Research Fundamentals Part 6: Technical Analysis: Catch Bugs Before They Kill Conversions
Technical Analysis: Catch Bugs Before They Kill Conversions
Technical Analysis: Catch Bugs Before They Kill Conversions
⏱️ 2-min read
Technical problems kill conversions silently. Your checkout form might be broken on Safari mobile. Your page might load in 12 seconds on 3G connections. Your call to action button might not work in Firefox.
You’d never know unless you checked. Meanwhile, you’re losing money every single day.
Here’s how to catch these issues before they cost you.
Cross-Browser Testing
Your site needs to work perfectly on:
Chrome (desktop and mobile)
Safari (desktop and mobile, especially iOS)
Firefox
Edge
Samsung Internet (if you have significant mobile traffic)
Test every critical page on every major browser. Click every button. Fill out every form. Complete every conversion action.
Common browser-specific bugs:
CSS layouts that break in Safari
JavaScript that doesn’t execute in Firefox
Forms that won’t submit on older browsers
Buttons that don’t respond on certain mobile browsers
Tools: BrowserStack and LambdaTest let you test on dozens of browser and device combinations without owning every device.
Device Testing
Test on actual devices, not just browser emulators. Real devices reveal problems emulators miss:
iPhone (current and previous generation)
Android phones (Samsung, Google Pixel)
Tablets (iPad, Android tablets)
Different screen sizes and resolutions
Check:
Do buttons work on touch screens?
Are click targets big enough for fingers?
Does text remain readable on small screens?
Do forms auto-zoom annoyingly when focused?
Are images properly sized for mobile?
If 40% of your traffic is mobile and your mobile experience is broken, you’re throwing away 40% of potential conversions.
Page Speed Analysis
Slow pages kill conversions. Every additional second of load time reduces conversion rates. Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to check:
Load time on desktop
Load time on mobile
Load time on slow connections
Core Web Vitals scores
If your page takes 8 seconds to load, people leave before seeing anything. Test on a throttled 3G connection to see what mobile users on slower networks experience.
Common speed problems:
Unoptimized images (huge file sizes)
Too many third-party scripts
No caching enabled
Render-blocking JavaScript
Massive CSS files
Fix these before running tests. A test comparing two slow pages is useless. Fix the speed first, then test other improvements.
Form Functionality
Forms are conversion killers when they break. Test every form field:
Does validation work correctly?
Are error messages clear and helpful?
Does auto-fill work properly?
Do dropdown menus display all options?
Can users edit entries easily?
Does the submit button work reliably?
Check form behavior on:
Desktop browsers
Mobile browsers
Different screen orientations
With browser auto-fill enabled
With password managers active
Watch for:
Required fields not marked as required
Validation that’s too strict (rejecting valid phone number formats)
Error messages that don’t explain what’s wrong
Forms that reset completely after an error
Submit buttons that don’t provide feedback when clicked
Mobile-Specific Issues
Mobile has unique problems:
Tap targets too small (buttons should be at least 44x44 pixels)
Text too small to read without zooming
Horizontal scrolling required to see content
Forms that don’t use mobile-friendly input types
Pop-ups that can’t be closed on mobile
Fixed headers that cover content
Test your entire conversion flow on a phone. Actually use your thumbs. If something feels awkward or difficult, fix it.
JavaScript Errors
Open your browser console on every important page. Look for JavaScript errors. Red error messages mean something’s broken.
Common issues:
Third-party scripts failing to load
Broken tracking code
Analytics or testing tools causing conflicts
Features that depend on JavaScript failing silently
One JavaScript error can break your entire conversion flow. Check the console regularly.
SSL and Security
Your site needs HTTPS everywhere, especially on checkout and signup pages. Browsers show “Not Secure” warnings on HTTP pages. These warnings destroy trust.
Check:
SSL certificate is valid and not expired
All resources load over HTTPS (no mixed content warnings)
Forms submit over HTTPS
Payment processing uses secure connections
Security warnings make people abandon immediately. Fix these before testing anything else.
Testing Checklist
Before running any A/B test, verify:
✓ Page loads under 3 seconds on mobile
✓ All buttons and forms work on Chrome, Safari, Firefox
✓ Mobile experience is usable on actual phones
✓ No JavaScript errors in console
✓ Forms submit successfully
✓ SSL is properly configured
✓ Page displays correctly on common screen sizes
Technical problems are low-hanging fruit. Fix them and conversions improve without testing anything else.
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💡 QUICK WIN
Open your main conversion page on your phone right now. Try to complete a conversion using only your thumbs. Note everything that feels difficult or broken. Fix those things this week.
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This concludes the Research Skills series.
You now know six diagnostic methods:
Research process framework
Heuristic analysis
Qualitative research
Heat maps and replays
Web analytics
Technical analysis
Use 2-3 methods for each test. The problems will reveal themselves. Then test solutions.
Next series coming soon: Hypothesis Building. You’ll learn how to turn research insights into winning test ideas.
Reply with questions anytime.
– Atticus
P.S. A single technical bug can cost you more money than ten failed A/B tests. Always check technical issues first. It’s the highest ROI research you can do.