There’s no doubt that having a mobile app can provide huge benefits for a small business. With a mobile app, small businesses can reach out to new customers and provide better service to existing customers on a platform that is convenient for customers as well as the businesses. However, those benefits only manifest themselves when the mobile app works as expected. Far too many small businesses don’t realize how important it is to have a mobile app that works as flawlessly as possible. The truth is that today’s consumers have high expectations for mobile apps — and they have little patience for apps that don’t deliver a flawless experience every time they use those apps. Studies have shown that most mobile app users will stop using an app after it fails them more than once. Whether the app is prone to crashing, doesn’t function as well as expected, or is too confusing to use easily, a mobile app that doesn’t live up to consumers’ expectations will likely be deleted.
Rigorous and thorough testing of a mobile app can detect many of the most common issues with apps so they can be resolved before they have an opportunity to negatively influence users. However, most small businesses believe all they have to do is put the app out there and that will be enough. They don’t understand that users can and will put their apps through the wringer and push it to its limits. What’s more, users probably won’t forgive any flaws in the app’s design. Small businesses need to subject their mobile apps to testing that will discover any flaws in them, no matter how small.
The problem, of course, is that there are so many tiny flaws that can appear within the architecture of a mobile app that it can be impossible to be on the lookout for them all. That’s why a thorough testing process is essential for any small business with a mobile app. Testing an app to find all the many ways users can push it to the breaking point is a tedious and laborious process, but must be done to ensure that the app lives up to users’ expectations. Small businesses can gain a lot by having a mobile app, but only if it functions well. The following checklist can serve as a guide to help small businesses test their mobile apps thoroughly enough that nothing slips through the cracks.
