Exploratory Testing on Cars.ng: My First Project In HNG Internship as Website Tester.

Introduction
In today’s digital world, ensuring a smooth and bug-free user experience is crucial for any web platform. As part of the HNG Stage One Testing Track, I conducted exploratory testing on Cars.ng to evaluate its usability, performance, and potential issues. This blog post details my testing process, key findings, and recommendations for improving the platform.

Methodology
For this testing exercise, I followed an exploratory approach by manually navigating through Cars.ng’s key user journeys. My testing covered:

Browsing and searching for cars
Filtering search results
Viewing car details
Contacting sellers
General UI and performance checks
I performed the tests on:

Desktop: Windows 10, Google Chrome
Mobile: iphone xr, Chrome Mobile on safari
All identified issues were documented with screenshots and categorized based on their severity.

Findings: Key Issues Identified
During testing, I uncovered several usability and functionality issues. Below are five critical bugs:

1. Publication Button Not Active After Completing car Details.
   Issue: After completing the input of car details and description, the publication button is not responsive.
   Expected Result: User should be able to publish the cars when all the necessary details has been provided.
   Severity: High

2. Search Function Not Returning Relevant Results
   Issue: When searching for a specific car model, the results sometimes include unrelated listings.
   Expected Result: Only relevant cars should appear based on the search query.
   Severity: High

3. Images Not Loading loading properly on Mobile device.
   Issue: The car display overlap on mobile device.
   Expected Result: All images should load correctly for a better user experience.
   Severity: Medium

4. Registration Button Not Responsive.
   Issue: The google registration button display error while the Facebook button is not responsive.
   Expected Result: Pages should load quickly and efficiently.
   Severity: Medium

5. Error return when click on button to see newly added cars.
   Issue: Instead of displaying newly added cars, error 500 was displayed.
   Expected Result: Clicking the button should display the newly added cars.
   Severity: High
   Suggested Improvements
   Based on the testing experience, I recommend the following enhancements to improve Cars.ng:

Optimize the search algorithm to deliver more accurate results.
Fix filter functionality to ensure users can refine listings properly.
Improve image loading performance by optimizing image sizes and fixing broken links.
Enhance page speed on mobile by reducing heavy scripts and optimizing assets.
Ensure all interactive buttons work as expected, especially the contact seller feature.
Conclusion
Exploratory testing is essential in identifying usability and functionality issues that could impact user satisfaction. Cars.ng has a great concept, but addressing these key issues will significantly enhance its reliability and user experience.

For a detailed breakdown of bugs and visual proof, check out my Bug Report Sheet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ntLm_AVRgE51lWXqUwlfgshbuVlqF1-5bt1Kp5q7gNs/edit?usp=sharing

Looking forward to seeing these improvements implemented!