The e-commerce industry is constantly growing, and with it the importance of software for its successful functionality.
SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms such as Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, or BigCommerce are becoming the main tools for entrepreneurs and businesses in this industry.
According to DevSquad's forecasts for 2024, the SaaS market will grow to $908.21 billion by 2030, as 99% of companies are currently using at least one SaaS solution. Such platforms require constant testing, customization, and implementation of updates to attract new customers and retain existing ones. NetLS Software Development has been providing QA and automated testing services for all types of software, including SaaS, since 2014.
Benefits of using SaaS e-commerce platforms
- Ease of use: The SaaS provider delivers a fully customized, intuitive, well-documented, self-supported product. That is, all updates, improvements, and maintenance are performed by the provider without any intervention by the client. As a result, users of SaaS platforms receive a convenient service whereby they can create their own online store for their business with minimal or no programming knowledge, which simplifies the work process;
- Security: the use of this type of application is completely safe if the provider conscientiously complies with industry standards. Users don't have to worry about documents, confidential information, or simple notes disappearing or falling into the wrong hands;
- Flexibility: access to the SaaS solution requires only an Internet connection. The client and users can use the service from any network and browser, which makes it accessible to everyone and significantly expands the customer base;
- Flexibility: SaaS platforms can be of different types and serve various purposes. Specifically, the e-commerce industry offers platforms for logistics and delivery management, platforms for creating custom websites, payment processing, inventory management, search engine optimization (SEO) tools, and more. You can combine these options on your platform, according to your target audience and market, to improve your product, increase customer conversion and end-retailer revenue.
The need to test SaaS platforms
Despite their advantages in use, such applications and programs require constant testing and improvement. Since SaaS services are usually not installed on the local servers of platform clients but are accessed over the Internet, this makes the program vulnerable to attacks in terms of product security, quality, performance, and network health. Security testing should take into account potential threats from intruders who may try to break into the system and include checking for protection against attacks such as data interception, introduction of malicious code, and diagnostics in case of other dangerous actions.
E-commerce platforms process a large amount of sensitive data, such as personal data of users, payment card information, bank accounts, and integrate with several payment systems. Any leakage or compromise of this data can lead to serious consequences for users, including financial and significant reputational losses. Also, such systems must be fully protected against unauthorized access and abuse, ensuring that all transactions are secure and cannot be altered or tampered with. This includes protection against fraud, manipulation of prices, discounts, and other aspects of commercial activity.
SaaS solutions often operate under the load of both a large number of transactions and large amounts of data because it is provided to a large number of customers. The testing task is to assess performance and stability under heavy load, because the more accessible the site is, the more users will use it. For the same purpose, the ability to customize the application is important. Changing the appearance of the platform to meet the needs of a particular client helps to improve the user experience and increase the number of users. This process can be carried out continuously, due to CI/CD Pipelines, but it also means that testing should include checking compatibility with older versions and workloads at the time of the upgrade.
Typically, SaaS platforms across all industries provide different pricing plans and allow for a wide variety of user settings. This means that you need to thoroughly test all possible combinations to make sure that the functionality works correctly and that there are no conflicts between the settings. At the same time, it is expensive and usually impossible to go through all the combinations, so using various testing techniques, the number of such combinations is narrowed down, minimizing the risk of missing defects. It is important not only to think through all possible configurations but also to provide mechanisms for restricting access to those settings that are not suitable for a particular use.
Methods for improving SaaS platforms
This type of testing is used to verify that the various functions of the software meet the defined requirements and expectations of the users. For the e-commerce industry, this includes testing basic aspects such as product listing and inventory management, payment processing, shopping cart management, user registration, and product search.
In SaaS, it is advisable to use automated testing because of the large number of customer configuration files and combinations of settings that manual testing would make very time-consuming and error-prone. In this case, manual (manual) functional testing includes testing new blocks of functionality that are being developed in a given release. Then, based on the functional testing artifacts, the automated test suite is augmented to ensure continuous quality control.
Automated testing of SaaS platforms in e-commerce ensures the efficiency and stability of the software, reducing the cost of manual testing and shortening the length of the release cycle. It includes functional tests that verify the core functions of the platform and non-functional tests such as performance and security. Automated testing also reduces the cost of developer work because it tests the product before it is passed on to the next stage. This reduces the influence of the human factor on the testing of the task by the developer himself and, accordingly, reduces the number of defects that reach the testers.
