Testing A Marketing Automation Software: A Quick Guide

Talking about the times when the business industry had no exposure to the concept of Digital Transformation, the marketing initiatives were limited to building a strong word of mouth. On the other hand, the business giants and MNCs were subjected to work on geographical expansions in order to expand their sales initiatives and ensure effective operational management.  

However, the introduction of modern marketing tools and software have made the marketing initiatives much smoother. Especially, when it comes to efficiency-driven tasks that hat involves repetitive actions, the use of marketing automation tools has all the potential to cut off laborious tasks associated with marketing and sales. But achieving all that perfection and ease require the best software and tools, which can only be nurtured through effective marketing automation software testing. 

Since marketing is one of the most significant components of leading business operations, this blog will try to highlight the need for testing marketing automation software while giving you a tour of all the capabilities owned by them.  

Besides, we will underline the necessary yet most important testing techniques that define the success of marketing automation tools with special attention given to important functionalities that must have the prime focus when you choose CRM testing services.  

Let’s begin! 

What Are Marketing Automation Tools? 

Marketing automation is about using technology and tools that can help streamline marketing activities for a business. These include the most basic tasks like email marketing, managing ad campaigns while handling the most advanced customer relationship management goals through automated conversations and lead generation activities.  

Besides, the marketing automation tools are made to drive efficiency but even help create a more personalized experience for the customers.  

Capabilities of Marketing Automation Tools 

Marketing automation software and tools could vary a lot in terms of functionalities and features they could offer. Though some of these are more versatile and offer universal capabilities claiming to be all-in-one marketing solutions, the others are meant to meet specialized purposes. Some of the essential capabilities that are associated with marketing automation tools include: 

• Analytics: Marketing automation software is designed to work on customer data for creating personalized marketing efforts and therefore offer advanced analytics features. These include collecting customer data, measuring the marketing and sales activities, patterns, and visualizing convenience achieved. 

• Digital Advertising: From promotions to creating bids and running ads on diverse channels, marketing automation tools can help in automating and optimizing the promotion process.  

• Email Marketing: Automated segmentation of the client base, dispatching mass emails for certain customer behaviour, creating and sharing forms, dynamic personalization of the CRM, or split testing for emails, all such features are worked using email marketing capabilities.  

• Lead Management: From lead segmentation to lead nurturing, some universal marketing automation tools could handle anything from automatic generation to management of leads. 

• SEO: Either it comes to collecting analytics on your website, your competitors, marketing automation software could measure the convenience and easy-to-follow interface. Besides, these tools could even share insights on improving the website placement for better lead scoring and SERP results.  

• Social Media Automation: Scheduling, Posting, or Tracking your social media activities, the marketing automation tools when went through effective Quality Assurance services could help enhance your social listing and content for improved brand presence. 

Wondering How Software Testing Could Help You Meet Your Business Resilience Goals? 

Here is a quick read for you to follow: Developing Business Resilience With Software Testing 

How To Test A Marketing Automation Software? 

When it comes to marketing automation software or tools, the selection of test processes and activities entirely depends on the characteristics possessed by the solution. Besides, there are some necessary testing techniques that work well for any marketing automation tool, irrespective of the fact what technology is used to power the solution. 

• Functional Testing 

Functional testing is one of the most basic types of testing and therefore is used for marketing automation software. The objective behind the use of functional testing is all about ensuring that all the defined functions of the solution should work well as expected. Since marketing automation software with universal features has complicated coding and functionality, thorough functional testing helps to create highly stable solutions. 

• Usability Testing 

Marketing automation is all about creating solutions that can make the marketing process easier for the executives as well as any other users. Usability testing services thus helps to create better usability on the software. The process usually includes testing the solution for maximum convenience on the interface, user-friendly navigation, and a smooth workflow that comes through a clear design. Usability is also considered an important part of the functionality and some dedicated efforts on usability testing could help create solutions that can meet the end-user expectations. Also, usability testing is a crucial factor that decides the ability of software to compete in the market against rival tools. 

• Integration Testing 

When it comes to integration testing on a marketing automation software, there are usually two things associated with it. The former is focused on all the complexities that come from interconnected modules. It means integration testing should primarily work at all the modules of the marketing automation tool to allow seamless integration on the tool that works well in sync when exposed to integration testing services.  

The next part of integration testing for a marketing automation software is to check on third-party systems. These are the platforms that help the marketing software to work as a full-fledged CRM while integrating with the automation features available on the marketing and sales part of the software. In other words, it is more about testing a combinational approach that checks for different solutions within the same software to ensure a smooth workflow, easy inputs, and more pleasing outputs.  

• API Testing 

API Testing or Application Programming Interface Testing refers to testing the application for its ability to collaborate with third-party platforms and other software solutions necessary to make it a whole. As the process to provide access to a marketing automation software works with effective API integration, testing API helps to check the correct implementation and working of the software. 

• Performance Testing 

As the marketing automation tools are meant to compliment business operations, any issues with the code or functionality can have a direct impact on efficiency, sales, productivity, and profit. Therefore, to ensure efficient and interruption-free access on the software, performance testing services are a mandate. When done effectively, performance testing could aid testers to develop solutions that are adequate and satisfactory.  

• Compatibility Testing 

When used in an organization, the marketing automation tool must be designed to help users have access to any browser, device, or operating system. Compatibility testing on a marketing automation tool helps to ensure that the solution under test must work smoothly in all types of environments.  

• Penetration Testing 

Marketing automation software needs access to all the corporate data in order to process any client requirements on quotes. However, all the live information available on the software makes it necessary for QA testers to work on security goals. Penetration testing helps business to protect their information and ensure valid use of data preventing any breach. Penetration testing is more of a continuous approach and therefore it is necessary that regular penetration tests should be performed on the system to identify any flaws that can be the reason for security attacks.  

Functionality Testing In Marketing Automation Tools 

Since different marketing automation tools have different functionalities, there are so many other important factors that must be tested well in time by some experienced Quality Assurance Services to yield the best performance and functionality outcomes. Here is a quick test checklist that you might want to consider if working to create a perfect marketing automation software: 

• Any emails automated through the system must display the content in an appropriate manner while accommodating all the essential elements.  

• The emails sent from the system should land in the inbox of the targeted user and not in the spam folder.  

• To make sure all the elements on the website’s landing page should be placed effectively and everything should work well on click (CTAs, Headlines, etc.). 

• The tracking code on all the activities that come under lead generation should work properly after the implementation. 

• To ensure that users can easily fill and submit the contact forms, collecting and saving necessary information for lead scoring.  

• All the programmed requirements must be validated to perform the expected results.  

• The marketing campaigns should align well with the desired workflow to deliver the required results.  

• The logic and process used on the system should work in favour of the marketing campaign.  

• The customer segmentation should work effectively, generating the correct contacts. 

• The lead scoring third-party integrations should function properly and the system must display the correct score value for all the leads generated.  

The Crux 

When you need to outperform the already existing marketing solutions in the market, effective software testing services could help you take the game to a whole new level. 

It not only assures you of indispensable customer business but gets off all the intricacy and effort that you need to take the best software to the market. However, the only thing that makes the difference is the skills you own to leverage a well-rounded and efficient marketing automation software.  

Good Luck! 

If you are looking for some professional assistance on quality assurance services for your marketing automation software, feel free to get in touch with our experts at BugRaptors. We would love to assist you!  

Reach us through info@bugraptors.com