Major Beta Testing Challenges

 

Enterprises all over the world try to adopt different ways to improve their product’s quality and to maximize their customer’s satisfaction. The same is the case with the software industry. In the software, testing industry a variety of tests are conducted on software to make the product more satisfactory for customers. Let’s have a look at one such software testing type that aims to seek customer validation to improve the product quality.

What is beta testing?

Beta testing is a black box software testing technique that involves testing the real product with a real user in a production/real environment. The main aim of this test is to check the usability, security, reliability, and functionality of the software from the end-users perspective. 

The feedback and suggestions received from the users help in improving the quality of the product and in making the product more satisfactory for customers.

What are the different types of beta tests?

The different types of this testing method are stated below:

·         Traditional test – In this testing type, the product is distributed to the target market and the feedback is collected from the users to improve the quality of the product

·         Technical test – In this test, the product is released to the internal group or technical group of an organization to gain their feedback about product quality

·         Open test – In this test, the product is released in the market, and feedback is collected from the end-users

·         Private test – In this test, the product is delivered to a closed group or paid testers who test the product and provides feedback for improvement

·         Post-release test – In this test, the completed version of the software is released and feedback is collected from end-users. The improvements are made in the next release of the product.

What are the major beta testing challenges?

Below mentioned are some of the challenges that usually arise while performing this test:

·         Finding the right test participants is quite challenging

·         Not all participants will be able to provide effective, constructive, and timely feedback

·         Managing the tests is quite difficult as this test is conducted at the user’s location and the enterprise has no control over the test environment

·         This test requires a lot of documentation

·         This test is time-consuming as testers need to be given ample amount of time to use the product and to provide the feedback

·         Even if the testers use some tools to ease the process, selecting the right tool is again a challenge

What are the advantages of beta testing?

Some of the major advantages of this test are listed below:

·         It helps to identify bugs in the software which left unidentified in previous tests

·         This test reduces the chances of product failure

·         It helps to get real-time customer validation

·         This testing method improves the product quality via customer feedback

·         This testing type is much cost-effective

·         It creates goodwill and a good relationship between the company and end-users

Conclusion: Customer satisfaction is what matters for all enterprises today. This is why in the software industry a variety of tests are conducted before and after the release of the software to improve its quality. One such software testing method is beta testing that helps to get users' feedback and suggestions that can help in product improvement. 

But this test is quite challenging as it deals with the real product, real users, and real environment. Therefore, it is advised to leverage beta test from next-gen QA and software testing services provider to achieve a quality tested product that delivers a great UX.

About the author: I am a technical content writer and I write articles on various IT related topics. In this article, I have tried to share my views on major beta testing challenges.