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Setting up a testing environment
First impressions are everything in business. It is crucial that your message is clear and easy to act on. If the first thing your customers see are broken images, links that don’t work, or other issues, they are more likely to leave without looking any further.
That’s why it is so important to test email and web applications for proper rendering and functionality across all of the various operating systems, browsers, and email clients. With all of the many possible configurations available, testing can seem like a daunting task, but it is a vital aspect of any development program. The scope of your testing may vary due to the requirements of your clients and users, but there are numerous reports and research studies available to help in your decision. Let’s walk through the steps to get started.
1. Research your audience
The first step is to learn more about the market share of your possible choices. You’re probably familiar with many of the options available but there may be some you are overlooking that have a significant user base and can be integrated into your testing program. Below is a sample of usage statistics on what you might need.
Email Clients
Figure 1 – Campaign Monitor
Figure 2,3 – Fingerprint
Web Browsers
Figure 4 – Wikipedia -Web browser usage
Figure 5 – W3Schools – Browser Statistics
2. Make a list
After reviewing what is being used, you can begin making a list of what you want to have available in your testing environment. You may add or remove items you’re your list due personal experience or client requirements but here are some suggestions to get you started.
Suggested email clients to have for testing:
Suggested web browsers to have for testing:
3. Getting to work – Virtualization is your friend
Once you’ve done your research and created your list of operating systems, browsers, and email clients that you will be supporting, you can start the task of setting up your testing environment. It can be difficult to install all of these applications on a single computer. One way would be to setup several computers to cover everything. Another option is to use virtualization technologies to run everything on a single machine.
For example, you are going to want to have the last 3 versions of Internet Explorer installed since they all have significant shares of the browser market. There are programs like Multiple IE and Internet Explorer Collection that try to allow you to run them side by side on the same machine, but I have found that they don’t always display a page the same way that an individual installation would. A better way is to use Microsoft’s Virtual PC and their Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Images that they have made available just for this. By using the VPC images, you can test IE 6, 7, and 8 on either Windows XP or Vista.
Testing with other operating systems can be a little trickier. There is no official support for running the Mac OS virtually on Windows, but there is always the option of buying an inexpensive iMac or Mac mini for testing purposes. It’s a little easier if you’re on a Mac and want to run Windows. In that case you have the options of Boot Camp, Parallels, or VMware Fusion that will all allow you to run Windows.
Testing with Linux is relatively easy with lots of options available. One way would be to use a Live CD, which allows you to run Linux without the need of installing it since it runs directly off the CD. You can also run Linux virtually using the VMware Player and downloading an image from either VMware or VM Planet.
4. This is just the beginning
As you can see, there is a lot to think about when it comes to setting up a comprehensive testing environment, but with a little thought and planning it is possible to achieve your goals in an efficient and cost effective manner. In the end, all of your hard work with testing will be more than worth it knowing that your customers are seeing your message exactly as intended. They say “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” so be sure you have everything right the first time around.
In a future segment, I’ll go over Mobile environments, which are becoming more and more important in today’s business. Until then, keep testing.