app, the mobile version of the E-commerce platform’s website also needs to be tested rigorously.

3. Region-Based Testing For Different Geographies-

If you are starting an e-commerce business, you are looking at a truly global audience.

This is why you need to make sure that the internet protocols of the different countries are not interfering with how the customers in those countries are engaging with your platform. Changed domain URLs, IP addresses, and other rules and regulations need to be considered.

4. Data Management Testing

Any successful E-commerce ecosystem is incomplete without integrated data management. For an E-commerce platform, data is the lifeblood that helps all its verticals- marketing, sales, and CRM.

Performance Testing needs to ensure that the data collection, cloud storage solutions, and the final outputs are ready for systematic generation.

The Three KPIs Of Performance Testing As Stated By QA Madness-

While there can be multiple KPIs that software testing services can help E-commerce brands with, QA Madness states that the following are the three major ones. They refer to the same as the three ‘S’s of their Performance Testing goals.

A. Speed

When it comes to speed, we are referring to the speed of the website, the mobile version of the web, and the mobile application. It also includes the speed with which users are progressing from one page to another on the app and the website.

The higher the speed, the better will be the user experience. This combines to deliver the best sales and revenues for an E-commerce platform.

B. Scalability

You do not want your website and app infrastructure to be so weak that it crashes only after a hundred visitors. You’re E-commerce website and the app must go under a test for scalability to handle massive loads all at the same time.

This will help you provide a fluid experience to millions of users and potential customers all at the same time without compromises.

C. Stability

A lot can go wrong on an E-commerce website when it is put under stress. Graphics can fall out of place and payment gateways can collapse. You never want the users to experience these problems on your platform.

An E-commerce platform needs to be stable all the time, with or without load. Performance Testing seeks to build the stability of an E-commerce platform.

What Do Experts Have To Say?

There is no set rule as to when an E-commerce platform should go for Performance Testing. Some believe that it should be done at the early stages of development.

Others believe that it should be done once the development of the platform is complete to identify the loopholes and then plug them in accordingly.

No matter when you get them done, Performance Testing is essential for your E-commerce platform. If you want to create a highly optimized and result-oriented business, this is a great investment to make.

If you have any other questions on software testing services or mobile app testing, feel free to ask them. Use the comments section to drop your queries. We will once again request or reach out to our friends at QA Madness to help you out.

What Happens With A Lack Of Thorough Test?

Not performing performance testing for an E-commerce platform can get you in a lot of trouble. Your site is live; suddenly, hundreds or thousands of people have started using it!

What could possibly go wrong?- Well, without performance testing, things will go downhill really quickly. So, let’s see what could happen when not to perform performance testing.

Crashes And Slowdowns

If your E-commerce platform hasn’t been tested for scalability, it could easily crash when too many users try to access it. A slow website or app not only frustrates users but also drives them away.

No one likes waiting for pages to load, especially when they’re trying to make a purchase. The result? A major drop in sales and a tarnished reputation.

Failed Transactions

Think of users wanting to purchase an item and their transactions fail. Users will not be ready to trust your platform anymore.

This is why performance testing is important as it ensures that all financial transactions are smooth on your site even when there is heavy traffic.

Poor User Experience

Have you ever been on an app or website that lags, has images that don’t fit, or feels unresponsive?

It’s not fun. The UI/UX of your platform can feel the same way without performance testing.

This gives a very unprofessional impression and will make people leave your site out of frustration (high bounce rate).

Increased Costs

Skipping testing might appear to be a good way to keep some money in your pocket, however it will actually cost you more in the end.

If your site crashes during a big sale or promotion, the time and expense of getting those issues fixed after the fact will likely be substantial. Plus, if your site is down for any longer period of time, you’ll be losing out on all that potential income.

Safety Not Guaranteed!

No matter what app you’re building, you’re likely going to be handling some sort of user data.

Whether it’s a login and password or more sensitive financial or health information, users need to know they can trust you with that data.

