As with the designing of products and services, quality assurance is also absolutely crucial when designing and building a new website. Quality assurance (QA) should be in place from the very start, as it ensures that the website meets the expectations of the visitor as well as your own.
With nineteen years of experience in building successful websites for clients across a range of sectors, the team here at Eyeweb is a technical authority when it comes to applying QA to web design. Read on to discover the steps we take to guarantee that your website works perfectly and is capable of being continuously developed as your business grows.
Design and content
The first thing that strikes a visitor when they arrive on your website is its appearance and how it conveys information. From the layout and images to other types of content and the messages being shared, proper QA means that everything will work in line with your brand.
It isn’t simply a case of the website looking fantastic, as it needs to also reflect your values, voice and vision. This can sometimes be hard to achieve, which is why a professional graphic design, photography, videography and copywriting team will always bring a strong return on investment.
Functionality
Many DIY and template websites come with limited functionality. Everything may seem fine at first but restrictions will soon arise when you decide to diversify your content.
You also need to know that the website is easy to update as often as you wish. Whether it’s small amends like the tweaking of wording or larger changes such as adding new products and services, the content management system should make it a smooth and stress-free process.
Usability
When it comes to the user experience, top considerations are ease of use and instant access to key information. For instance, if you provide multiple business services, the website should allow visitors to find the one they require within two or three clicks. The same goes for products, which is where a search bar will prove extremely useful.
The longer it takes for a visitor to find what they’re looking for, the lower the chances of them actually ending up on the right page. People don’t have time to go on a treasure hunt, so make their journey as fast, straightforward and enjoyable as possible.
Device types
There are multiple types of devices that people use to access websites, including desktop PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Strong web design takes all of these screen sizes into consideration and even factors in different operating systems and browsers. By doing so, your visitors will enjoy a seamless user experience regardless of whether they’re using Chrome on an Android mobile, Safari on a Mac, Microsoft Edge on a PC or any other combination of tech.
Speed testing
It’s quite scary how much web traffic you can lose due to your website not loading quicky enough. People demand greater speeds with each year that passes, with the current expectation being two seconds or less for a webpage to load in its entirety.
According to Google, the probability of someone leaving your website without checking out additional pages increases by 32% if the page load speed is three seconds rather than one. This shows that there’s a genuine need for speed when it comes to web design.
If you’d like to see exactly how quickly (or slowly) your current website loads, check out Google's Page Speed Insights.
SEO testing
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is the term used for a variety of processes that increase the likelihood of your website appearing in relevant search results. Keywords play a leading role in SEO, as do more technical factors such as crawling, indexing, analytics and reporting.
Search engine optimisation is an ongoing job that will greatly benefit from a web design agency that specialises in building SEO-friendly websites. When done properly, your website will perform well for organic search and gradually make its way up search engine results pages.
Let’s talk websites
Eyeweb specialises in designing and building websites with quality assurance at their core. To find out more, give us a ring on 01482 628830 or fill in our contact form.