It’s an interesting question but no surprise to read from a survey of designers and web developers that few use any form of Internet Explorer for their day to day web use. Only 2% of the group used IE as their day to day web browser.
It is only possible to get an estimate of browsers in use by the general public but looking at statistics from w3schools and upsdell we see Internet Explorer to have somewhere between 35% to 60% share in comparison with Firefox having between a 20% and 46% share. These statistics again probably don’t represent consumers on the web.
As webdirections say about their survey “the survey isn’t representative of all designers and developers” and rightly this is because it’s skewed toward early adopters.
The fact is that proper testing needs to be carried out on every website delivered, especially when these websites face every day consumers not web developers. At xcite digital we test IE7 and IE8 early on in the web build stage and at each stage of a websites development. Finally everything needs to be checked again before a site gets launched. We need to support the browsers that most people use and support them well.
With regards to IE6, it’s seeing it’s last days and this is supported by many because Google have now dropped it. Big organisations like the NHS still use IE6 and the exploits being made on unsupported products are causing them problems. So as we say goodbye to IE6 it looks like Internet Explorer could still be the most widely used browser by everyday users of the web.
About the Author
This article was originally written by Tom Cooksey, Studio Manager at Xcite Digital.
About Xcite Digital
Xcite Digital is a full service digital media agency, providing expert strategic consultancy, campaign planning and management for the recruitment, property, e-commerce and electronics markets. Xcite Digital’s services provide an online marketing programme that builds brands, generates new media opportunities and improves lead generation. Its digital marketing team provides expertise in pay per click campaigns, organic SEO, social media, usability and design.
