| It's no secret the web is becoming a very complex | | | | mind?"Usability Testing Usability testing |
| place. Anyone who has ever managed their | | | | is generally carried out in specialized labs where |
| company's efforts to create a web presence knows | | | | ordinary people are invited to use your website while |
| the choices can be dizzying. You have standard | | | | being observed by usability specialists. The user is |
| marketing issues, like identifying target audience. You | | | | given tasks, such as finding key information or |
| have functional issues: Will this site be a tool to | | | | making a purchase on the site. The specialist times |
| gather information? Will it advertise a new product or | | | | the assignment and observes the user as he surfs |
| service? Will it be an online service in and of itself? | | | | through the site. At the end the user is asked to |
| Will it sell a product? Will it be all of the above? And | | | | rate various features and describe his experience. |
| unless you have your own in-house development | | | | This step is just as important as any of the |
| team you have to choose the right company to build | | | | preceding ones. After all, you have now invested |
| and host your website; often listening to technical | | | | considerable effort and resources into your |
| terms like HTML, XML, UML, .NET, ISP, ASP, ATS, | | | | company's web presence and you should know if and |
| CMS, RSS; server farm, co-location, W3C ...It's | | | | where it's weak points are so they can be addressed. |
| enough to leave your mind numb. And at the end of | | | | If a client cannot find that item to buy or the |
| the day it's all too easy to lose sight of the one thing | | | | information she wants, all your time and money have |
| that should never be forgotten - that potential visitor | | | | been wasted. Usability testing asks, "Does the site |
| to your site.More and more companies are becoming | | | | meet or exceed client expectations? Is it easy or |
| aware of the need to accommodate a broadening | | | | even pleasurable to use?"Deep Testing Deep testing |
| range of potential visitors to their websites. In our | | | | is a new concept. It isn't so much adding a new |
| multicultural world these can be people for whom | | | | testing layer; it's optimizing what is already there. For |
| English is not a native language. As computers | | | | instance, if accessibility compliance is in the |
| become less expensive, easier to use, and generally | | | | specification for a website the traditional method, as |
| more prevalent in day to day life, those visitors might | | | | outlined above, sees accessibility testing as one or |
| be seniors. And, as technology evolves that can | | | | two distinct and separate layers. Deep Testing |
| output media in multiple ways, such as reading text | | | | methodology would combine functional, automated |
| aloud, the potential clients may even be blind. Testing | | | | accessibility, and validation testing into one step. The |
| is the key to satisfying the broadest range of | | | | advantage is that it becomes a basic requirement and |
| visitors. Here is a quick overview of some necessary | | | | not an "add-on" or luxury. It is taken seriously by |
| steps.Functional Testing Functional testing is generally | | | | everyone from those responsible for design to |
| handled by the web development firm or department | | | | testing to budgeting. Next, manual accessibility testing |
| and is generally invisible to the client. It covers such | | | | is carried out by someone who is not only an expert |
| things as verifying that links lead where they should | | | | at using the software but dependant on it. In other |
| and that forms and databases work together | | | | words, if you are conducting screen reader testing |
| correctly. It asks the question, "Does it work | | | | then it is done by a visually impaired person, not a |
| right?"HTML and CSS Validation Testing The code | | | | sighted "expert". The advantage here is that by |
| that makes your website work should be written | | | | doing so you leverage the experience of the test |
| using formal grammar. It may function without | | | | specialist. The visually impaired user knows intimately |
| following, so called, valid code standards but it will be | | | | what constitutes good and bad design from her own |
| treated by search engines and other automated | | | | frustration at bad sites and pleasure from quality |
| systems as second class at best. It's a bit like when | | | | ones. She knows what navigation and user aids |
| you wrote essays at school - you had to use a | | | | actually work. And finally, she brings to her work a |
| formal structure and grammar. HTML and CSS | | | | personal passion and desire to help websites improve, |
| validation asks the question, "Is it written and | | | | simply because it will make her life that much easier |
| structured correctly?"Automated Accessibility Testing | | | | and more fulfilling.Conclusion Why should the project |
| Automated accessibility testing | | | | manager who's just been assigned the creation or |
| makes use of specialized software to examine your | | | | upgrade of the company website care about all this? |
| site's code to see if certain elements to help | | | | After all, isn't it part of the developers' responsibility? |
| handicapped people use the web are present. It is | | | | Yes, and no. Being aware of the general aspect of |
| very efficient at finding errors and omissions at this | | | | web development can only help you make decisions. |
| level. It is somewhat analogous to a spell checker and | | | | And understanding the testing process makes you |
| even the grammar checker. Some packages are | | | | think about your requirements in a more results |
| even sophisticated enough to offer advise on how to | | | | oriented way. If you know that website accessibility |
| correct issues they discover. This level of testing | | | | is going to be a requirement you should understand |
| asks, "Are the elements necessary for Accessibility | | | | how it will be verified. You can understand, in |
| Compliance present?"Manual Accessibility Testing | | | | advance, why simply running the site through |
| During manual accessibility testing we examine a | | | | automated testing doesn't assure accessibility and |
| website the same way a handicapped person would, | | | | you can budget time and money for deeper testing. |
| for instance by using software which reads the page | | | | You can take the time to find a testing firm separate |
| aloud or magnifies the text. It can also mean | | | | from the developers to independently verify |
| checking that the copy is written clearly and plainly | | | | accessibility compliance - the only way to really know |
| enough for someone new to English or even who is | | | | for sure. And having decided on testing, you will be |
| dyslexic to understand. The step is ordinarily carried | | | | armed with the understanding to maximize your |
| out by test experts who are not themselves disabled | | | | efforts.Nik Page has been working in website and |
| or dependant on the software they use. It's | | | | user interface testing for over 10 years.In 2005 he |
| tempting to believe that automated accessibility | | | | launched Page Accessibility Labs (PAL) in order to |
| testing is enough, but you shouldn't. Just because | | | | broaden the world of possibility for handicapped web |
| elements necessary to meet accessibility standards | | | | users. PAL utilizes the unique skills and experiences of |
| are present doesn't mean they are implemented well. | | | | visually impaired test specialists to ensure complete |
| Manual accessibility testing asks, "Is it designed with | | | | test coverage.PAL specializes in Accessibility Testing |
| all potential clients using various output devices in | | | | and Target Audience Usability Testing Solutions. |