So I had an intriguing conversation over the weekend about supporting Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) and Firefox 3.6. I find it interesting that some companies still support these outdated browsers for a number of reasons, one being that, in a number of cases, even the companies that built them have already moved on. Check out Microsoft’s site dedicated to the demise of Internet Explorer 6. The second reason is that in an industry that’s constantly moving does it make sense to focus time and money on outdated web browsers? Another reason is that, in addition to keeping up with today’s most popular browsers, we also have to consider optimization for popular devices. Did you know that more people use Safari on an iPad than on a desktop? Or that more people read email on their mobile devices than their desktops? A recent report from the International Data Corporation has predicted that tablet sales will overtake laptop sales by the end of the year. Couple this with the notion that the smartphone is now the standard mobile phone, and you can see that the way users browse the Internet is changing. In order to ensure your content is optimized for your audience, it’s vital to regularly review usage stats and account for the latest trends.
Why do we like usage stats?
Because they answer the basic question, what browsers and devices do we need to support? By following the trends in web usage stats we can determine if we need to justify support for an outdated browser such as IE7. It also allows us to see which browsers are gaining more traction with users. We can see that, as web development continues to evolve, Google Chrome has been at the forefront of change, employing silent upgrades and emerging as the crème de la crème of browsers. As a result, usage stats from StatCounter and Clicky show the rise in its popularity among users globally. Firefox also understands the value of silent upgrades. Both Google Chrome and Firefox use “rapid release cycles” that update their browsers with gradual improvements on a regular basis (on average, every six weeks). In contrast, Internet Explorer continues to require the user to initiate its upgrades, which has contributed to its declining popularity. In the end, we like usage stats because they provide us with concrete numbers that developers, designers and marketers can use to build out the most innovative sites and apps possible.
How do browser upgrades affect a marketing campaign?
By reducing time and money spent on cross browser testing, more focus can be given to cross-channel solutions. When there’s only one version of the browser available, there’s no need to worry about previous versions anymore. This efficiency allows more time to be spent focusing on new devices like the Kindle Fire or the iPhone 5 and new operating systems like Windows 8, and the additional testing that comes with them. We can no longer just ask, “What browsers do we want to support?” but also, “What devices do we need to support?” When we’re tasked with building out new sites or landing pages, we have to think about mobile. Are we optimizing for mobile? Is the design adaptive? With the growing influx of tablets, actions like finger swiping and other touch-based controls become an important part of the development process. What it really comes down to is that, the more browsers, operating systems and devices that need to be supported, the more time and money it takes to support all of them.
When do we end support for a device or browser?
This is a question many companies often face, and it is answered with another question: Is there marketing evidence to support keeping it? Many companies will set a threshold of two, three or five percent for device and browser support. It just doesn’t make sense to invest money in supporting a device or browser with anything less. When you consider the cost versus the usage, the decision to drop support becomes evident. In some cases, though, you have to defer to the client’s audience. For example, in North America, if you’re building out a mobile website for a small passenger jet company operating between Toronto and Montreal, then it’s important to take into account that BlackBerry accounts for nearly 12% of traffic in Canada and should be on the support list. Conversely, if this were a site geared toward a small passenger jet company operating in Texas, investing time and money into BlackBerry support wouldn’t necessarily be required, as the target audience is confined to the U.S. where BlackBerry usage is less pervasive. If you’re uncertain which browsers and devices your users are using, reporting tools like Google Analytics offer an easy and user-friendly way to track and report this data.
Why don’t we like usage stats?
In all seriousness, they’re constant reminders of the outdated browsers that we still have to support. While Mozilla and Google are making great strides in the efficiency of their browsers, some companies are not. Microsoft’s Windows XP is one of the most common business-place operating systems, and since it does not support IE9 or IE10 for XP, you are left with the default standard of IE8. There is a laundry list of reasons why IE8 is disliked, from its inability to conform to standards, to the incredibly slow or nonexistent bug fixes, to poor CSS support. Countless times developers have flawless websites built in other browsers but when they see it in IE8, it is broken. The good news for developers and testers everywhere is that Microsoft has actually implemented an upgrade process that is moving in the right direction.
Although it can be painful at times, reviewing and understanding usage stats can help you make informed decisions when developing digital content and help you keep up with the ever-changing technology landscape.