These days, people can't do anything without their mobile devices. From paying for groceries to finding a date or scheduling a doctor's appointment - we now have a corresponding mobile application for every single action out there. But where there is popularity, there is also criticism. Users are never shy when it comes to complaining about application performance. What can you as an app owner do about it? Test your software product, of course. In today's post, we are discussing performance testing services specifically for mobile software.

What is mobile performance testing?

Performance testing is a software quality assurance method that is used to check how a program works. This is a non-functional testing type that focuses on the way an application manages its core functions (unlike the functional testing types, which are centered around what an app does instead of how) as well as how it works under low to medium level of load. 

The primary aim of application performance testing services is to detect and then fix so-called bottlenecks. In software engineering, this term refers to the system elements that limit the capacity of the whole digital product codebase thereby decreasing the data-processing stream. Professional software performance testing services work by finding such elements, in addition to some minor glitches and bugs, and reporting them back to the development team for re-engineering.

Generally speaking, mobile performance testing is a very broad term because it includes system checks at many different levels and situations. For easier testing process organization, performance testing is divided into the following subtypes: 

• Capacity testing to define the number of users and amount of data an application can handle. This is made to set an achievable performance requirement for future testing.

• Load testing which allows QA engineers to analyze how an application reacts to different levels of data load.

• Compatibility testing checking if a mobile app is compatible with all the hardware, networks, operating systems, and browsers it is required to work on.

• Stress testing that documents the response of a program to an abnormal load or unexpected spikes in the number of users.

• Fragmentation testing aiming to solve the problem of an app running differently on some older OS versions or hardware models.

As you can see, performance testing of mobile applications is a lot more than just one person using a beta version of a program to see how it works. This is a multi-level process that takes time and expertise, which means it should only be executed by professional QA engineers. In case you don't have them working for you full-time, you can always get yourself a tech partner on the QA outsourcing service market or sign a short-term contract with a performance testing service company.

Why does your app need performance testing?

As we have defined the performance testing of mobile software, it's time that we establish what exactly can your business achieve with it. The key reasons why application owners don't mind spending time and great budgets on performance testing include:

A well-working app is the brand's reputation. 

People these days are very demanding when it comes to software, especially the one you have to pay for. This means, if you release an app that doesn't do what it's supposed to, chances are you'll get a one-star rating that will stay with you even after you update the app and fix all the errors. Users just won't trust your brand name again after having wasted time on it in the past.

Early testing is less expensive than last-minute fixes. 

If the thought of saving some money on performance testing ever comes to your mind, fight it back as hard as you can. Not only will you inevitably spend more resources on urgent bug fixing by software developers and its re-testing by QA engineers, but we also can't even describe how risky failed releases are for digital companies these days.

Good apps sell themselves. 

When an application looks appealing and works just fine, users appreciate that. Meaning, if you work hard on your mobile application during the development and testing phases, your effort will be paid back in a form of positive feedback and an opportunity to scale your business app if wanted. Reaching a wide audience, growing popularity, and turning a mobile app into a reputable software company is only possible if you start with a high-quality product in the first place.

Summing up

Software performance testing is not the easiest process because of its layered, all-inclusive technical nature. However, considering this is the only method to prove your mobile app works as you want it to, we strongly believe performance testing should never be underestimated. As a result of your mobile application performance being tested, you get a fast-working product that is scalable, reliable, and highly responsive.