During my testing of Cars.ng, I explored several key areas of the platform to evaluate its usability, responsiveness, and overall functionality. Cars.ng is a popular platform for buying and selling cars in Nigeria, and my task was to examine its user flows to identify any issues, bugs, or usability concerns that could impact the user experience.
This blog post will detail my findings from the test, including bugs, usability issues, and suggestions for improvement, along with recommendations to enhance the overall user experience.
Testing Methodology
I performed exploratory testing on Cars.ng with a focus on its core user flows, including logging in, browsing cars for sale, and interacting with dealer contact options. The testing was conducted across both desktop and mobile views using the latest versions of Google Chrome.
Here’s a breakdown of the testing areas covered:
User login and sign-up flows
Contacting dealers via WhatsApp and phone numbers
Car browsing functionality
Mobile responsiveness and layout
Profile update functionality
Findings and Issues
1. Login/Signup Flow (Google Method - Error 500)
During testing, I encountered a critical issue with the Google login/signup method. When attempting to log in or sign up using Google, I was met with a 500 Internal Server Error. This error prevented me from accessing the platform via my Google account, which is a significant issue for users who prefer logging in with Google.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Enter the site.
- Click on login or sign up.
- Select the Google sign-up/login option.
- Observe the error message.
Expected Result: Successful login/signup using Google.
Actual Result: A 500 error message appears.
Severity: High
2. Missing Terms/Rules Link During Registration
While testing the Register via Email and Phone Number page, I noticed that there was no link to the terms and conditions or user agreement. Users should be able to review the rules and policies before completing the registration process.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Enter the app.
- Click on login.
- Click on register with email and phone number.
- Observe the absence of the terms/rules link.
Expected Result: A visible link to the terms/rules that users agree to during registration.
Actual Result: No link to the terms/rules.
Severity: Medium
3. Subscription Form Accepts Invalid Data
The Email Subscription form in the footer section allows invalid data entry. Specifically, it accepts numbers in the name field and invalid emails, which is a usability flaw.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Scroll to the footer section.
- Enter numbers in the Name field.
- Enter an invalid email (e.g., "test@com").
- Click Subscribe.
Expected Result: The form should only accept text in the Name field and valid email formats.
Actual Result: The form accepts numbers as a name and invalid email formats.
Severity: Medium
4. Broken Links in the Footer ("Most Researched Cars")
Many of the links under the "Most Researched Cars" section in the footer return a 404 error. This prevents users from accessing the popular car listings that they may be interested in.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open the site.
- Scroll to the footer and click on a Most Researched Cars link.
- Observe the error message. Expected Result: Links should lead to the correct car listing pages.
Actual Result: Links return a 404 error.
Severity: High
5. Errors in "Car Pricing in Nigeria" Links
In the "Car Pricing in Nigeria" section, many links throw 400 or 500 errors instead of redirecting users to valid pricing pages. This issue disrupts users from viewing car pricing details.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open the site.
- Scroll to the Car Pricing in Nigeria section.
- Click on various car pricing links.
- Observe the error messages displayed.
Expected Result: Clicking the car pricing links should redirect users to the correct pages.
Actual Result: Links return 400 or 500 errors.
Severity: High
6. Unresponsive "Available Cars for Sale" Section in Mobile View
When accessing the "Available Cars for Sale" section on mobile devices, I observed that the section was unresponsive. Users were unable to interact with car listings or filters due to this issue.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open the site on a mobile device or use Chrome DevTools for mobile view.
- Scroll to the Available Cars for Sale section.
- Try interacting with the section.
Expected Result: The section should be fully responsive and allow users to scroll, filter, and click on car listings.
Actual Result: The section is unresponsive.
Severity: High
7. Dealer Contact Buttons Not Working
The WhatsApp and Phone Number contact buttons under car listings were unresponsive. Clicking on them did not trigger any action, preventing users from contacting dealers directly.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open a car listing.
- Scroll to the Dealer Contact Info section.
- Click on the WhatsApp or Phone Number buttons.
Expected Result:
Clicking on these buttons should redirect users to WhatsApp or dial the phone number.
Actual Result: The buttons do not respond when clicked.
Severity: High
8. Profile Update Error ("We Could Not Connect to the Server")
When attempting to update my profile, I encountered an error message saying, "We could not connect to the server." This error prevented me from successfully updating my profile.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Log in successfully.
- Click on Settings on the dashboard.
- Click on Update Profile.
- Fill in the details and click Update Profile.
Expected Result: Profile should be updated successfully.
Actual Result: The error message "We could not connect to the server" is displayed.
Severity: High
9. Squeezed Layout in Mobile View
When viewed on mobile devices, the website layout appeared squeezed and misaligned, making it difficult for users to interact with the content.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open the site on a mobile device or use Chrome DevTools for mobile view.
- Observe the layout.
Expected Result: The layout should adjust properly to the mobile screen size.
Actual Result: The content is squeezed and misaligned.
Severity: Medium
Suggested Improvements
After conducting this testing, I’ve identified several areas for improvement:
- Fix the Google login/signup functionality to ensure users can log in easily.
- Add a link to the terms and conditions in the registration process for better transparency.
- Implement form validation to prevent invalid data entry in the subscription form.
- Fix the broken links under "Most Researched Cars" and "Car Pricing in Nigeria."
- Improve mobile responsiveness in the "Available Cars for Sale" section and overall layout to ensure a smooth experience on smaller screens.
Conclusion
This exploratory testing session revealed multiple issues that could hinder user experience on Cars.ng, particularly around login functionality, broken links, mobile responsiveness, and unresponsive buttons. Fixing these issues would help enhance the platform’s usability and improve overall user satisfaction.
I encourage the team behind Cars.ng to review these findings and prioritize fixing the most critical issues. By addressing these, the platform can provide a smoother, more reliable experience for users.
Check out the full bug report Exploratory Testing
Here's the link to Cars.NG: cars.NG
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