Essential Steps to Create a Powerful Cross Browser Testing Strategy – Part 3

Cross browser testing strategy development is critical for ensuring your website delivers a consistent experience to all users. Without a structured approach, your testing efforts may miss crucial browser-specific issues or waste resources on unnecessary tests. This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating an efficient and effective cross browser testing strategy tailored to your project needs.

Why Your Cross Browser Testing Strategy Matters

Cross browser testing strategy implementation directly impacts your website’s overall quality, user satisfaction, and ultimately, your business outcomes. A well-designed strategy helps you:

• Identify and prioritize which browsers truly matter for your audience
• Allocate testing resources efficiently
• Catch browser compatibility issues before your users do
• Create a consistent process that scales with your development cycle

According to a recent Forrester Research study, organizations with formalized cross browser testing strategies reduced critical production bugs by 37% and decreased testing costs by 25% compared to those using ad-hoc approaches.

Let’s examine how to build your own effective cross browser testing strategy.

Step 1: Analyze Your User Base with Data-Driven Decisions

Cross browser testing strategy development begins with understanding exactly who uses your website and how they access it.

Gather Analytics Data

Start by extracting browser usage data from your analytics platform. Look for:

• Browser types and versions
• Operating systems
• Device categories (desktop, tablet, mobile)
• Screen resolutions
• Geographical distribution

If you don’t have existing analytics, tools like Google Analytics provide this information for free. For established websites, analyze at least 3-6 months of data to account for seasonal variations.

Create Your Browser Matrix

Based on your analytics, create a browser matrix—a prioritized list of browser/OS/device combinations that your website must support. Here’s a simplified example:

Priority	Browser	Version	OS	Device Type	% of Users
1	Chrome	115+	Windows	Desktop	32%
1	Safari	16+	iOS	Mobile	27%
2	Chrome	115+	Android	Mobile	15%
2	Edge	115+	Windows	Desktop	10%
3	Firefox	115+	Windows	Desktop	5%
3	Safari	16+	macOS	Desktop	4%
4	Samsung Internet	20+	Android	Mobile	3%

Apply the 80/20 Rule

Focus your most rigorous testing efforts on the browser combinations that cover approximately 80% of your users. For the remaining 20%, conduct basic functionality testing to ensure critical features work.

Step 2: Define Testing Scope and Acceptance Criteria

Cross browser testing strategy effectiveness depends on clearly defined parameters and expectations.

Identify Critical Functionality

Not all website features need the same level of cross-browser scrutiny. Categorize your site’s functionality into:

• Critical Path Functions: Must work identically across all supported browsers (e.g., checkout processes, form submissions)
• Core Features: Should work on all browsers, with minor visual variations acceptable
• Enhanced Features: Can use progressive enhancement, with graceful degradation on less capable browsers

Establish Clear Acceptance Criteria

Document specific acceptance criteria for each browser tier. For example:

Tier 1 Browsers (80% of users):

• All functionality must work as designed
• Visual appearance must match designs within 5% tolerance
• Performance metrics must meet defined thresholds

Tier 2 Browsers (15% of users):

• All critical path functions must work
• Core features must work with acceptable visual variations
• Enhanced features should gracefully degrade

Tier 3 Browsers (5% of users):

• Critical path functions must work
• Basic content must be accessible and usable

Having clear criteria prevents scope creep and helps testers make consistent decisions about what constitutes a “pass” or “fail.”

Step 3: Select the Right Testing Tools and Environments

Cross browser testing strategy implementation requires appropriate tools that match your team’s needs and workflow.

Choose Testing Environments

You have several options for testing environments:

1. Real Devices: Physical devices provide the most accurate testing environment but are expensive to maintain at scale.
2. Cloud Testing Services: Platforms like BrowserStack, LambdaTest, and Sauce Labs provide access to hundreds of real browsers and devices.
3. Virtual Machines: Local VMs can be set up with different operating systems and browsers for testing.
4. Emulators/Simulators: Faster but less accurate than real devices; useful for initial testing.

Most effective strategies use a combination of these approaches, with cloud services handling the bulk of browser coverage while maintaining a small set of physical devices for verification.

Select Testing Tools

Your toolset will depend on your testing approach:

• Manual Testing Tools: Browser developer tools, screenshot comparison tools, responsive design viewers
• Automation Frameworks: Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, WebdriverIO
• Visual Regression Tools: Percy, Applitools, BackstopJS
• Performance Testing: Lighthouse, WebPageTest

Choose tools that integrate with your existing development workflow and match your team’s technical capabilities.

