(10 minute read)

In previous blog posts, I have extensively explored the various Digital Marketing elements in detail. In this post, I will outline some methods of testing and measuring the effectiveness of these elements in implementation.

All digital marketing tools need embedded, extensive testing and measuring tools to manage efficiencies. They are further linked to robust and appropriate analytical tools (e.g. Google Analytics, Social Media Analytics) to assess their performance, harvesting and capturing data, mining, analysis and insights on customer acquisition, behaviour and conversion.

Data feeds into a variety of strategic decision making that drives digital transformation across a range of business functions from operations, sales and marketing to procurement, supply chain, and financial management as well as strategy.

Digital Interfaces

Let’s start with testing digital interfaces. (A digital interface is the medium through which humans interact with computers. Interfaces represent an amalgamation of visual, auditory, and functional components that people see, hear, touch, or talk to as they interact with computers (digital devices).

For the sake of simplicity I am going to discuss web testing in the context of websites and web applications.

(Read Design Elements Part 1 and Part 2)

Web Testing

Any web-based system needs to be checked completely from end-to-end before it goes live for end users. By performing website testing, an organization can make sure that the web-based system is functioning properly and can be accepted by real-time users.

Types of Web Testing

There are numerous types of web testing but the most common ones are:

• Simple static website testing
• Dynamic web application testing
• E-commerce website testing
• Mobile website testing

Some basic Web Testing Checklists

1. Functionality Testing: This includes testing all elements of functionality in a website from web page links (Internal links, External links, Mail links, Broken links) forms and field validation, on-site information, and cookies to connectivity to databases and integrity.
2. Usability Testing: This type of testing measures all human-computer interaction characteristics of the system, and weaknesses identified for correction. The purpose of this type of testing is to assess (i) Ease of use (ii) Navigation (controls, buttons, boxes, links between pages) (iii) Subjective user satisfaction and (iv) General appearance. The idea behind it is to ensure that the website is easy to use, clear, consistent, accurate, helpful, meaningful, and engaging.
3. Interface Testing: This involves server-side interface testing (between web server and application server and between application server and database server) to check compatibility of server with software, hardware, network, and databases. This ensures that users will have uninterrupted service.
4. Compatibility Testing: This type of testing is to assess the compatibility of the website across a number of elements: (i) Browser and cross-browser platforms for various types of browsers (ii) Operating Systems and all possible OS (iii) Mobile Browsers; and (iv) Printing options and all attendant elements
5. Performance Testing: This type of testing is meant to assess how well the website can handle (i) web load; and (ii) web stress based on peak time access, visitor access, user requests, volume of data handled, stress on databases, loads on specific pages, crash resilience etc.
6. Security Testing: This is meant for assessing vulnerabilities in the website and can include areas such as password security, data security (account, payment), transaction history logs, viruses etc.