Testing a dental website

Why a new website needs to be tested in multiple browsers

Firstly, what’s a browser?

More accurately, a ‘web browser’ is a tool or piece of software that resides on a PC, tablet or mobile ‘phone which is used for viewing content published on the Internet. A browser interacts with the web server (which hosts website files) to interpret website code and render this in a format that is readable. Fairly straightforward stuff that is understood by the majority.

However what is slightly less well understood is that there are dozens of browsers; some with large market share, others with less, but still important in their own right. If you ask a regular web user, they may be able to tell you about 3 or 4 of the main Internet browsers, possibly Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and maybe Safari.

But what is less well known is that there are several more and all with different versions for different operating systems. Some users with older devices and those who maybe don’t upgrade often, could also be using a browser version from a couple of years back.

So why is all of this important?

A website needs to be configured to work correctly on all of the major modern browsers and legacy versions too. Whilst some of the lesser known, older versions may only have 1 or 2% of market share, totalled up, they still account for an awful lot of web users. Neglect the technology that these guys use and you could be losing a lot of website traffic.

Catering for multiple browser types

A professional website designer will be aware of the need for cross-browser compatibility as soon as they start a new design. The latest “responsive design” trends have made this type of assessment even more important and rigorous than before.

Througout the design process, tests will be made on multiple devices, not just the large screens found in a typical design studio. For example, in the Dental Media office we use IPads, Android tablets and three popular versions of mobile ‘phones as physical testing platforms – in addition to large desk-top screens. We replicate what we see on screen out to these different platforms using specialist design software.

To support the testing on physical devices, we also subscribe to an online service called BrowserStack which allows us to test designs in dozens of different browser types, ages and operating systems. This is a great way to validate that the code we are producing works well for the vast majority of users, irrespective of the hardware and software they are using.

Certification for your new dental website

We also offer a service whereby we provide certification to validate that your new site has been tested for a wide range of web browsers. Of course, browsers are updated continually, but at least at the point of publishing, you can be confident that your website is being viewed optimally by the widest range of users.

Summary

Whilst a website must look good, equally important is how it functions and how well it can be viewed across a wide range of operating systems and browsers. When you are investing in a new website, ensure that your dental website designer is testing comprehensively to achieve this. If you are concerned that your site may not be showing properly in some browsers, for example on mobile ‘phones or tablets, please call us on 01332 672548 and we will be pleased to test for you.