Step 4: Implement Testing in Your Development Workflow

Cross browser testing strategy effectiveness depends on when and how testing is performed within your development lifecycle.

When to Test

Integrate cross browser testing at multiple stages:

• During Development: Developers should test new features in at least 2-3 primary browsers before committing code
• Before Pull Request Approval: Basic compatibility testing should be part of code review
• In Continuous Integration: Automated cross-browser tests should run on each build
• Before Release: Comprehensive testing across all supported browsers
• Post-Release Monitoring: Track browser-specific issues in production

Establish Testing Workflows

Document step-by-step workflows for different testing scenarios. For example:

New Feature Testing Workflow:

1. Developer self-tests in primary development browser
2. Developer checks functionality in 2-3 additional major browsers
3. QA performs in-depth testing across Tier 1 browsers
4. Automated tests verify functionality across all browser tiers
5. Visual regression tests compare screenshots across browsers

Bug Fix Testing Workflow:

1. Reproduce issue in affected browser(s)
2. Fix and verify in affected browser(s)
3. Regression test in all Tier 1 browsers to ensure fix doesn’t cause new issues

Automate Where Possible

While not all cross-browser testing can be automated, identify opportunities to incorporate automation:

javascript// Example of a basic cross-browser test with Playwright
const { test } = require('@playwright/test');

test('login form submission works across browsers', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://example.com/login');
  await page.fill('#username', 'testuser');
  await page.fill('#password', 'password123');
  await page.click('#login-button');
  
  // Verify successful login across all browsers
  const welcomeMessage = await page.locator('.welcome-message');
  await expect(welcomeMessage).toBeVisible();
  await expect(welcomeMessage).toContainText('Welcome, testuser');
});

Step 5: Establish Documentation and Reporting Processes

Cross browser testing strategy implementation requires clear documentation and communication channels.

Document Browser Support Policies

Create and maintain documentation that clearly states:

• Which browsers and versions are officially supported
• Expected behavior for various browser tiers
• Known limitations in specific browsers
• Upgrade timelines for dropping support for older versions

Make this information available to both your development team and your users.

Standardize Issue Reporting

Create templates for reporting cross-browser issues that include:

• Affected browsers and versions
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs. actual behavior
• Screenshots or videos demonstrating the issue
• Priority level based on user impact

Track Browser-Specific Metrics

Monitor and report on browser-specific performance and issue trends:

• Conversion rates by browser
• Error rates by browser
• Performance metrics by browser
• User satisfaction scores by browser

These metrics can help you identify problematic browsers and prioritize fixes accordingly.

Real-World Cross Browser Testing Strategy Example

Let’s look at how a mid-sized e-commerce company implemented their cross browser testing strategy:

Company: FashionRetailer.com

Analytics Findings:

• 65% mobile traffic (45% iOS Safari, 20% Android Chrome)
• 35% desktop traffic (20% Chrome, 8% Firefox, 7% Edge)

Testing Matrix:

• Tier 1: iOS Safari 15+, Android Chrome 110+, Desktop Chrome 110+
• Tier 2: Desktop Firefox 110+, Desktop Edge 110+
• Tier 3: iOS Safari 14, Samsung Internet, Opera

Testing Approach:

1. Developers use BrowserStack for quick checks during development
2. CI pipeline runs automated Playwright tests across Tier 1 browsers
3. QA team performs manual testing on Tier 1 & 2 browsers before each release
4. Visual regression testing with Percy captures subtle layout issues
5. Post-release monitoring flags any browser-specific conversion drops

Results:

• 65% reduction in browser-specific bug reports from customers
• 28% faster release cycles due to fewer last-minute browser issues
• 12% increase in mobile conversion rates after fixing Safari-specific issues

Evolving Your Cross Browser Testing Strategy

Cross browser testing strategy development isn’t a one-time effort. Your strategy should evolve with:

• Changes in your user demographics
• New browser versions and features
• Deprecated browsers falling below usage thresholds
• Advances in testing tools and methodologies

Review and update your testing matrix quarterly based on current analytics data and browser release schedules.

Conclusion

A well-planned cross browser testing strategy balances thoroughness with efficiency. By focusing your efforts on the browsers that matter most to your users and establishing clear processes for testing throughout development, you can deliver a consistent experience across all platforms without overwhelming your team or budget.

Remember that the goal isn’t perfection across every possible browser—it’s ensuring that all users can successfully accomplish their goals on your website regardless of their browser choice.

Ready to Learn More?

Stay tuned for our next article in this series, where we’ll dive into the pros and cons of manual versus automated cross-browser testing approaches, helping you find the right balance for your projects.