One aspect that many do not initially consider when designing a website is the influence different browsers have on how the website is displayed and rendered to the user. Currently, there are several browsers with millions of users: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari. Knowing how to accommodate for these differences when designing a website can make the difference between your visitors seeing a properly formatted site versus seeing a mess. The following subjects outline some of the biggest concerns when it comes to browser compatibility and also provide some tips on how to remedy each issue.
Screen Resolution
The variance in users’ screen resolutions is one of the biggest issues when considering browser compatibility. While some users have large screens that run equally large resolutions, others may still be using 800×600 or 1024×768. One way to make sure your web design takes this into account is to define page and element widths and lengths as a percentage of the width of the screen as opposed to a nominal amount. When the page is designated to take up 80% of the width of the page as opposed to 800 pixels, the width remains constant regardless of browser or resolution.
Frames
While frames have become increasingly unpopular in recent years, they still serve many purposes for certain websites. Unfortunately, frames can present an issue as some browsers do not properly support the use of frames. Frames cannot be made to be universally accommodating but measures can be taken to avoid errors in displaying them. Many web designers use a number of small scripts and codes available that require the user to either update their browser (to a version that support frames) or use a different browser to access specific sections. This is more of a work-around than anything, seeing as how frames are increasingly being left out of modern web designs.
JavaScript
Much like with frames, there are some browsers (particularly, older versions of browsers) that do not support JavaScript. While the number is small within the traditional browsing world, other devices such as mobile phones may not support JavaScript, either, making use of the site impossible for those without JS functionality. The best way to deal with this aspect is to avoid the use of JS whenever possible; most functions can be accomplished without JavaScript and when considering that 20% of all website traffic is now coming from mobile devices, it is more vital than ever to have a mobile-friendly web design.
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If you want your website to be fully compatible, contact Warren Phillips Web Design. This web design Manchester company ensures that all of their designs are fully compatible with all of the main browsers.
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