Responsive design allows content, image size, and navigation to update dynamically according to screen size and orientation.
Responsive testing ensures that responsive design delivers as intended over multiple devices. Even so, the sheer numbers of devices and Smart gadgets available today make it challenging for website developers to create mobile-friendly, easy-to-use websites. In addition, with smaller devices being easier to use, end users are preferring to browse using handy devices rather than confining themselves to desktops.
When creating websites, the final product must remain usable and adaptable on multiple devices with different screen sizes, whether laptops, desktops, smartphones, or tablets. Therefore, responsive design creates flexible web pages to enhance the user’s overall browsing experience.
Why do we need Responsive Testing?
Responsive testing helps ensure websites render well across devices and does not require in-depth testing of all features. Instead, its role is to help identify any issues relating to page display upon expanding and reducing the window size and to check for visible differences.
How do we ensure the site is Responsive?
Several tools are available to help with responsive testing, and manual testing is also an option.
One of the easiest ways to test is to use the browser’s dev tools to select from their list of different devices and custom dimensions. The other method is to resize the window into mobile or tablet mode. Consulting Google Analytics to determine the popularity and usage of a device eases the decision of finalizing which devices to test.
The objective must always be to check that the site automatically adjusts based on the selected device and resolution. The content and images automatically update if a site is responsive to fit the recommended size.
Some key points that confirm a site is responsive include:
- Check the URL. Responsiveness means the URL remains the same irrespective of the device used to view the website.
- Images can change based on the screen resolution.
- Windows resize to a breakpoint so content can update accordingly.
- The site must not show a horizontal scroll.
Considerations for Responsive Testing
Let’s look at some important areas to check as part of responsive testing.
Visual Checks – Website visual responsiveness checks include looking for overlapping texts, missing fonts, and image displays. The appearance of all controls and padding, text, and button alignment are also assessed, ensuring no partially displayed elements. Another check to include is to verify the font rendering, as not all devices support the same fonts.
Navigation Checks – It’s easy to navigate to different pages when using menu options on a web page. However, retaining the same menu structure on a cell phone becomes tricky, so the hamburger menu is the most popular choice for mobile navigation. On tablets, the menu differs in portrait and landscape modes. Sometimes, the breadcrumbs links appear but are non-functional on smaller devices. In addition, the navigation icon changes when the user views the same page on a smaller device. Therefore it is an essential responsive testing check to ensure users can still navigate to different screens and smoothly navigate back and forth between pages.
Page Load Checks – Website development involves heavy images and media files. Rendering pages with these components on mobile could cause delays. Developers use optimized images on mobile and try to limit videos from mobile pages to retain a similar page load time. As well as ensuring that all elements load well, another essential aspect of responsive testing is to note the page load times. A page that takes forever creates a frustrating experience for end users.
Check All Types of Touch Interaction – When it comes to accessing websites on smaller devices, it is necessary to check all possible methods of interaction and gestures, like swiping, touching with fingers, displaying the keyboard and entering input, using an external keyboard for data entry, and using a stylus.
Website Pop-ups – Pop-ups are an excellent lead generation or site promotion method. One marketing strategy involves using pop-ups to update users about the various promotions offered by the website. A pop-up is one area that often gets overlooked regarding responsiveness. The pop-up might load on the smaller screens but in a text-covering or unusable state. The users may be unable to scroll and view or submit the needed information. Ensuring access to the pop-up without issue is an essential objective of responsive testing.
Conclusion
Responsive testing is a continuous process. To best serve the plethora of online devices available today, software teams understand the importance of website responsiveness. In addition, responsive testing increases mobile traffic because it supports creating a better user experience, ultimately improving conversion.
