Can you and your business afford to fall behind your competitors in today's ever-growing and competitive market? With so many competing for customer attentionoffering a product or service that does not perform well in the eyes of users will lead to drastic failure.

As more and more consumers turn to websites or mobile for all their needs, whether shopping for groceries or luxury goods, a best-in-class digital experience is imperative. In fact, 67% of consumers cite bad experiences as a reason to leave.

A way to ensure that your website or application it loads fasthas a seamless interface and increases your conversion is to include Digital Experience Testing (DXT) before releasing it.

Related: Stop overwhelming your online customers with information overload – get them hooked by revamping your website this way.

DXT translates as a business advantage

An exceptional digital experience can lead to several benefits for your business. According to Zippiafor every dollar spent to deliver a good UX, businesses get $100 in return – a 9,900% ROI.

One of the main benefits of conducting digital experience testing is achieving happier customers, brand loyalty and advocacy. For example, it can help you identify and address FITNESS and performance issues like loading time and fixing payment gateway issues earlier, which can ensure a smooth UX.

Performing DXT earlier in the SDLC cycle can help fix bugs and errors before any releases and help maintain brand reputation. Further, by identifying these issues early, businesses can save time and money. According to IBMfixing a defect found during the implementation phase is roughly six times more expensive than fixing one identified during design. Interestingly, this cost continues to increase exponentially as the software reaches the end of the SDLC.

Related: The key to building an engaging platform that will leave your users wanting more

With several new devices and models introduced periodically, regular testing helps identify and address emerging issues. Ignoring this can lead to bugs, errors and a decrease in user satisfaction. It is vital to check your app's compatibility with different devices and models, as a distorted or malfunctioning platform on certain devices creates a negative user experience and may drive customers to your competitors' websites or apps.

DXT can help your app or website stay up-to-date with WCAG and accessibility requirements as they change over time. By implementing these standards, your company not only win more customers but it also shows that it is comprehensive. In its final stage of operation, DXT provides an understanding of your users' behavior that can be useful in many circumstances and help improve experiences.

Here are some of my tips for a successful DXT implementation in any organization:

• Building a DXT strategy in advance: Creating a successful DXT strategy means aligning it with your business goals by clearly defining KPI and making sure it resonates with your audience. Build a comprehensive testing framework that covers functional, non-functional and usability aspects and integrate DXT seamlessly into your development cycle. This approach helps detect defects early, speeding time to market while increasing overall customer satisfaction.
• Using automation for efficiency: Optimize your digital experience testing with automation. First, identify test cases based on frequency, risk, and complexity. Then, choose the right tool based on your requirements and the expertise of the team. Integrate test automation into your CI/CD pipelines for early defect detection and faster response cycle. Finally, focus your automation efforts on high-risk areas to maximize ROI and reduce manual testing. This strategic approach guarantees an efficient, effective and comprehensive DXT.
• Personalization and localization: Personalization and localization are key to engaging digital experiences. Testing these aspects ensures delivery of relevant content in multiple languages ​​and regions. Further performance and usability checks to ensure your web/app is able to handle high traffic without crashing or slowing down.
• Ensuring comprehensive test coverage: It is essential that DXT ensures that any necessary tests are performed sufficiently so that all possible intersections are covered. Identify functional, non-functional and exploratory tests. Testing tools help you identify weaknesses in your testing strategy and correct them. This will help to ensure that every section of your application is thoroughly checked, reducing the chance of errors and inconsistencies.
• Strong infrastructure and reporting: To ensure a robust infrastructure for your DXT implementation, use scaled environments that mimic production conditions to get good results. Implement continuous monitoring and logging to catch problems early. Further, leveraging detailed reporting mechanisms to track test results, coverage, and performance metrics helps stakeholders understand quality status and make informed decisions.
• Building a user-centric culture: Deliver seamless digital experiences by creating a user-centric approach. Conduct proper user research to understand pain points and use this knowledge to design effective test cases. Next, usability and accessibility testing will be performed to ensure that the application/website is user-friendly and comprehensive. Integrate customer feedback to increase satisfaction and create empathy maps to understand user emotions. This approach ensures that your digital products resonate deeply with users, driving engagement and satisfaction.
• Training your team to deliver top-notch experiences: The general concept is to develop a competent testing team. Start with a team that includes QA Engineers, Software/Program Developers, Graphic Designers and UX Researchers. Make sure they attend training sessions and assessments periodically as this will keep their skills in check and also encourage teamwork and feedback. Finally, the state measurable goals to drive motivation and ensure your team is always in line with new trends in delivering great digital experiences.

Related: 3 Customer Experience Breakdowns Buyers Hate

The way forward

As we think about the future of digital testing, it becomes clear that there is much for the future. AI, AR and VR are already influencing the way users engage with digital interfaces, and testing approaches must adapt to the change. A tip here is to adopt AI-driven test automation, early and continuous testing, and hyper-personalization.

To be successful, an organization must implement AI and automation, promote the synergy of Dev & QA, and remain focused on the user interface.

If these issues are addressed and quality emphasized, then there is a strong possibility that businesses can deliver great digital experiences that exceed expectations. The prospect for an increased level of digital experience testing in the coming years is evident, and making the right efforts today will be extremely fruitful.