{"id":9689,"date":"2018-08-31T10:15:11","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T08:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usersnap.com\/?p=9689"},"modified":"2025-05-20T18:11:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:11:16","slug":"an-agencys-guide-to-successful-website-user-acceptance-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usersnap.com\/blog\/an-agencys-guide-to-successful-website-user-acceptance-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Guide to Successful Website User Acceptance Testing Today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

User Acceptance Testing<\/a> (UAT)<\/strong> is one of the most important tests companies need to perform before launching a website or product. Especially if they are developing websites or digital products for clients in their daily business like agencies do.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Not doing it, can cost thousands of dollars if you want to fix a bug right before going live. It is estimated that software bugs cost the worldwide economy 1.1 trillion US$ in 2016 (and it’s way higher in 2021).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Properly doing website user acceptance testing costs only a fraction of fixing bugs in a production system. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We created this guide based on what we have learned talking to some of our almost 1,000 customers. It shows you how an agency, named SuperHQ-Agency, saves money by successfully implementing User Acceptance Testing<\/strong> and hopefully you can use some of these learnings too.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will learn how to set one up, as well as how to improve it and save a lot of human resources (aka money in your pocket) thanks to easier and more efficient web application testing<\/a> methods.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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So here we go:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is Website User Acceptance Testing so important?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell: it saves you money. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take SuperHQ-Agency, for example. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve been hired by a big, well-known company to develop a website for them. SuperHQ-Agency wants to make this big client successful and to do so, they\u2019ll have to think about getting the experience of their customers right. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where user acceptance testing comes in; SuperHQ-Agency will put the website, they’ve developed, through rigorous testing. This testing is necessary before handing it over to their big client, making sure that everyone will be satisfied… the company\u2019s customers included.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which makes sense, because any website or digital product will be used by customers of the agency\u2019s clients. But if they aren\u2019t able to use it in the way it works for them, then they search for alternatives and bring their money to a competitor instead. #FAIL<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus SuperHQ has implemented the so-called Shift Left Testing approach. <\/span>\u201cTest earlier and often.\u201d <\/b>User acceptance testing must not only happen at the end of the project but throughout it. The earlier you start your testing, the less money you lose.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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Shift left testing – reduce costs of fixing bugs<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Another user acceptance testing example<\/a>, IBM estimates that if a bug costs $100 to fix in Gathering Requirements phase, it would be $1,500 in QA testing phase and $10,000 once in Production.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why user acceptance testing<\/a> is so important for SuperHQ and for your agency.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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When should you perform Website UAT in your project schedule?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

UAT should be placed at the end of the product development process after the development team has done quality assurance<\/a>. For SuperHQ-Agency, excitement is high as they have finally concluded the development of their client\u2019s desired website.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

QA has also been completed to weed out any preliminary bugs, so now they\u2019re ready to perform user acceptance testing to find out how well this new website of theirs works in actual real-world environments.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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When to do UAT properly?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The 3 Steps<\/span> of Successful Website User Acceptance Testing<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You get most out of UAT if you follow these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just presenting this website project to the testers! Here\u2019s the breakdown of steps for a successful user acceptance test:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1 – Preparation<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1.1 Setup the UAT testing environment<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned earlier, successful testing needs some prerequisites<\/strong>. One of them is using separated technical environments (for example servers with your website\/software installed on it) for development, testing (UAT)<\/a> and production. Otherwise, nobody can guarantee that there aren\u2019t any changes happening while testing is in full motion.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"How<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Testers also need the appropriate hardware\u2014such as laptops & smartphones\u2014to test your web project accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.2 Analyze Business Requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To understand the requirements defined by the customer, all business requirement documentation must be used to define the purpose, scope, and functionality of this project. Use this customer understanding of the project requirements to develop your UAT plan.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.3 Developing a UAT Plan<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, you have to define the main parameters<\/strong> of the user acceptance test:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n