iPhone App Testing – The Importance of the End-User’s Perspective
Ensuring your iPhone app is tested adequately is probably the most important part of the app’s development, but it’s also the most over-looked. There are several areas that should be tested thoroughly, but even minimal testing in these areas will be much more effective than no testing at all. A key area to focus on the the end users experience and overall perception of the app.
As most app’s out there are not original, but a re-working of someone else’s original idea, any new app must be of the highest quality possible. With so much choice available, users today do not stick with an app for long, and will jump to another iPhone app without delay. As many apps are free or very low in cost, this makes an end user’s choice that much easier to make. If they are looking for an iPhone app to perform a specific function, then chances are that there are several apps available that can do the job for them. The deciding factor will be based on several factors depending on the type of end user. For example, are they happy looking at facts and figures, or do they prefer images? Information can be provided by an app, but its how this information is displayed in the right format for the intended audience is the key to it’s ultimate success.
As part of an iPhone app’s development team, whether you are a developer, tester or even a project manager, you will be familiar with the app’s functional behavior right from the start. Often if involved with an iPhone app’s development life-cycle, you can become unattached from the original concept and and ultimate goal of the app. There may be certain negative aspects that you are aware of early in the app’s development, but as the app nears completion, these aspects become clouded and sometimes lost. When the iPhone app is released, it will be the end user that notices these negative aspects and can result in negative feedback plastered all over the iTunes App Store. This feedback can kill an app’s chances of success almost immediately, as whether you like it or not, the end users do read the app’s comments before deciding whether or not to download/purchase it.
Testing from an end user’s perspective does not have to be expensive, there are plenty of iPhone App Testing companies out there who will be able to offer a professional service. But, if you have no QA budget at all, then at least ensure the app is reviewed by people outside of the development team. It is often quite surprising that a non-technical type of person will be able to provide you with feedback about your app, that you had either not noticed before, or even long forgotten about. If you are involved in the development of an app right now, remember to consider the end user’s perspective in all design decisions!
