Website testing is an important step in guaranteeing that an application works as it is intended to, to run optimally and securely.
This includes functional testing, performance testing, usability testing, security testing and others.
Measuring significant parameters during website testing enables the developers and testers to determine the extent of their work’s efficiency, and the areas that may cause difficulties and create a smart and engaging user experience.
In the following article, there is a discussion of metrics that should be used if one has to perform website testing, whether it is done manually or with the help of certain instruments.
Functional Testing Metrics
1. Test Coverage
Test coverage refers to the degree of the application’s code that is exercised during the execution of the test suite. A high test coverage level means that more code has been tested, minimizing the chances of problems that were not discovered.
2. Defect Density
Defect density is the total number of defects that are found within a given size of the application, measured commonly in thousands of lines of code (KLOC).
This metric is useful when it comes to identifying the quality of code that the developers produce as well as the efficiency of testing.
Passing more assertions means having a lower defect density and hence a better quality of code and testing practices.
3. Test Case Execution Rate
The efficiency of testing or the number of test cases to have been tested gives the extent to which the planned test cases have been tested.
In this case, this metric assists in monitoring the status of the testing process and guarantees that all recommended tests will be conducted in the testing timeline.
Performance Testing Metrics
1. Load Time
The load time may be defined as the overall time it takes a specific Web page to load together with all its content.
It is a very valuable one as slow loading of the site can drive up the bounce rate and reduce the satisfaction level. Using tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, and GTmetrix can assist in measuring of load times.
2. Response Time
Response time focuses on the time interval it takes for a web server to respond to a request that is made by the client.
It includes the time required to accept the request as well as the time taken to get back with the response. Getting a quick response is always considered better.
Therefore, websites with low response times are considered better.
3. Throughput
Another essential characteristic of API is the measure of requests the web server can process in a given amount of time, known as ThroughPut.
It is an indispensable index in load and stress testing that describes how many requests a website can process before the performance starts to diminish.
4. Error Rate
The error rate points to the frequency with which errors are incurred from the issued requests.
This metric helps notice stability problems of the application when used under heavy load.
Thus, a high error rate points to issues that have to be handled to prevent a given product or system from failing to work as required.
Usability Testing Metrics
1. Task Success Rate
The task success rate determines the proportion of users who were able to successfully undertake various tasks on the website.
It serves as a key indicator that defines the website’s user-friendliness and points to the issues that users face when trying to accomplish their tasks.
2. Time on Task
Time on task focuses on the amount of time users spend performing particular activities on the website.
Shorter times are usually desirable, indicating that the user is on par with accomplishing his objectives within the usage period.
3. User Error Rate
The number of errors is counted to depict the user error rate, which refers to the number of errors that the users of the website may come across.
This measure is beneficial in determining the problems that users encounter and where the interface can be enhanced to minimize mistakes.
Security Testing Metrics
1. Number of Vulnerabilities
This measure quantifies the number of security risks discovered during testing. It is useful in evaluating the website’s security status and identifying ways to address the issues.
2. Time to Remediate
Time to remediate measures the time that needs to be spent to address the identified problems. This is a very important metric for making the work of the security team efficient and also for timely response to vulnerabilities.
3. Penetration Testing Coverage
Coverage level in penetration testing aims at determining how much of the application has been covered in penetration testing. It involves the identification of the proportion of the code and functionalities that are exposed to penetration testing.
Automated Website Testing Metrics
Here are some automated website testing metrics that you need to check on:
1. Test Automation Coverage
Test automation coverage relates to the portion of test cases that are automated in comparison to the total number of test cases.
The percentage of automated tests also correlates with the efficiency of testing, since the tests to be made can be run frequently and with considerable speed.
2. Test Script Execution Time
This metric measures the time that is taken to perform test automation scripts.
Minimizing the time taken on the execution of the test script is effective in the shortening of the testing phase and shortening of the feedback received.
3. Flakiness Rate
The flakiness rate relates to the proportion of test cases that are likely to give unpredictable outcomes.
This indicates that high flakiness rates can be attributed to some problems with the test scripts or the testing environment so proper attention should be taken to make sure that we have ensured the achievement of valid and accurate automated testing.
Conclusion
The identification of metrics during website testing is crucial for the performance, and security, of Web applications.
Such quantitative indicators as test coverage, defect density, load time, success/failure rate of the task, or the number of identified vulnerabilities may help to assess the efficiency of testing and find the directions for improvement.
Also, there are performance measures of automated website testing, such as test automation coverage, which focuses on checking the extent of automatically tested features on the site; and the flakiness rate, which is aimed at achieving the maximum reliability of the obtained results.
By concentrating on these metrics, organizations gain the ability to properly develop and achieve high-quality web applications which will offer a good customer experience and correctly meet the security needs of an organization.