How important is software testing? Consider this: Customers who have a good experience are 3.5 times more likely to become a repeat customer and 5 times more likely to recommend a business.

So, if your customers have a bad experience when using your software, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll lose them to a competitor.

Testing new software is one of the best things you can do to determine potential issues before your customers do.

But, how do you go about choosing the right software testing service for your product?

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Keep reading to learn the most important things you should consider when you’re looking to hire a software testing company.

1. Industry Specialization

One of the most important things to consider is whether you want to hire a testing company that specializes in your market. By hiring a service that’s unfamiliar with your industry, you run the risk of testing delays, as you may have to bring the testers up to speed about certain aspects of your market.

On the other hand, working with testers that are familiar with many different types of software may end up giving you a unique perspective on your software that you wouldn’t otherwise get.

There’s no right or wrong answer here; it’s all about what’s most important to you and your business.

2. Reputation

Before you select a software testing company, take some time to read through references and reviews to get a sense of the company. This will give you valuable insight into what their previous customers think of their service.

You can usually find some reviews right on a company’s website, but remember that they may be filtering them so that only positive reviews show up. Look beyond their website as well, to see what people are saying on their Google listing or social media pages for a more unbiased view of the company.

While you’re learning more about their reputation, make note of any industry awards or recognitions they might have earned as well.

3. Location

In our digital world, software testing can be done virtually anywhere. So, when you’re considering which company to hire, you’ll want to decide whether to hire a company that does local testing or one that outsources its services.

Again, there’s no wrong answer here, as it all comes down to preference. Oftentimes, outsourced services are less expensive, which can be helpful if you need to stick to a budget.

However, you may run into issues with outsourced testing. For example, there could be language barriers when communicating with the testing team. Or, operating in different time zones could make it hard to communicate with the team in a timely manner.

4. Fees and What They Cover

If you ask the question, “what does QA stand for?“ to five different software testing companies, they might all give you a slightly different answer.

That’s why it’s critical to have a conversation about what the software testing experience includes and how much it costs before you hire a testing service. Do some research to see average costs for software testing services and use that as a baseline when you talk about fees with potential vendors.

Of course, you don’t want to pay for more than you’ll get, but also be wary of companies who appear to be undercharging you as well. It could be a sign that the company is cutting corners in ways that you can’t see.

5. Communication

Simply put, if you can’t easily communicate with your software testing partner, you’re not going to have a good experience. Before you make a decision on a vendor, ask about communication expectations.

Who will be your point of contact? How often should you expect to get feedback from the testers? What kind of timeline should you expect and how will changes to the timeline be communicated to you?

You should talk about internal communication procedures as well, especially if they have team members located in different areas of the country or the world. By setting these expectations upfront, the whole testing process will be much easier and more effective.

6. Security

Most software contains data that needs protection. So, one of the most important things to consider before hiring a testing service is their security policies.

If you don’t do your research beforehand, you run the risk of potential security breaches that can damage your software as well as your company’s reputation.

Make sure potential vendors have clear security policies in writing that you can review before deciding to move forward with them for testing.

7. Documentation

A successful testing service company knows the importance of documentation during the testing process. Make sure that the testing company you choose will clearly document the following:

• Test cases and scenarios
• Scripts
• Reports
• Results

Every single test they perform should be documented and easily accessible to you throughout the process. When talking to potential vendors about documentation, this is also a good time to talk about key performance indicators (KPIs) that you want to track in order to ensure successful testing.

8. Service Level Agreement (SLA)

When you decide to move forward with a testing company, they should provide an SLA for you to sign that defines clear expectations to make sure your goals are aligned.

Take a careful look at the SLA before you sign and make sure that it includes projected timelines and milestones, types of testing that will occur, knowledge transfer procedures, process compliance, etc.

In general, the more detailed the SLA, the better, as it helps to ensure you and the testing company are on the same page.

9. Hire the Right Software Testing Service

After reading through this guide about the most important things to consider when hiring a software testing service, you should feel more confident when making your decision. Proper software testing can be the difference between a successful product and an unsuccessful one, so refer back to this guide as needed when making your decision.

Looking for more business tips like this? Check out our other articles before you go!