Today we will learn about website browser compatibility. One of the most frustrating parts of building a website is ensuring browser compatibility. But this is an important task, as it may not look the same depending on which browser is used to access your site. Compatibility issues between browsers aren’t as common as they used to be. However, these are still something you need to watch out for. Fortunately, testing your website across multiple browsers is easy, and will enable you to provide a better experience for your users.
In this post, we’re going to talk a little more about why it makes sense to test your website across multiple browsers. Then we’ll introduce you to two tools you can use to do this, and show you how they work. Let’s get to it!
Why is it important to test your website using different browsers?
Not all browsers are the same. Some are known for better performance, while others offer a variety of features. This disparity can lead to websites that work as intended in some browsers, but not in others. This is because of how each browser is coded. For example, some newer browsers may not be compatible with older features, causing problems with older websites Even if your website’s functionality is intact between browsers, some aspects of its design may not render faithfully.
To be safe, we recommend that you test your website for compatibility issues in four popular browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. There are many other browsers available online, but in most cases, they represent such a small market share that it’s not worth the time to optimize your site for them.
Two tools to help test your website across multiple browsers
One way to test your site’s browser compatibility is to install multiple browsers and test your site separately. However, this process can be time-consuming. Fortunately, there are several services you can use to make the job even faster. These two are our favorites.
1. CrossBrowser Testing
Browser testing services don’t get much wider than cross-browser testing. This tool enables you to test your website using a combination of over 1,500 operating systems and browsers, all of which run in the cloud:
As you can imagine, this level of thoroughness doesn’t come for free. CrossBrowserTesting offers a seven-day trial, but plans start at $29 per month after that. To use the free trial, all you need to do is sign up for an account, which doesn’t require a credit card:
On the next screen, you can choose whether to use a desktop or mobile environment for your test. You can also choose between several operating systems, browsers (with specific versions), and resolutions. For example, we decided to test our own homepage using the latest version of OS X and Safari. To do this, we just typed the URL and clicked the Run Test button.
When you do it yourself, the service will render the page you want in the cloud and show you what it looks like. Better yet, you can contact the page directly to see if everything is working properly.
Your goal at this point is to make sure everything looks and works as it should. If you don’t encounter any visual bugs or performance issues in the browsers you test, you know your site is cross-browser compatible.
2. Browsershots
The main downside to CrossBrowserTesting is that you only have seven days to use it for free. That’s more than enough for testing a single website, but the $29 per month price tag might make it too expensive for frequent use.
On the other hand, browser shots may not be as polished as cross-browser testing. However, it is actually a very powerful testing tool:
The first thing you should notice when you visit its page is the number of browsers you can choose from. BrowserShots enables you to run tests using a variety of operating systems, including Windows, OS X, and Linux. There aren’t many options in total, but all the major players are represented.
Actually running a test on this site is much simpler than CrossBrowserTesting. All you have to do is type your website URL, choose the browsers you want to test with, and click the submit button.
BrowserShots will now take a few minutes to run your tests, a wait time that depends on how many requests are in its queue. When the results appear, the service will display thumbnails of each browser you selected.
You can click on these thumbnails to expand them and take a closer look However, unlike cross-browser testing, BrowserShot does not enable you to interact with the results of your tests. This means you can’t test functionality, but you can see how your website will look on different devices.
If you want to quickly test a website across all browsers imaginable, BrowserShot offers a great way to do it. It even enables you to download all of your exam results in a single zipped file, so you can review them at your leisure.
It’s worth noting that BrowserShot also offers a Priority Trial option starting at $29.95 per month. However, this only speeds up your testing and does not provide access to additional features. If you’re willing to spend the extra cash, we recommend going with CrossBrowserTesting instead, as it offers a sleeker interface with more functionality.
Conclusion
Not all of your visitors will use the same browser. While most modern browsers are pretty good at providing a uniform experience, your website may not work the same in all of them. With this in mind, it’s best to play it safe and test your site using as many browsers as possible to rule out potential bugs. You can always download a dozen browsers and manually check your website. However, a more efficient method is to use an online service to streamline the process. Hopefully, now we understand how to test website browser compatibility.
