Testing, Testing… and More Testing
The shop is built.
The products are appearing.
The checkout works.
So we're ready to launch, right?
Not quite.
Before we let real customers loose on the website, there's one very important job left to do.
We need to test everything.
And we mean everything.
Trying to Break Our Own Shop
It sounds strange, but right now our job is basically to try and break the website.
We're clicking buttons, adding products to baskets, removing them again, changing quantities, testing payments and placing test orders.
We're checking the website on computers, tablets and phones.
We're also asking the sort of questions a customer might ask.
What happens if I change my mind?
What happens if I enter something incorrectly?
Did the confirmation email arrive?
Did the order appear correctly at our end?
Did the right delivery charge get added?
Every little detail needs checking.
And Yes… We've Found Things!
This is exactly why testing is so important.
We've found little things we want to change.
A button that could be clearer.
Some wording that needs improving.
Something that looks great on a computer but not quite right on a phone.
Nothing particularly dramatic — but lots of little improvements.
And every problem we find now is hopefully one less problem for our customers later.
The Test Orders Are Coming Through
One particularly exciting moment was seeing our test orders come through the system.
Yes, we know they're only test orders.
But after all the planning and building, seeing the complete process work from adding something to the basket right through to receiving the order makes everything feel very real.
Nearly There…
We're now going through the final checks.
Products? Check.
Payments? Check.
Delivery? Check.
Order emails? Check.
Mobile site? Check.
There will always be things we can improve, and we're sure the shop will continue to evolve after launch.
But there comes a point where you have to stop testing and actually open the doors.
That moment is almost here.