Why need Beta Testing?
There are several reasons to use beta testing:
- It provides developers with insights from a diverse user base, helping identify issues that may not surface in controlled environments.
- It allows for the discovery and resolution of bugs, contributing to improved software quality before the official release.
- By gauging user feedback, it helps measure satisfaction and provides valuable insights for feature enhancements.
- Insights gained from it allow developers to refine the product based on user expectations, ensuring a polished and user-friendly experience.
- It serves as a crucial step before widespread release, reducing the likelihood of unforeseen issues in the live environment.
Features of Beta Testing
Beta testing has various characteristics to it. They are as follows:
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Beta testing is done by users not part of the company. The software is tested in a real-time environment by end users. The tester may even be the client or a stakeholder.
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Beta testing always takes place after alpha testing. It takes place before releasing the software to the main market.
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It is black-box testing.
- It happens in the user's location, not in a lab.
Types of Beta Testing
There are many types of beta testing. We will study them below, one by one.
Traditional Beta Testing
In this technique, the software is released to the target market. Then the company collects valuable feedback from the market and updates the product accordingly.
Public Beta Testing
The product is made available to the whole world through proper channels. So, everyone as a tester can use the product, and information is collected from them.
Focused Beta Testing
Here, the product is released into the main market with an agenda of collecting feedback for a specific product feature. The user's experience helps in making the required changes in the product.
Technical Beta Testing
In this, the product is made available to the groups of employees of the organization. The organization collects feedback from the employee.
Post-Release Beta Testing
Here, the product is released into the world for end users. The users' experience and data collected from them are used to make the necessary changes for future releases of the product.
When to Perform Beta Testing?
Both alpha and beta testing happen in the final stage of the product development process. In general, beta testing takes place after the following conditions are fulfilled.
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All the functions of the product are ready to be tested.
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Documentation for the use of the product is ready.
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The management team has checked all the functionalities to be good to use.
- Procedures to collect feedback and bug reports have been made and identified.
Entry Criteria
The entry criteria for beta testing are as follows:
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The document of alpha testing has been signed off.
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The beta version of the product is ready to be used.
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The environment to release the software product to the public is ready.
- Tools are ready to capture bugs, faults, and feedback.
Exit Criteria
The exit criteria for beta testing are as follows:
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All the issues that have come to notice by beta testing have been resolved.
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The feedback report has been prepared.
- The beta testing summary report has been delivered.
Process of Beta Testing
It has various steps to complete the testing process. They are as the following.
Planning
There should be proper planning for beta testing. The team determines the goals, the number of users, the testing duration, etc.
Recruitment of Participants
Here, the team selects users to perform beta testing on the product. The users may change based on the development requirements or the organization.
Product Launch
The beta version of the product is launched to the specified participants. Now, these users will use the product and test it.
Collection and Evaluation of Feedback
This step collects the critical feedback of the users who have tested the product. Afterward, proper evaluation of feedback takes place, and necessary changes are made to the product.
Closure
After all the changes have been made and the exit criteria are met, the updated product is finally rolled out in the market. Also, the organization rewards the beta testers.
How do Product Managers use Beta Testing?
Product Managers strategically leverage beta testing as a crucial phase in the product development lifecycle. By engaging a diverse group of external users to participate in beta testing, Product Managers gain valuable insights into how the product performs in real-world scenarios. This user-centric approach allows them to collect feedback on various aspects, including usability, functionality, and overall user experience.
Product Managers use this phase to iterate on the product, ensuring that it meets or exceeds user requirements before its official release. Additionally, beta testing creates a sense of community involvement, as users feel part of the product's evolution, fostering a positive relationship between the product and its user base. The insights gathered during beta testing inform strategic decisions, refine the product strategy, and contribute to a successful product launch.
How to Use the Beta Test Feedback
Using beta test feedback is a strategic process that involves careful analysis of user responses, identifying trends and patterns, and prioritizing issues for resolution.
Product Managers collate feedback through surveys, discussions, and user reports, extracting valuable insights. Prioritizing critical issues ensures focused improvements, enhancing the product's overall quality and aligning it with user expectations before the official release. This iterative feedback loop is integral to successful product refinement during the beta testing phase.
Tools used for Beta Testing
There are several tools facilitate the beta testing process, helping Product Managers manage the testing phase effectively. Some commonly used tools include:
- TestFlight: TestFlight, owned by Apple, is a platform for beta testing iOS applications. It allows developers to distribute pre-release versions of their apps to a selected group of testers.
- Google Play Console: For Android apps, Google Play Console offers beta testing features. Developers can release beta versions to specific groups or open testing to a broader audience.
- UserTesting: UserTesting is a platform that enables companies to gather feedback by facilitating usability testing with real users. It provides insights into user behavior, preferences, and challenges.
- Centercode: Centercode is a comprehensive beta testing management platform. It helps product teams recruit, manage, and collect feedback from beta testers throughout the product development lifecycle.
- TestRails: TestRails is a test case management tool that assists in organizing and tracking beta test scenarios. It helps ensure that all aspects of the product are systematically tested and documented.
Advantages of Beta Testing
There are certain advantages of beta testing. They are as follows:
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It focuses on the satisfaction of the customers. This way, it reduces the chances of product failure.
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It gets direct feedback from the users to make the required changes.
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It helps identify those bugs or issues which have been overlooked by the development team before.
- It creates a good bond with the customers and helps the company to test its product before the final launch.
Disadvantages of Beta Testing
Also, there are some disadvantages of beta testing too. They are as follows:
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A developer has no control over the testing. It all relies on the user.
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Beta testing can be time-consuming. It can delay the expected final release timing of the product.
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Since the environment varies from user to user, it may take time to deal with errors.
- If the users do not use the product properly or have less knowledge of how to use it, beta testing might not result in efficient results.
Difference between Beta testing and Alpha testing
Beta testing is a late-stage software testing phase conducted by a select group of external users. It focuses on real-world scenarios, user experience, and feedback in a diverse environment. Beta testers are not part of the development team, providing unbiased perspectives. This phase occurs on a feature-complete version closer to the final release state and involves a larger group of external users.
On the other hand, Alpha testing is an early-stage testing process conducted by the internal development team. It emphasizes functionality, integration, and system testing in a controlled environment. Participants are usually internal developers, testers, or QA team members. Alpha testing occurs on a pre-release version to identify bugs and defects before wider distribution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Beta Testing?
Beta testing is the testing of software by real users. It is the last part of any software development process. It comes under User Acceptance Testing. It is the part where the users are provided with the software to use and give critical feedback to the developers.
Why is Beta testing important?
Beta testing is important because it is necessary to test the product in a real-world scenario and make the required changes before releasing it into the main market. The development team may have overlooked some bugs during the process. Critical feedback from testers helps to resolve these issues.
What are the names of the different steps of beta testing?
The steps of beta testing are planning, recruitment of participants, product launch, collection and evaluation of feedback, and closure.
What is a closed beta version of the software?
A closed beta version of the software is a version of the software that is limited to only a selected number of users. These selected users test the software and provide feedback.
Are beta and QA testers the same?
QA testers test the product to find some errors or bugs that may have been overlooked. But QA testers are from the company itself. Beta testers are from outside the QA team from different locations who test the product.
Conclusion
Developers work very hard to make a product. And testing of these products is a crucial part of building a product. Beta testing is an essential phase in any product development process. In this article, we learned about beta testing, its process, features, types, advantages, and disadvantages.
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