- Developing a test strategy, test plan, and a set of test cases:
One of the key steps in improving SaaS platforms is to develop a test strategy, test plan, and test suite. Since platforms have a large number of options, it is important to think in detail about the cases that will be tested to achieve maximum efficiency and coverage with minimal time investment. In this context, it is worth using different testing techniques.
Also, e-commerce platforms usually provide integration with payment systems. In this case, it is also necessary to think through all possible scenarios in advance to ensure the smooth operation of the system and the safety of users' financial data. This is especially important since each country has its own unique popular payment systems and financial aggregates (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Western Union, and Union Pay) from financial institutions with additional financial monitoring regulations.
Since platforms offer a variety of options and settings, it is necessary to carefully consider how the new functionality will interact with all of them. This includes developing various use cases and defining clear actions for each case.
In addition, integration with payment systems requires special attention. It is important to develop all use cases as accurately as possible to ensure the smooth operation of the platform and user satisfaction.
A detailed study of each of these aspects will help improve the quality and functionality of SaaS platforms, which in turn will improve the user experience and increase customer confidence in the service.
CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) test integration allows to ensure high quality, reliability, and security of SaaS platforms by automating routine testing and deployment processes, as well as rapid iteration and implementation of new features. Due to the large number of configurations and options, there is a significant chance that even small changes can break some part of the functionality. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly (for example, with each Pull Request, once a day, etc.) check the program retrospectively. This reduces the subsequent costs of fixing bugs, as they are detected as quickly as possible.
How will it affect business?
- Different browsers and extensions:
Providing a convenient and efficient user experience on any device is a key aspect of a successful business. In today's world, when browsers differ in functionality, speed, and capabilities, e-commerce platforms must be optimized to work on any of them. At the same time, you also need to take into account the various variations of screen resolutions that users can use. In this way, the SaaS platform will be accessible to a wider range of users and will be guaranteed to be supported on each of their devices.
- Different devices and operating systems:
Regular testing on different devices (smartphones, tablets, PCs) and operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) ensures that your application works seamlessly in any environment. This increases user satisfaction and reduces the risk of losing customers due to technical issues. Automated testing allows to quickly identify and fix performance issues across devices and operating systems. Regular testing helps you to be sure that your SaaS application is compatible with the latest versions of operating systems, allowing you to keep up with technological advances.
In e-commerce, platform speed is critical. The ever-increasing competition and changing consumer preferences mean that they have less and less patience for pages to load or their orders to be processed. The platform needs fast and uninterrupted operation in order not to lose customers and be competitive in the market. It is important for us that the necessary data is displayed to users in less than 180 milliseconds.
- Integration with the payment system:
Conducting payment transactions is critical for e-commerce platforms, as it directly affects the convenience of shopping for users and the efficiency of operations for businesses. Integration with various payment systems allows SaaS platforms to scale their business and expand their global presence. By providing support for different currencies and payment methods, platforms can work with customers from all over the world, which expands their opportunities and earning potential.
- SEO and PPC promotion and integration with analytics:
Enhanced SaaS app testing and QA/QC services can significantly improve the results of SEO and PPC strategies focused on getting users to perform specific actions, such as clicking on buttons to buy. The higher reliability and speed of the app help reduce user bounce rates and increase conversions. Integration with analytical tools allows you to accurately track user behavior after a click, analyze the results of advertising campaigns against budgets, and effectively customize marketing strategies.
We live in a huge digital space where huge amounts of data are created, processed, and stored every day. For the successful operation of not only SaaS platforms but also all solutions, data testing helps to ensure that the information presented on the platform is true and up-to-date. It includes verifying that data is stored, processed, and displayed correctly in no more than 3 seconds, providing users with accurate and reliable results.
Regular testing and security audits against the NIC 2 directive allow us to identify and eliminate potential vulnerabilities at the early stages of development, which helps prevent potential data breaches. QA/QC services are aimed at ensuring the high quality of code and processes, which increases the protection of data privacy in the application. This approach strengthens the security of internal systems and helps maintain the trust of users and partners.
Conclusion
SaaS platforms are the best solution not only in the e-commerce industry but also in many other areas. In particular, this technological solution is suitable for businesses with the same format, but which need help in digital transformation. Customizing all configurations, options, and settings of the enterprise according to the client's requirements is a much less expensive and much faster process than developing an inspanidual mobile application or developing a custom website.
NetLS, being an expert in its field, provides all kinds of services, professional advice, and the best service. According to B2B or B2B2C cooperation models, our team makes every effort to meet the needs of each client efficiently, quickly, and at a low price.