As an experienced WordPress webmaster, I can‘t stress enough the importance of cross-browser testing. When you change your WordPress design or switch to a new theme, thorough testing across browsers is crucial.
Failing to do so risks alienating a large portion of your audience and losing hard-earned traffic.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share how to properly test a WordPress site across all major browsers using both free and paid tools.
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Why Cross-Browser Testing Matters
You might think that in 2022, with modern web standards, testing across browsers isn‘t as important. But let me tell you from 15 years of WordPress experience – it absolutely still is.
Here‘s why:
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Different browsers render code differently. While they seem similar on the surface, under the hood browsers use different rendering engines. This means the same code can produce inconsistent results.
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Market share varies significantly. Your preferred browser has a certain market share. But many other browsers still claim a sizable portion of users.
As you can see above, Chrome leads desktop browsing with 65% market share. But Firefox still holds 10% and Safari maintains sizable mobile use.
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A poor experience costs you visitors. If your site doesn‘t function or display properly in Firefox, for example, you miss out on 10% of your possible traffic.
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OS and device testing is equally important. You also need to test how your site looks on different operating systems like Windows and MacOS, as well as mobile devices.
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Changes bring new issues. Even if your site worked perfectly before, something as simple as switching WordPress themes or updating your plugins can introduce cross-browser bugs.
I once had a client lose thousands of dollars in sales because their new theme had CSS issues in certain browsers. Don‘t let this happen to you!
Find Your Visitors‘ Browsers
With well over 2,000 browser and device combinations out there, testing them all simply isn‘t realistic.
The key is to identify the most popular choices your visitors are actually using based on Google Analytics data. This allows you to optimize testing for what matters most.
Once Google Analytics is installed and collecting data, head to the Audience section. Under Technology, you‘ll find a breakdown of your visitors‘ browsers, operating systems, and mobile vs desktop use.
As you can see above, this site attracts mostly Chrome users, but still significant Firefox and Safari traffic. Windows and iOS are the dominant operating systems.
With this insight, I would focus my cross-browser testing on:
- Chrome and Firefox on Windows
- Safari on iOS
- Chrome on Android
This covers over 90% of my visitors. Testing every possible browser and OS would be overkill and waste precious time.
Tip: Segment your Analytics data by important pages and conversions to optimize testing priority based on ROI.
Top Cross-Browser Testing Tools
Manually testing websites across different browsers is tedious and time-consuming. Specialized tools automate the process for you.
Here are my top recommendations for cross-browser testing your WordPress site, based on 15 years of experience.
1. LambdaTest (For Live Testing)
LambdaTest has become my go-to for convenient and scalable live browser testing.
Some key features:
- Test across 2000+ browser and OS configurations
- Easily select the specific browsers and devices you want
- Live interact with your site to test behavior and JavaScript
- Collaborate with your team via shareable live sessions
- Screencast capability to demo issues
- Developer-friendly API integrations
Below you can see the intuitive browser selection screen:
LambdaTest starts with a free plan but I recommend upgrading to a paid plan for more time and testing capability. Their $29/month Premium plan covers most small business needs.
2. BrowserStack (For Screenshots)
BrowserStack is fantastic for visually testing your site in different environments via screenshots.
Some useful features:
- One-click screenshots across many configurations
- Directly compare different browser screenshots
- Integration with Selenium and other test automation tools
- Visual issue reporting and annotations
- Local testing options for testing before deploying
BrowserStack has very flexible pricing, starting at $12/month annually for entrepreneurs and small teams.
3. Chrome Developer Tools (For Free Local Testing)
You already have access to powerful testing capabilities right in Chrome. In DevTools, you can:
- Test all the latest Chrome versions and flags
- Emulate mobile devices and tablets
- Mimic touch capabilities
- Throttle network and CPU
- Test dark mode
- Audit for performance, accessibility, SEO
While not a full cross-browser solution, Chrome DevTools are excellent for preliminary testing during development.
Guide to Analyzing Results
Once you complete testing, here are some guidelines on addressing any issues discovered:
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Functionality bugs: Anything preventing use of the site needs immediate attention.
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Layout and rendering issues: Small layout inconsistencies are common but acceptable. Major issues impacting usability need fixing.
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Image and multimedia problems: Pinpoint any browsers having trouble with images, videos, etc. Optimize media for compatibility.
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Performance differences: Test for responsiveness and load times across environments. Address bottlenecks accordingly.
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Mobile experience: Testing mobile browsers and touch capabilities is crucial. Mobile speed and UX issues severely impact conversions.
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Accessibility testing: Use online accessibility scanners to detect issues affecting users with disabilities.
Don‘t let cross-browser bugs fly under the radar. My recommendation is to proactively test during development and major site changes. Identify and resolve problems methodically before launch. Let me know if you need help addressing any specific issues!
