Does Your Website Render Well On All The Browsers?
Published On :09 December,2009
Internet is not synonymous with Internet Explorer anymore. With the evolution of the Internet, more and more new-age browsers are hitting the web that offer enriched user experience and nifty navigation. Gone are the days when people used to access the world wide web with the pre-installed IE on their computers. Nowadays, people use a variety of different browsers to access the internet.
It is important to understand that web pages can look and perform differently across different browsers. So, optimizing your website for any one browser would mean that you are losing out on the population using other browsers.
Before planning your website development project, make sure you consider the changes in the browser world and understand how they will impact your website performance. Here are some things that you need to consider:
Changing Presentation
When browsers upgrade their versions, there are bound to be some changes. If your website performs well on IE7, that doesn't mean it would work with the same perfection in IE8. In fact, Microsoft always encourages developers to test their website on the new browser themselves in order to tweak it for optimal performance.
Parallel JavaScript Loads
Traditional browsers load JavaScript files serially. Therefore, developers simple grouped JavaScript files into one large file and let it be. However, modern browsers play smart and load them in parallel. So, if you have simply grouped together all your JavaScript files in one large file, then your website speed will be affected big time.
Faster JavaScript Engines
As you know, JavaScript performs differently across different browsers. Generally, the JavaScript engines in the latest versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox can all run the client side code tremendously faster than what the older versions were capable of. As a result, it ceases to be a natural limit on the impact your applications have on the computer systems of your users.
Parallel Connections
IE6 and IE7 were designed to make two host connections at a given time. However, the new age browsers like IE8, Firefox, Safari and Chrome triple the number of parallel connections per host in a bid to offer faster browser experience to the users. However, this may pose certain problems for the website even though it claims to provide enhanced users experience. The response time of websites can get influenced because of the triple parallel connection. This is because the infrastructure cannot keep up with the dramatic increase in simultaneous connections.
Effect on End-User Experience
The ultimate factor the defines the success of a website on the internet is how well you understand how your website caters to the needs and requirements of its users. You might design a great looking website with outstanding content with smooth and intuitive navigation and high-end features. However, if it fails to render well on a browser there is no way your users can see all the tools and features you have included in it.
It is extremely important to ensure that your users enjoy consistent and high quality web experience across different browsers. So, make sure you are aware of the various issues and conflicts of the browsers so that you can overcome the hurdles and optimize your website efficiently.
Maneet Puri is the managing director of LeXolution IT Services, a professional web design company based in India that specializes in providing a variety of website design & development and website maintenance services. He also advises clients to establish a powerful business presence on the web.