What About The User’s Interest

Finally, one of the most significant risks is losing users’ trust. If your platform crashes, slows down, or declines a transaction, for instance, and that happens to some users, they will probably never come back.

Even if you fix everything afterward!

When people’s trust is broken, it’s very hard to be rebuilt!

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Soumava Goswami

A passionate writer and an avid reader, Soumava is academically inclined and loves writing on topics requiring deep research. Having 3+ years of experience, Soumava also loves writing blogs in other domains, including digital marketing, business, technology, travel, and sports.

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Transacting Safely In Craiglist

Craigslist is used by many to buy and sell stuff due to its simple interface. You can find almost anything on it. However, due to the large scale of transactions occurring, it is hard to keep track or even find out the credentials of the parties to the sale or the authenticity of the things being sold. To help you in maneuvering around the site, here are some tips for a safe and meaningful experience on Craigslist. Conceal Your Identity In Craigslist, you are given an option to either use your true email address or use the one provided by the site itself. Choose the latter. It’s safer to use the proxy e-mail as it can prevent scammers from accessing your real e-mail address. However, when you respond to someone, your true e-mail will then be exposed. You can opt to create an e-mail solely for Craigslist. Use ones from Mailinator, Gish Puppy, etc. to hide your true identity and preserve your anonymity. In addition, do not reveal your location or residential place. Always remember to remove geotags from the photos before you put them on Craigslist. Thieves and scammers can use programs that can read the information on location that are hidden in the file header. For starters, use the EXIF geotag removal app before posting online. Aside from contact details, do not also give in to requests that can reveal any personal or financial information. Some scammers will ask you to submit “credit checks” and such is a big no-no since they can get credit card information from it. Money wiring services is also often used by scammers. The best way to handle Craigslist transaction is by meeting in person and using cash or PayPal as a mode of payment. To See is To Believe Never buy something in Craigslist without seeing it personally. Scheming sellers can get photos online of items in good condition when in reality, the one they are selling is not in top shape anymore. You see this a lot when people sell their iPhone's and you will be disappointed to see a different item when you receive it via courier. Read also: 8 Incredible Tricks That You Didn’t Know Your IPhone Can Perform When you do meet the buyer or seller, make sure that you are in a public place. Coffee shops, restaurants, and other places with lots of people are good locations to do the transaction. It is also advisable to bring a friend who will act as a witness to the entire sale. Do not leave your cellphone behind and make sure that at least one friend or relative knows when and where you will meet the buyer or seller. Craigslist actually recommends that parties deal in person by advising sellers and buyers to deal with people locally whom they can meet in person. Not A Dating Website Though some people do it, Craigslist is not the best place to find potential dates. There are other free dating sites like Plenty of Fish and OK Cupid, plus applications like Tinder, that you can use to find a date. These sites and apps have specialized privacy and security settings that are just not available in

