Did you know?

If your website is relatively new, visitors might experience it in slightly different ways depending on which browser they use (think Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox).

Although the content will be the same, there might be inconsistencies in fonts, layout and functionality.

Without wishing to get all technical, the reason is to do with parsing and rendering — in other words, the way a browser translates code and displays it on a screen. Some browsers will load the code in a very specific order while others might not even recognise certain code at all.

In order to minimise such discrepancies and ensure visitors receive the same experience when they visit your website, web developers should conduct ‘cross browser testing’ before going live. This will help ensure you don’t alienate any of your target audience because of the browser they use and it also helps maintain your overall brand consistency.

Occasionally, despite conducting rigorous testing, discrepancies will still occur. Don’t shout at your web developer because this only tends to happen when someone’s computer is using an out-of-date browser – in which case, the root of the problem lies with the user not the developer.

In order to ensure you always see other peoples’ websites in their best light, make sure you are using the latest version of your browser software. This is good practice anyway as it will also help keep your computer secure and is easy to do.