Is Your Small Business Website Multi-Browser Compatible?

Most people still use Microsoft Explorer to browse the internet, but the landscape is definitely changing. As more web users switch to other internet browsers such as Firefox, it's important to make sure that your website's functionality and user experience remains intact across multiple browsers.

Browser User Share

Browser statistics on TheCounter.com show that Firefox has gained a large number of new users over the last 3 years:

• March 2005 - MS Explorer (90%); Firefox (5%); Safari (1%)
• July 2008 - MS Explorer (78%); Firefox (17%); Safari (3%)

Is your website Firefox compatible? If not, do you know what percentage of your website visitors are using Firefox? How might this affect user experience and, in turn, your bottom line?

5 Areas of Compatibility

Datalink, an Australian web development firm, uses the following categories to assess website performance in terms of browser compatibility:

1. Accessibility - Can users access your content? This is the most important compatibility category because your small business doesn't really exist if users can't read what's on your website.
2. Critical Functionality - Are basic website functions available i.e. navigation, ecommerce, contact forms; etc?
3. Basic Visual Design - Are all visual elements in sync? In many cases website visitors can read the content, and see some graphics but some images and visual web elements don't line up properly.
4. Non Critical Functionality - Are secondary website feature available i.e. other navigation aids, site maps, links, etc?
5. Sophisticated Visual Design - Does the website look perfect and support certain features on particular browsers that are available on all browsers?

Opportunity Cost

Browser incompatibility can have a negative effect on your small business - a site with compatibility issues can:

• Cause users to question your professionalism - Is your website a reflection of the services you provide?
• Damage your brand - Will bad user experiences prevent you from gaining trust or eventually eroding your brand equity?
• Cause loss of business - Consumers have high expectations and declining patience when it comes to their online experiences. For example, a colleague switched regional airlines because he could reserve his flight online but, due to browser issues, could not pay for his ticket. He got tired of having to call to complete his transaction every time and switched to the competition.

Case Study

One of my small business clients experienced browser compatibility issues before re-designing their website earlier this year. When they first started their small business in 2005, they decided to program their website using MS Publisher, which is not compatible with Firefox.

As their business grew and they began to establish a presence online, website browser incompatibility became an issue. Clients, vendors and business associates started commenting on the fact that their website was not completely visible on Firefox.

Before deciding to have a new website designed, they installed Google Analytics on their existing site to gather some data about their visitors, including the type of browser they used. As it turned out, Firefox was being used by 35% of the users entering their site.

The small business owner was concerned that Firefox users connecting to their website would get a bad first impression and never bother contacting them. In addition, their brand image would be at risk if (negative) word of mouth started to circulate.

They decided it was a good investment to redesign their website, using a programmer that guaranteed compatibility across multiple browsers. Recognizing the importance of browser compatibility prevented any permanent damage to their brand and helped continue their positioning as a professional service provider.