The Right B2B E-Commerce Platforms to Sell Your Used Machinery

Any business person aims to make many sales to stay afloat. Choosing the right B2B marketplace help, you grow your business to a whole new level. There are many B2B marketplaces on the internet that makes it hard for sellers to choose on that best suits their needs. Whether one decides to go for a leading B2B European marketplace or a small dedicated niche website, it must help a seller get buyers and offer the customer good shopping experience. The latter especially is very important if a customer is to keep shopping at the same B2B marketplace. So how then can a seller find a B2B marketplace that best suits their needs? 1. You should agree with the policies and objectives of the platform: Because there are numerous B2B marketplaces on the internet, they are bound to be different in the way they conduct business. As a seller, you should agree with their business model and make sure that they do what they promise to do for you as a seller. Consider their payment policies, seller agreements, commissions, user support among other important things. In case you are in doubt, ask questions and keep doing your research until you are satisfied. If you and the platform have different goals, then you will struggle with sales on the platform. 2. The cost of doing business on the platform: Different B2B eCommerce platforms exist because they earn a certain percentage every time a sale is made. If as a seller you factor in everything all the costs of selling your used machinery on a certain platform, you should make a decent amount afterward. Avoid platforms that overcharge you on commissions and make you shoulder a lot of the expenses. This is important especially to people that are selling used machinery as a business and not as a one-time thing. 3. How easy to use is the platform? With many e-commerce platforms in the market, people will gravitate towards those that are easy to access and use. If a platform can be accessed even on the smallest device and still performs the same as if one is using a PC or laptop, then that’s where many buyers would be. The platforms should be responsive and offer the best user experience. It should allow the buyer and seller to communicate with each other and offer easy payment plans within the platform. This not only protects the seller form fake buyers but also the buyer from fake sellers. 4. Is one’s business on the platform scalable? Again, this may not apply to one-time sellers because once they have sold the equipment, they don’t need the platform anymore. For people that are looking to start used machinery resell business, they have to consider that their business will grow and they will need a platform that will take that into account. How e-commerce sites do this is by providing features on the website that allows one to create more than one storefront. This allows the seller to target the audience they want by offering different products. Each storefront can be used to sell individual products. 5. Personalization and customization: When choosing a good B2B platform, ensure that it is flexible enough to suit your needs at different stages of your business. It should allow you to scale up and down whenever you want. You should be able to change the appearance of your storefront from the backend. Make it suit your needs and that of your potential client. For example, you can choose the features that you think are important for your clients such as an increase in the number of photos you can upload a product. For personalization, choose a platform that targets customers with something they are interested in based on their recent searches. This ensures that potential customers are made aware of your products and are directed to your storefront. There are many popular and smaller, dedicated B2B e-commerce platforms to choose from on the internet. You need to choose a platform that takes care of your needs as well as those of the customer. Also, if an e-commerce platform can help customers discover your page with ease, it is the right platform for you. Read Also: How Social Media Can Boost Up The E-Commerce Industry 7 Ways Technology Can Help In Customer Management And Sales Tags In E-Commerce: This Is Why They Are Important Top 10 Features To Have In Marketing Automation Platforms 5 Reasons To Use Magento For Your Next Ecommerce Website

