Website testing

Testing using people

As an organisation, our preference for website testing is to use people where possible. The reason for this is simply that people give a better representation of how the website works, or doesn't work, than a computer can. We try and ensure that web pages function as they should and that there are no obvious problems.

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring the website is as inclusive as possible we aim to engage with local disability-related groups to try new ideas and gauge their feedback. This allows us to get instant feedback on how our website works and, hopefully, ensures a more inclusive website for everyone.

Testing using computers

The Plymouth City Council website is regularly tested using various online testing tools. These tests focus on how the site is constructed, the use of programming code, conformance to technical standards and general good practice for website design and development. Some of the tests we pass, and some we fail, but the overall aim is to improve the website to pass as many as practically possible.