Website Testing: What We Check Before Launch

Before your website goes live, it goes through extensive testing that most clients never see. This behind-the-scenes work catches issues that could embarrass your brand, frustrate your visitors, or cost you business. Understanding what we test—and why—helps you appreciate the value of a proper QA process and participate effectively in user acceptance testing.

Why Testing Takes Time

A website isn't a single thing—it's a complex system of interconnected parts that must work together across an enormous range of conditions. Your visitors use different browsers, devices, screen sizes, connection speeds, and accessibility tools. They interact with your site in unexpected ways. They make mistakes. They have impatient fingers and short attention spans.

For more insights on this topic, see our guide on Website Migration Planning: Moving to a New Site.

Testing exists to ensure your website handles all these variations gracefully. It's not glamorous work, but it's what separates professional web development from amateur hour.

Browser and Device Testing

No two browsers render websites identically. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge each have quirks that can affect how your site looks and functions. Beyond desktop browsers, there are mobile browsers on iOS and Android, each with their own behaviors.

What We Test

• Chrome (Windows and Mac)
• Safari (Mac and iOS)
• Firefox (Windows and Mac)
• Edge (Windows)
• Mobile browsers on current iOS and Android devices

For each browser, we verify that layouts appear correctly, interactive elements function properly, and no visual glitches occur. We don't test legacy browsers like Internet Explorer—the development cost outweighs the benefit for the tiny percentage of visitors still using them.

Responsive Design Testing

Your website needs to work on screens ranging from small smartphones to large desktop monitors—and everything in between. Responsive testing ensures the layout adapts appropriately at every size.

What We Check

• Navigation remains usable on small screens
• Text remains readable without horizontal scrolling
• Images scale appropriately
• Touch targets (buttons, links) are large enough for fingers
• No content gets cut off or hidden unintentionally
• Forms are easy to complete on mobile devices

Functionality Testing

Every interactive element on your website needs to work correctly. This includes obvious features like contact forms and not-so-obvious ones like dropdown menus.

Common Items Tested

• Forms: Submission, validation, error messages, confirmation
• Navigation: All links work, menus open/close properly
• Search: Returns relevant results, handles edge cases
• E-commerce: Add to cart, checkout flow, payment processing
• User accounts: Registration, login, password reset
• Integrations: Third-party tools connect and function

We test both the "happy path" (everything works as expected) and edge cases (what happens when things go wrong).

Content and Copy Review

Even with careful content entry, errors creep in. We review every page for:

• Spelling and grammatical errors
• Broken or incorrect links
• Missing images or alt text
• Placeholder text that wasn't replaced
• Formatting inconsistencies
• Contact information accuracy

Performance Testing

A slow website is a failed website. Studies consistently show that visitors abandon sites that don't load quickly. We test and optimize for speed.

What We Measure

• Page load time: How quickly pages become usable
• Time to first byte: Server response speed
• Largest contentful paint: When main content appears
• Cumulative layout shift: Visual stability during loading

We use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and run tests from multiple geographic locations to ensure good performance for your target audience.

SEO Verification

Technical SEO issues can prevent your site from ranking well in search results. Before launch, we verify:

• All pages have unique, descriptive title tags
• Meta descriptions are present and compelling
• Heading hierarchy is logical (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
• Images have descriptive alt text
• XML sitemap is generated and accurate
• Robots.txt allows appropriate crawling
• Canonical URLs are properly configured
• No unintentional noindex tags block pages

Accessibility Testing

Your website should be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. We test for compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

Key Accessibility Checks

• Keyboard navigation works throughout the site
• Screen readers can interpret content correctly
• Color contrast meets minimum ratios
• Form fields have proper labels
• Images have meaningful alt text
• Video has captions (if applicable)

Security Testing

We verify that your website is protected against common vulnerabilities:

• SSL certificate is installed and configured correctly
• All pages load over HTTPS
• Forms are protected against spam and abuse
• Sensitive data is handled appropriately
• CMS and plugins are updated to current versions

Your Role: User Acceptance Testing

After our internal testing, we hand the site to you for user acceptance testing (UAT). This is your opportunity to review the site, test the functionality you care about most, and identify any issues we might have missed.

Tips for Effective UAT

• Test on your actual devices: The devices you use daily are the ones that matter most.
• Follow real user journeys: Don't just click around randomly—simulate what actual visitors will do.
• Document issues clearly: Include the page URL, what you did, what happened, and what you expected.
• Include screenshots: A picture is worth a thousand words when reporting bugs.
• Test forms with real data: Submit actual contact requests and verify they arrive.

Related Reading

• 10 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Website Project
• Website Revision Rounds: How Many Is Normal?
• The Website Discovery Phase: What Happens and Why It Matters