Bug Blog

The first thing to check is how quickly your website loads. Today, people expect sites to load almost instantaneously and they have very little willingness to wait. This is why cross browser testing and testing for mobile friendliness is important. Make sure that all images on the site are optimized for quick loading.

The irony is that it usually isn’t the technology that is the problem. It’s the little things that can cause the most problems. Have you ever been reading through a book and collided with a typo? A typo can throw you right out of the reading experience. No matter how carefully prepared your sales copy might be, one typographical error can cost you a conversion. So make sure there are no typos. Not just in sales copy, but throughout the site. This includes navigation, buttons, calls to action, and forms.

Speaking of content, make sure there are no inadvertent font codes that scramble words or make them look odd. While this isn’t a fatal flaw, it does lower the credibility of your site.

Forms should have an easy flow with accurate and simple instructions that don’t cause the customer to get stuck along the way. Remember that a conversion isn’t a conversion until the sale is made. Anything that slows the customer down, especially in the final part of the sale, can cause an abandoned shopping cart.

Perhaps the single most important factor is navigation. You must understand the customer’s journey on your site and make that journey as easy as possible. This goes beyond just making sure that all links go where they ought to go. It’s a matter of understanding your customer, and this might take some research.

Also, make sure all pages have meta tags and and meta descriptions. These may sometimes be ignored, but they are an important resource for search engine spiders to crawl.

Pre-release website testing should be as thorough as possible to ensure smooth operation and maximum conversions. And it doesn’t hurt to bring in a fresh set of eyes just to be sure.