Think about how you felt the last time you tried to use a software that didn’t work.
Frustrated? Furious? Annoyed? Disappointed? Desperate for some kind of salvation because you need that software for a report that was due yesterday?
The fact is, we need software to do our jobs. And when that software doesn’t work, it throws a wrench in the whole process.
Software testing is the difference between a morning of sheer anger and another smooth Tuesday. Here are four key benefits of software testing your team can’t afford to ignore.
First and foremost, software testing saves money.
Software development and implementation involve several stages. Each stage demands coordination and communication between multiple teams and every stage has a laundry list of ways that things could go wrong.
Catching those problems once the software is already live is a nightmare. You have to handle PR while retasking employees to scramble and fix the problem. And in the meantime, your would-be customers can’t use your software.
So you’re not just losing money on the direct cost of fixing the software. You’re also losing money through lost potential transactions.
Software testing allows you to catch problems early and fix them before they become PR disasters.
That translates directly to your customers.
Think of it this way.
Let’s say you’re a customer who’s just downloaded a new software program. But when you try to launch the program or log in, you get an error message.
Not only have you wasted money on a program that doesn’t work, but now you also have to decide whether to hedge your bets and see if the software is worth waiting for or take your business elsewhere.
Chances are, most customers aren’t willing to forgive that sour taste in their mouth.
By investing in quality assurance early, you’re sending a message to your customers that you care about their experience. You want them to get everything they hoped for and more. And that message is critical in forming long-term customer relationships.
Did you know that software failures caused $1.7 trillion in losses in 2017?
You see, when your software fails, you’re not just sacrificing your customer experience. You’re also sacrificing software security.
That means that every customer who uses your software has now put their data and systems at risk.
And with all the major data privacy scandals last year (Cambridge Analytica, anyone?) customers aren’t willing to risk their data twice.
With software testing, you can deliver a safe, trustworthy product to your customers from Day One. It protects their critical information, cements their trust, and reduces the risk of expensive embarrassments later on.
Finally, in case you hadn’t guessed yet, software testing improves your overall product quality.
Companies may know the benefits of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), but they won’t invest in SaaS if the product is subpar. After all, they have customers to keep happy just as much as you do.
In order to make your vision come to life, the simple fact is that your software needs to work. It has to be bug-free, low-risk, and effective at doing its job.
You won’t know how good your product is until you test it. Think of it as a trial run before your customers get their hands on it. That way, you’ll know that you’re providing the best possible version of your software before it hits the market.