What is Cross Browser?
Cross Browser means that a website, a HTML construct or even a client’s server, has the ability to work in several different browsers, ones that provide the required features. In simple words, as a software programme is developed for multiple platforms, it is known as cross platform program, likewise, when a website is developed for several browsers, it is known as a cross browser website.
Earlier, when the World Wide Web was introduced to the public, there was only one browser, the Internet Explorer. But with developing technology, there were several web browsers introduced in the forthcoming decades, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc. All these different web browsers have a different set of HTML construct and different rendering engines with varied CSS and Java scripts. They also vary when the website is used on desktop and on a mobile phone.
What is Cross-Browser Compatibility?
This is where Cross-Browser compatibility comes into the picture. Cross browser compatibility refers to the situation where the website in question performs efficiently and effectively on several web browsing platforms, without making any error or without causing any glitches.
Why is Cross-Browser Compatibility important?
Different browsers interpret HTML and Java Scripts in differently. So, it can result in the web page appearing in different formats on different web browsers. Even, some browsers are not mutually compatible with the others because of technological advancement and use of significant diverse tools for rendering engines. So, it is sometimes possible that a web browser does not even read your HTML construct or the Java Script, which is used in the programme and which may result in errors that are not recognised.
As a result, your users may face several problems in accessing your website on a different web browser and may gradually tent to leave your website and shall never come back.
How to make Cross-Browser Compatible?
After knowing the importance of Cross-Browser compatibility, the natural next question would be, ‘How can you make a Cross-Browser Compatible website?’. How can you ensure that your website works smoothly and provides seamless experience across several web browsers which your users have access to.
Developing a Cross Browser site is very easy and simple for basic websites. However, high-level and complex sites with a numerous amount of HTML formatting and Java Script requires extra coding and debugging for making the website compatible with multiple browser.
For checking the compatibility you need to adhere to the following:
- Check for the Errors:
For making a compatible cross browser website, you need to first make a test run of your website on every browser you tend to make your users access from. Then check whether the CSS, HTML codes and Java Scripts are working properly or not. If not, include codes and develop programs that are suitable for the browser’s rendering engine.
- Make Your Website Responsive:
A responsive website design means that your website has one site, but with different elements that respond differently when viewed on different web browsers and different sized devices. It is very important, especially in this era of smartphones, to make a website that is compatible on both desktop as well as on the mobile phone and have the same view to your website that you want your users to have. This will ensure the vast reach of your website and your ability to make your website user friendly.
- Use Valid Doctype:
A Doctype is an abbreviation of Document type, which tells the web browser about the HTML version you have used so that they know how to render the pages of your website. It is essential for your website to have the relevant Doctype to make sure that your website is working effectively on the browser, as different browsers have a different set of rendering engines that require different Doctypes. So, it is very important to include the latest version of the HTML, so that your website works properly on the latest versions of the web browsers.
- Prepare for Differences:
It is next to impossible to create a website that looks identical on every web browser, unless it is extremely basic. But nowadays, even for a basic purpose, a high level website design is used. So, there is no question of similarity in every web browser. The main concern should be to make a design that looks acceptable and is user friendly, without involving any features that prevents the users to access some functions. This will result in users leaving your website.
- Do Cross-Browser Testing:
The final and the most important part is to keep Testing you Cross-Browser Compatibility. Just keeping the above mentioned in mind will not be enough while developing a website. It is very important to make a Cross Browser compatibility test to make sure there are no errors in writing of codes that you use in the website. Perform an automated Cross Browser test with LambdaTest which provides various types of Cross Browser Compatibility tests like:
- Cross Browser Testing Cloud.
- Automated Selenium Cross Browser testing Online.
- Live Interactive Cross Browser testing.
Cross browser Testing for Locally Hosted pages.
