Nowadays, people around the world can connect with each other easily. This makes multilingual websites more important for businesses to reach people from different countries. Software testers need to make sure that these websites work well in different languages.
In this blog, we will discuss how to test multilingual websites effectively. We will cover the steps and best practices to ensure that these websites provide a good experience for users of all languages.
Understanding Multilingual Websites
Before you start testing a multilingual website, it is important to understand how they work. Multilingual websites have content in many different languages, and users can switch between languages to see the information they need. For example, a website about cars might have content in English, Hindi, Spanish, and French.
As a software tester, your job is to make sure that all language versions of the website work correctly and consistently. This means that the content should be translated accurately, the layout should be the same, and all of the features should work the same way in all languages.
Steps needs to take in action while testing multilingual websites
Following are the steps you need to take in action while testing multilingual websites:
Identify Supported Languages
The first step in testing a multilingual website is to find out what languages it supports. This means finding out what languages are available on the website, and also whether there are any regional variations within each language. For example, a website that supports English might have content in British English and American English.
Prepare Test Cases
After you have identified the supported languages, you need to prepare test cases. Test cases are a set of instructions that describe how to test a specific aspect of the website. For multilingual websites, you need to prepare test cases that cover all of the following aspects:
- Language Switching
- Make sure the language switcher is visible and easy to find on all pages.
- Check that the content changes correctly when you switch between languages.
- For example, if you switch from English to Spanish, the text should be translated correctly and the layout should not change.
- Character Encoding
- Make sure that special characters, accent, and symbols in different languages are displayed correctly.
This includes characters like é, à, and ü. - Check for rendering issues, such as characters being displayed incorrectly or missing.
- Make sure that special characters, accent, and symbols in different languages are displayed correctly.
- Font and Text Expansion
- Different languages may require different font styles and sizes.
- Make sure that the layout remains consistent when you switch between languages. This means that the text should not overflow or get truncated.
- Translation Accuracy
- Review the accuracy of translations. This includes checking for grammatical errors, contextual discrepancies, and missing translations.
- For example, you would want to make sure that the translation of “home” is not “होम” in Hindi, but rather “घर”.
- Date and Time Formats
- Confirm that date and time formats are localized according to the selected language and region. This means that the date and time should be displayed in the correct format for the selected language and region.
- For example, in the United States, the date is typically displayed as “MM/DD/YYYY”, while in Europe it is typically displayed as “DD/MM/YYYY”.
- Forms and Input Validation
- Test input validation for different languages. This includes checking for validation messages, field lengths, and format errors.
- For example, you would want to make sure that the validation message for an email address is displayed correctly in both English and Spanish.
Test Functionalities
In this phase, you will test the core functionalities of the website to make sure they work correctly in all supported languages. This includes the following:
- Navigation:
Make sure that the navigation menus, links, and buttons work correctly in all languages. For example, you would want to make sure that the “Home” button is translated correctly in all languages and that it takes you to the correct page. - Search Functionality:
Verify that the search feature returns accurate results across different languages. For example, you would want to make sure that if you search for “dog” in English, the search results include pages that contain the word “perro” in Spanish. - Currency and Numeric Values:
Check if currency symbols and numeric values are correctly localized and formatted. For example, you would want to make sure that the price of a product is displayed correctly in both US dollars and INR. - User Accounts:
Test user registration, login, and account settings to ensure seamless functionality for multilingual users. For example, you would want to make sure that users can create accounts and login in any supported language.
Testing Localization
Localization is the process of adapting a product or service to a specific language or culture. This is an important aspect of multilingual websites, as you want to make sure that your website is accessible and user-friendly for people who speak different languages.
Here are some key areas to consider when testing localization:
- Time Zones:
Make sure that time-related features, such as event scheduling, reflect the correct time zone for each language. For example, if you are scheduling an event for users in INDIA, you would want to make sure that the event time is displayed in India Standard Time (IST) if the user is in Mumbai. - Cultural Sensitivity:
Ensure that content is culturally appropriate for each language and region. This means avoiding cultural references that may be offensive or insensitive to users in different cultures. For example, you would want to avoid using images of religious symbols on a website that is targeted to users in a country where those symbols are not commonly used. - Images and Icons:
Check that images and icons used are culturally neutral and don’t present any offensive connotations in any language. This means using images and icons that are not likely to be misinterpreted or offensive to users in different cultures. For example, you would want to avoid using images of food that is not commonly eaten in the country where your website is targeted.
Mobile Responsiveness
In today’s world, more and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. This means that it is important for your multilingual website to be mobile-responsive.
Mobile-responsiveness means that your website will look good and work well on all devices, including smartphones and tablets. This includes the language switcher and all other functionalities.
Performance Testing
Performance testing is the process of measuring the speed and responsiveness of a website. This is important for multilingual websites, as you want to make sure that your website loads quickly and smoothly for users who speak different languages.
Conclusion
Testing multilingual websites is hard work, but it’s important to make sure that everyone can use them. By following the steps in this blog, software testers can help make multilingual websites more user-friendly for people around the world.