Browser Wars
By RobWeaver at November 11, 2011 | 12:20 pmPrint
Following on from our post on modern tech buzzwords, the majority of these technologies all have something in common. They are all designed to run within browsers.
However, all browsers are not created equal. Internet Explorer 7 will not operate the same as IE8. IE9 may be different to both. Chrome and Safari are both unique and also have totally separate standards to IE.
Throw mobile browsers into the mix, which share another entirely different set of operating characteristics, and you’ll have a real headache.
So what?
Want to design the best possible customer experience? To do so you may well have to use a variety of the techniques described in the tech buzzwords blog.
Unfortunately, not all browsers are able to execute these technologies in the same way, or in any way in some cases. In determining the potential reach of a new campaign, we therefore need to accurately understand the total population of each browser in Australia.
For example, if a site is only going to operate correctly on IE8 and above, you are cutting 20% of the population out of campaign immediately. If a site works on only Chrome and Firefox, the maximum volume of browsers reached will only ever be 45% of the online population.
So what is going on?
• IE8 and Firefox account for over half of the total population of browsers in use
• Chrome is the only browser making significant gains in market penetration
• Chrome has gone from zero to 25% share in less than three years; IE has lost about 30% share in the same period
• An increase in mobile connected device sales points at a possible shift on the horizon. Will mobile browsers be the primary way we interact online in five years?
Ultimately, Chrome’s success is of huge benefit to users. Its insistence to be on the front foot of adopting new technologies will allow for a significantly better digital experiences for users. Perhaps this positive word of mouth around its security and abilities are what is driving the continued move towards it and away from more inflexible browsers.
Impact on Visual Jazz
The emergence of Chrome as the major player is not something that appears to be slowing, as it continues to be the sole growth product in the (desktop) browser market. Its support from both consumers and developers alike are giving weight to it becoming the dominant browser in the marketplace within the next three years.
Technologies that require Chrome and other browsers to operate also require VJ to adapt its thinking so that we can support clients who want to exist on the creative cutting edge.
Essentially, it will require more from everyone …
- more from creative to design and flesh out new innovative ideas using a larger canvas
- more from strategy to understand and promote these technologies in how they are adopted worldwide
- more from the dev and testing teams to build and test considerably larger pieces of work, and
- more from account management to persuade clients to buy into the vision
Things to think about …
- Has Chrome become infallible?
- Is the death of IE set in stone or can it reinvent itself with the advent of Windows 8?
- Could mobile browsers be the only true challenger to Chrome as the way customers consume digital media changes over the coming years?
- Do Google developers really favour pink coloured undergarments?