Your Ultimate Guide To Creating SMS Marketing Campaigns

Every marketer would tell you that there are reasons why text marketing continues to become a mainstay in marketing agencies. In fact, both conventional and modern companies highly rely on their efficacy when it comes to reaching out to their target audience. Because when you think about it, every person checks their text message inbox every time they receive a ping. Leveraging communication strategies like an effective SMS marketing campaign allows you to grow your brand more, target more audiences, and even build closer relationships with prospects. There are a lot of things that SMS marketing can help you with in terms of achieving business goals. But before you partake in this marketing tactic, it’s important to understand the concept behind this marketing practice. Use this guide to make successful SMS marketing campaigns. What Is SMS Marketing? It’s crucial to understand first the concept behind this old but gold marketing strategy. SMS marketing refers to a short message service you send to your customers to build relationships with them. It’s important for text marketers to communicate with their target audiences in a respectful and compliant manner. No matter what your business goals are, SMS marketing puts you one step ahead of achieving them. For instance, you can drive more leads, introduce new products, lead them to check your website, and so on. The ideas that you can do with this marketing method are limitless. Compared to email or push notification marketing, SMS marketing has several advantages. For instance, every person who receives an incoming message in their phone inbox will surely take the time to check and read them one by one. While some people might check their emails at least once a day regarding text message inboxes, people often check them as soon as they receive a message. Your message can be concise and clear with SMS marketing. There’s no need for lengthy advertising messages. With brief sentences that can take up less than 160 characters of the SMS limit, you can already deliver what you want to say to your prospects. Choosing The Right SMS Marketing Tool Now, it’s time to understand the tool to use for this marketing strategy. With the advent of technology, there is now text marketing software at your disposal. For one, you can take advantage of Drop Cowboy Ringless Voicemail service and some other brands that offer reliable text messaging as marketing services. Text message delivery depends on the tools and services you choose. Such software comes with pricing plans that fit your marketing budget and goals. Unlike any other conventional marketing promotions like print ads, TV ads, and billboards, this marketing campaign is priced reasonably better. Also, consider partnering with the best SMS marketing service provider to automate your text messages to your target recipients. How To Maximize On SMS Marketing Campaigns As mentioned, a high percentage of people open text messages every time they receive one. By sending promotional messages via SMS, you ensure your customers will read them because they will arrive directly in their inboxes. Check out these ideas in which you can maximize your SMS marketing campaigns. 1. Limited-Time Promotions You can use an SMS marketing strategy to encourage your customers to avail of coupons and discounts or even redeem incentives or gifts. Offering these incentives for a limited time makes them even more effective. Announcing that the campaign only runs on a promo period is an effective call-to-action strategy so your customers won’t miss out on such opportunities. It’s one effective strategy to get your business to high ranks. Considering SMS marketing's high open rate, it’s the most effective way to communicate time-sensitive offers with customers. As a result, you ensure your customers don't pass up a good deal. This yield win-win situations for both the customers and your brand. They get discounted rates, and you could convert your sales funnel more effectively. 2. Reminding Customers One good purpose for SMS marketing is when you could send notifications regarding the recent actions of your customers. For instance, whether they checked your website, changed passwords, or linked different payment modes, an SMS notification will be sent to inform them that the activity is successful. Sending notification messages is essential for many businesses, and they’ve realized how effective it is in retaining customers. By relaying notifications about their recent purchase or online activities, the customers will grow their trust in your brand. It could lead to continuous patronage. Also, they will feel at ease by getting reminders of how your brand is already dealing with their orders or purchases. Receiving reminders is valuable, especially for customers who are always busy with other things and obligations. Make sure your brand is always at the top of your customer's minds. It’s a job that SMS is best suited for. With SMS marketing, you can remind your customers about everything from their most recently liked products to the purchased ones that are going to arrive soon. 3. Order Updates And Confirmation An SMS is also useful for customers to receive updates regarding their orders. Once they make a purchase, a message will be sent regarding the successful transaction. It ensures peace of mind for the customer. Also, the confirmation messages sent via SMS will allow them to use them as proof or evidence regarding their purchase. If products don’t arrive as planned, they can refer to the SMS notification. 4. New Product Release And Launches SMS advertising is also useful for announcing new product releases. It’s the most cost-effective way for marketers to advertise new product launching. Without paying for the expensive talents of celebrities to promote new products, a large number of users will discover your new product offering through the message they can read in their SMS inbox. Using this method will generate buzz and interest, and you could even entice old customers to come back and check out what's new. You can also use SMS campaigns to drive traffic to your website or storefront. Thus, you can simply include a link they can visit to check your new product or any offers. 5. Send Welcome Messages Send your customer a welcome message once they subscribe to your SMS marketing campaign. Companies must start building relationships with their customers. As a result, you will be able to communicate with them right away, as they will know they have been subscribed. It also alerts them to expect a few messages from your end every now and then. There’s no need for lengthy or complex welcome messages. Sometimes short but sweet thank you message about their subscription are already enough for your customers to remember your business. 