browser-testing

Speedy technological advances in smartphones and tablets mean that more and more people are surfing the web on mobile devices than ever before.  On top of this, Safari, Chrome and Opera have really started to gain steam in the browser race, catching up with the likes of Internet Explorer and Firefox, meaning that there is now also a wide range of browsers to take into consideration; all of which are popular enough for you to assume thata sizeable portion of your user-base are using them to access your site.

With all these different ways of viewing your website available, each as common as the next, it’s not uncommon for certain scripts or lines of code to get lost in translation, meaning that through certain digital channels, your website might not appear as you had planned.

Compatibility testing should be at the forefront of a modern organisation’s online agenda, since a website with broken images and failed scripts not only causes lost leads in the short-term, it damages the brand’s image in the long-run.

In order to ensure that your webpages are compatible with the four main browsers, as well as through both desktop and mobile devices, be sure to take advantage of some of the web’s free compatibility testing tools:

  • BrowserShots – probably the most popular option; simply type in your site’s URL and it’ll give you a decent breakdown of how well it fares on most mainstream browsers, as well as comparing it to other similar sites.
  • PowerMapper’s SortSite – the browser-based trial version gives you a break-down of how many pages of your site are problematic – taking into consideration things like broken links and whether or not anything on your site is in breach of copyright law.  Unlike BrowserShots, SortSite also implements mobile browsers into its scrutiny.  A more detailed break-down with advice requires the paid version.
  • Spoon.net’s Browser Sandbox – Browser Sandbox allows you to open a handful of the most popular browsers (including mobile versions of Firefox and Opera) right inside your own browser, so you can see for yourself whether or not your site works on them!

There are a tonne of these compatibility testing tools online, many of which are available for free, so you have no excuse for skipping out this crucial part of the website management process.  Don’t let a rogue script alienate an entire section of your potential customer-base.

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