Quality Assurance Shouldn’t be an Afterthought

In the fast-paced world of web development, delivering a flawless product is not just a goal - it's a necessity. With competition growing fiercer by the day, a single glitch or bug can turn potential customers away for good. That’s why at Yoyo, we understand that quality assurance should never be an afterthought. Let’s dive into five essentials when it comes to QA.

Continuous Process Throughout Development

It is easy to confine QA to a single phase of development or to be considered towards the end of a project. It’s definitely not the first thing you’d think of when imagining the development of a digital product. However, we believe it should be seamlessly integrated into the entire development lifecycle. This means that from the initial definition stages to deployment and post-deployment, QA should be ongoing.

By incorporating QA into each development sprint, you can identify and address issues as they arise, preventing them from snowballing into pretty major problems later down the road. This iterative approach allows for quicker identification and resolution of bugs, user experience (UX) conflicts and ensuring a more streamlined and efficient development process. Happy days.

Quality is Vital to a Yoyo Product

Your website or digital product is often the first point of contact between you and potential clients. It serves as a brand new shiny digital shop window, with all the bells and whistles. You’re excited to show it off to everyone, and it’s open day! But what’s that? There’s a loose window in the corner letting in a draft? That light fitting is exposing some electrical work? That wall isn’t the shade of green we agreed?!

Just as clients expect a clean and well-organised physical shop, they expect a smooth and error-free online experience. Any bugs, broken links, poor UX, confusing UI or other issues can damage your reputation and deter visitors from returning.

We all know that online reviews are hugely important when potential clients are doing product research - one negative experience can spread like wildfire and tarnish your brand's image.That is why maintaining a high level of quality is not just a matter of preference, it's essential for protecting and enhancing your reputation.

Time and Cost Savings in the Long Run

One common misconception is that QA is a time-consuming and expensive process that slows down development. Constantly testing your work can come across as over-the-top, and begs the questions, ‘is it really needed?’, ‘can we not just save some time and money and skip QA?’. We know the opposite is true. By interweaving testing throughout development sprints, you can save time and money in the long run.

When QA is left as an afterthought, it often results in a backlog of bugs and issues that need to be addressed all at once. Not only is this overwhelming, but it can lead to extensive delays and increased costs as developers scramble to fix problems that could have been prevented or addressed earlier in the process. A continuous QA approach identifies and resolves issues incrementally, reducing the likelihood of major setbacks and costly last-minute fixes.

Enhanced UX

UX is at the heart of any successful digital product. You could say it courses through its veins. Your users expect a seamless, intuitive, and error-free experience, and any deviations from this expectation can drive them away. By integrating QA into your development process, you can ensure that your web application meets or exceeds user expectations. QA doesn’t just ensure a high-quality product from a development point of view, it also makes sure that the UX principles are met too.

Regular testing and user feedback can help you identify areas where the user experience can be improved. Whether it's optimising load times, exceeding accessibility standards, or enhancing navigation, addressing these issues during development will result in a more satisfied user base.

Compliance and Security

In today's digital landscape, data privacy and security are paramount. Neglecting QA can lead to vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit, potentially compromising sensitive user information and damaging your company's reputation. Regular security testing and compliance checks should be part of your QA strategy to safeguard both your users and your business.

Conclusion

QA should never be considered an afterthought in the development process. It is a continuous, ongoing effort that is essential for maintaining the quality of your web application, protecting your brand's reputation, and ensuring a positive user experience. By interweaving QA throughout development sprints, you not only save time and money but also demonstrate a commitment to delivering a top-notch product that users can trust and rely on. In today's competitive digital landscape, QA is not just a best practice - it's essential for success.

Want to know more? Get in touch with a member of the team.