6. Customer Service Tool SMS is not limited to being a marketing tool; it’s also a customer support tool. In this era where customer service should be at the forefront of any business, SMS strategy can be used to ensure customer satisfaction. It’s imperative that your work processes are as transparent as possible, and you can achieve this by constantly sending them SMS in case necessary. After all, a text message is the easiest way to communicate with pre-sale customers and post-sale tech support. 7. Collect Customer Feedback It’s essential for businesses to receive customer feedback to determine what they are doing well and what they need to improve. And it’s something that’s being offered with SMS marketing. You can send out surveys through SMS, and customers can answer them timely and convenient. There are many ways to create survey forms for them to easily fill out. The key is to attach the link to your SMS. Another option is to ask customers to rate you using a ranking system that’s easy for them to use. 8. Announce VIP Programs By offering a VIP program, you can encourage loyalty among your subscribers and customers. If you want to make your VIP customers feel special, offer them VIP-only discounts. This sense of exclusivity allows your customers to treat your brand with more respect and value. Also, use this program for customers to gain early access to sales and other promotions. One way for them to qualify for your VIP list is to encourage them to fill out a signup link. However, since it’s VIP, make it seems more challenging for them to enter this list. The harder it feels to qualify, the more special and valued they would feel. Tips To Apply Effective SMS Marketing Strategies Applying SMS marketing strategies require effective implementations. When done right, they can produce the best outcomes for your business. Here are some tips to apply effective SMS marketing strategies for your brand: 1. Ensure That Your Customers Opted In Your customers probably already provide you with their phone numbers. However, one common courtesy is to get their approval to start receiving SMS from your brand. Mass texting them without their consent is ethically wrong and will only lead to adverse effects on the customer. Ensure to get your customer’s clear opt-in before starting to send out text message campaigns. Your website or other online channels can allow customers to opt-in to receive text messages. However, you should get a text confirmation before you send them anything. There are ways to get their opt-in consent. One is to make them reply Yes or No to your single SMS regarding SMS subscription. Another way is through your website. They can press a CTA button regarding their receiving SMS messages from your brand. When the user clicks the link in the offer, they can fill out the subscription form and enter their number so they can start receiving your SMS campaigns. 2. Take Time To Introduce Yourself A good practice is to take the time to introduce your brand in any of your SMS campaigns. Chances are your customers don’t know where the messages are coming from. Failing to include your company name or brand name on the message will only forfeit its purpose. Hence, it’s important to include your company or brand name in that short message that you’re sending. 3. Make Messages Fun And Short It’s common for people to use SMS messages to communicate with friends and family informally. Texting should remain fun in your SMS campaign in the same way as a fun communication tool between people. Be friendly and personal with customers to build trust. Use local trending words that are popular with your target audience for the time being. It ensures to catch their interest and make them read your text message completely. The maximum number of characters in an SMS message is 160. With an opt-out option and the need to identify yourself, that's not much to work with. Don't waste any characters, and go straight to the point of what you want to say. 4. Don’t Forget To Use Target Keywords To encourage users to connect with you, you should select contextually relevant keywords alongside simple messages and shortcodes. Using such keywords will allow them to easily remember anything about your brand or company. If they want to research you online, they can use the same keywords found on your SMS. 5. Give An Option For Customers To Opt Out All marketing communications should follow these standards and rules. Much like getting their buy-in, you should also give them the option to opt out and unsubscribe from your SMS campaigns. You are more likely to lose customers if you constantly text them when they do not want to hear from you. Your messages should come with the unsubscribe option, so your customers can freely opt out anytime they want. There are some viable reasons for them to do this. But it doesn’t entirely mean that they won’t be good prospects for you in the future. It’s just that not everyone prefers to get this kind of information via text. SMS open rates tend to be much higher than those for email, so you should also expect a higher unsubscribe rate. After a message is sent, unsubscribes may spike and treat it as a normal occurrence. 6. Be More Informative Than Promotional You should be extremely considerate of your buyers' inboxes since promotional SMS messages can easily be turned off. Therefore, staying informative and interactive is best, and not focusing too much on sounding sales or promotional. A good rule of thumb is to focus most of your communication on order, whether a status update or a request for feedback. Schedule your promotional messages and send them at least only twice a week at a minimum. No one wants to keep receiving promotional messages that are obvious that they want to make money from you. Conclusion You can increase engagement with your target audience by using SMS marketing. Keeping your customers' attention is easier if you market to them where they are most active. Therefore, if your target audience is always in their phone’s SMS inbox, it’s worth considering SMS marketing as part of your marketing mix. Use this guide and wait for results to reflect your bottom line soon. Read Also: Calling Out – How Telemarketing Allows You to Reach a Wider Audience How To Move Your Career In Social Media Marketing Up A Gear? Best Marketing Strategies For Lawyers In Houston

Never Launch An E-commerce Platform Without Testing – Here Is Why