Hey there!
As someone with over 12+ years of experience in testing websites and apps for global tech giants, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of globalization testing today.
Let me walk you through key things modern testers should know to master this crucial discipline.
Why Globalization Testing Matters
Consider this – 4.66 billion people access the internet worldwide today, over 65% do shopping online, and companies like Amazon see foreign markets driving nearly 75% of all sales growth.
This is just the tip of the global expansion iceberg.
However, cornering worldwide opportunities isn‘t easy. Businesses need to overcome key barriers:
- Adapting products for hundreds of languages/cultural nuances
- Optimizing for 5000+ device types
- Complying with country-specific regulations
- And lots more…
That’s where methodical globalization testing comes in – confirming websites/apps provide localized content tailored to users across the globe.
Let‘s dig deeper…
What Does Globalization Testing Entail
When performing globalization testing, key things I verify are:
- User interface elements adapt to regionally popular languages
- Pricing and financial data showcase appropriate currency symbols and separators ($. vs ,)
- Form validations allow inputs like phone nos, postal codes as per local conventions
- Date/time values display in formats familiar to users in a region, for instance MM/DD/YYYY vs DD/MM/YYYY
- Imagery and icons resonate with local cultures instead of alienating audiences
Here‘s an example contrasting an ecommerce site‘s homepage targeting users in US vs India:
Observe fine-grained regional adaptations spanning language, promotions, currency etc. – only possible via globalization testing.
Without meticulous geo-localization scrutiny, user experiences and conversions take a huge hit abroad.
Significance of Globalization Testing
The far-reaching business impact globalization testing facilitates by:
Increasing credibility and revenues internationally
Products intuitively resonating across geographies establish trust, boost adoption and grow revenues overseas. Globalization testing enables just that.
Preventing embarrassing functional gaps pre-launch
There could be country-specific regulations regarding payment options, address formats etc. which globalization testing uncovers early before problematic situations crop up post launch.
Streamlining worldwide marketing and selling
Geo-targeted promotional content keeps engagement high. Regionalized messaging also gives valuable inputs for shaping global business strategy.
Clearly, the role of globalization testing cannot be underestimated given today’s inter-connected economies.
Now the next logical question – how do savvy test managers execute such testing?
How To Perform Globalization Testing of Websites and Mobile Apps
While essential, conducting multi-geography globalization testing is easier said than done.
Based on extensive expertise globalizing web and mobile apps for startups and Fortune 500 firms alike, here are my top recommendations:
1. Define location test matrices
First, identify key geographies for entering based on market potential, logistical feasibility etc. Typical dimensions for consideration include:
- Languages (Chinese, Spanish, Arabic etc.)
- Regions (Asia, Europe, LATAM etc.)
- Countries (India, Mexico, UAE etc.)
- Cities (Shanghai, San Paulo, Dubai etc.)
Frame target test matrices spanning different combinations of these geos/languages/devices.
2. Establish test environments
To reliably emulate authentic user environments abroad, leverage cloud-based services offering instant access to thousands of real mobile and desktop browsers spread globally.
For instance, BrowserStack provisions test VMs and devices across every imaginable location/browser/OS combo imaginable – invaluable for geo testing needs.
3. Compare localized UI elements
Now configure target language/location settings in respective test VMs provided in cloud to mimic required geographies.
Next, carefully evaluate every section of the site/app side-by-side for each geography-language mix versus grep out missing translations or textual adaptations.
Circled elements in this page indicate changes needed in the French version to suit regional users accustomed to € currency, DD/MM date formats etc. – caught thanks to globalization testing.
4. Verify region-specific functionality
Don‘t stop at cosmetic UI checks though – rigorously validate critical regional dynamics like:
- Localized form field validation catering to postal code conventions, longer phone numbers etc.
- Country-specific shopping cart computation involving taxes, shipping rules etc.
- Geo-relevant filters and sort logic in category pages
- Currency rate conversion for sellers in cross-border scenarios
Such functional minutiae also demand thorough scrutiny during testing.
5. Compare results
With test cycles complete, carefully compare expected region-wise behavior versus actual results obtained to catch inconsistencies.
Things like incorrect taxation logic, currency conversion misses, non-localized error messages etc. exposed during testing require design changes – best addressed pre-launch.
Meticulously executed, globalization testing no doubt needs effort. But benefits make it totally worth it – be it growing presence internationally or higher CX and conversions abroad!
Real-World Globalization Testing Challenges
Carrying out robust globalization testing however gets tricky owing to practical roadblocks like:
Device and platform fragmentation
Supporting just top 5 phones runs up a tally of over 15,000 test variants globally! Budgeting for adequate test coverage gets tricky.
Spotty international infrastructure
Unpredictable networks abroad slows testing. Long distance test setup also has overheads. Workaround lies in smart test cloud leveraging.
Analyzing enormous test matrices
With multiple geos, languages, devices and browsers in the equation – test cycles grow huge demanding intelligent optimization.
App architectural bottlenecks
Apps designed ushering globalization best practices simplify localization testing significantly compared to chaotic architectures.
Through smart test strategy, cloud leveraging and early design focus – these issues can be effectively tackled.
Expert Tips for Easier Globalization Testing
Finally, as an expert tester having helped various enterprises successfully globalize their digital presence, here are some proven tips worth embracing:
- Start testing early to uncover hidden globalization gaps proactively even with minimal functionality
- Automate repeating checks using scripting to accelerate execution for multiple locations
- Enable self-service translations via community portals to ease external partner dependencies
- Compare against competition to avoid obvious functional gaps others have covered
- Plan for adequate testing budget to avail systems supporting advanced geo-distributed real device access
- Focus on 13 languages to cover 73% internet users worldwide optimizing effort
Little things that go miles in simplifying globalization testing!
Wrap Up
I hope walking through the end-to-end gamut of globalization testing delivery for websites and mobile applications gave you good clarity on best practices test leaders ought to adopt today to expand globally with confidence.
Feel free to ping me any queries you may have on this very crucial discipline for digitally born brands looking to grow internationally. I’ll be glad to chat more and share further real-world insights.
Here‘s raising a toast to unlocking global opportunities! 🥂
