The digital landscape is more competitive than ever, and crowdsourced testing is having more and more influence on how websites, apps and software products are developed. But how do crowd testers help define the success of these projects? What makes a great digital product?

There are multiple factors that you’ll look at as a crowd tester, including anything from how fast it loads on startup to how well it fulfils its core purpose. All these variables are broken down into three main categories in the crowdtesting process: functional testing, usability testing and security testing. By separating these three areas, you can identify and report bugs much more efficiently.

Functional testing

When testing for functionality, your role is to ensure that the website, app or software works as intended. For example, you might do functional testing on an app for an online clothing retailer, who have specified that the app is designed to allow shoppers to browse and buy apparel whenever they please. Your role would involve checking core features like the menu, clothing catalogue and shopping cart to ensure the app allows users to browse the range, add items to their cart, proceed with an order and do anything else they need.

Usability testing

In a competitive marketplace, our clients need to place a lot of emphasis on creating exceptional user experiences. That’s why usability is the second major field that you can test on a project – it’s less about whether it works or not, and more to do with how it looks and feels. Is the app, website or program enjoyable to use? Is the design user-friendly? Does the layout make it easy to navigate? How quickly does it load? These are some of many factors considered in usability testing, and they all focus on the user. Your valuable feedback as a usability tester ultimately has a say in the final design.

Security testing

With all the advantages of the digital age, so too come the risks. Data theft, unauthorised network access and a range of other security threats can jeopardise the success of any app, website or computer program, which is why it’s important for us to test against these risks. As a security tester, you play an important role in determining how secure the platform is against malicious activity. For example, a website that stores private information about its users needs to make sure that this can’t be accessed by anyone else, which is when you get involved and test.

Tackling every angle of the testing process

As a tester with crowdsprint, you can work within all three categories or choose to specialise in line with your personal strengths. Remember, you don’t need any experience to get started! The more projects you work on, the more you will be able to build your knowledge and strive towards more complex projects with greater rewards.

Sign up as a crowndsprint tester today (it’s free) or contact our team at info@crowdsprint.com for more information.