The Importance of Web Browser
Web browsers are like the front door to the internet. They allow you to access websites, search for information, shop online, and connect with people worldwide. They can translate complex web code into user-friendly pages, making the internet accessible to everyone. Web browsers also provide essential features like security, privacy, and extensions that enhance your online experience.
In today’s digital age, a good web browser is your key to exploring and utilizing the vast resources of the World Wide Web.
Choosing The Right Web Browser for Filipinos’ Online Activities
Filipinos are known worldwide for social networking and our heavy usage of the internet. According to the 2019 Digital Report of We Are Social and Hootsuite, a remarkable of 71% of the Filipino population are Internet users. The same percentage of the population is also active on social media. In fact, The Philippines has been a world leader in social media for four years.
But when we drill down to the basics, what do these Internet activities rely on? Over 76 million Filipino Internet users rely on the power of their browsers to access their favorite sites. A browser is a piece of software that serves as a user’s window and access point to the World Wide Web.
It’s easy to overlook the importance of web browsers now that it’s become ubiquitous in our daily lives. Before the advent of web browsers, users had to install apps just to chat, watch videos, and listen to music. Nowadays, these apps are seeing a resurgence on mobile devices for convenience. Apps may be the preferred choice of anyone with a singular interest but in the long run, a web browser would still be the most practical choice to view and enjoy a multitude of diverse content, applications, and functions.
So how do you know what web browser to use? Here are the top traits that make a good web browser.
What are the Traits of a Good Web Browser?
1. Speed
A browser should be able to quickly load webpages, no matter how dynamic the content. Nowadays images and videos dominate online platforms. As of June 2022, around 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute on YouTube, while Facebook gets up to 8 billion average daily views from 500 million users alone.
With the rapid growth of the web as an engaging and interactive platform, the browser’s development is a must to accommodate the increased amount of data, as well as users, going through it.
Speed and stability are particularly important for Filipinos given their Internet activities. According to We Are Social, Filipinos highly involve themselves in heavy web activities, with 99% of Internet users streaming videos online monthly, while 75 million are active on Facebook and 11 million on Instagram. Additionally, Filipinos spend a remarkable average time of 10 hours daily on the Internet and more than 4 hours on social media.
2. Simplicity
A browser should also be simple and easy to use. The user interface shouldn’t take up a lot of screen space, which would be better used for the content that a user is trying to consume. Google Chrome, for instance, has stripped away everything but the bare minimum in order to let users focus on content and not on the browser itself.
Chrome also has an all-purpose box on top called the ‘Omnibox,’ which can be used for typing in web addresses and search queries. It also opens up tabs very easily – each new tab shows tiles of most frequently visited pages, to help users get to where they want to go on the Web faster.
3. Security
Web browsers should also be very secure, as malware is a constant threat on the Internet. This could lead to serious data breaches and leakage which major businesses such as Facebook, Quora, and Marriott have suffered from security lapses in 2018.
In the Philippines, over 10.6 million malware infections have caused the country to rank ninth in the world in terms of volumes of online attacks.
Web browsers these days are designed to prioritize users’ security. Chrome, for instance, scans your computer for malicious software on demand. While browsers themselves are a good defense against malware, it is best to also use anti-malware software that offers real-time protection to boost your computer’s security.
Why do web browsers matter to businesses?
There’s no way around it: both consumers and businesses need to digitize to keep up with rapidly evolving platforms. With the rise of e-commerce and social media advertising, digital marketing has become a vital component for the success of any company.
The importance of a web browser lies in its different ways of displaying your website. Regardless of which browser your target customers use, being able to assist them without hassle is important for smooth and seamless user experiences.
Google Chrome is undisputedly the most popular web browser with its compatibility and synchronization feature on every device. This does not mean that no one uses other browsers. In fact, statistics show that Safari is the most popular browser among tablet users, due to Apple Inc.’s macOS and iOS systems using this browser by default.
Another thing to note is that browsers have different rendering engines. A rendering engine is the type of software responsible for translating and displaying content through a web browser, based on the raw bytes of data it receives. There could be slight differences between these engines but major ones could render your website inaccessible to consumers on a different browser from you.
How Web Browsers Help Your Business?
All successful businesses use digital marketing in some shape or form. In the construction of your business’ website, you must ensure its functionality on all major platforms. Otherwise, you risk losing traffic and business, and in doing so, inadvertently push customers to your competitors’ websites.
Food businesses rely heavily on appetizing images and videos to make their products and content look enticing (and sumptuous). Beauty and fashion businesses need to look as stylish as the clothes they sell. If a web browser can’t properly load images, you could lose potential customers. Websites that load fast on one type of browser, but slowly on another browser, may also potentially lose customers. Remember, people want fast responses and will close your website quickly and look to your competitors if they get frustrated. Every click counts, so having cross-browser compatibility is going to benefit your business more than you can imagine.
Online shopping has been on the rise as well. E-commerce websites have access to extremely sensitive information such as personal addresses and bank account details. Hackers can exploit holes in different browsers’ security, so you need to make sure your website and all that data are safe and secure across all browsers. Make sure that your websites employ HTTPS redirect protocols, as well as having a credible SSL certificate, to protect your website and your customers. And, furthermore, if you are worried about your company data, we have a blog post that guides you on how to protect company data from hackers.
Want to Leverage Web Browsers for Your Website?
In developing your website, you must think that your customers can be anyone and they can be using any browser. Thus, the importance of web browsers is cross-compatibility to make your website accessible to every user.
Digital marketing experts use tools like Google Analytics to determine what web browsers were used to access your website. This type of data can help you strategize and improve your website’s interface, speed, and security. Your website’s performance is vital to crafting excellent user experiences which, in turn, will convert website clicks into sales.
If you need help checking your website’s current status, try our Website Performance and SEO Audit. Our TeamAsia experts will ensure that your website is on the standards of search engines. This is done by analyzing your website and laying out recommendations. You may also contact us through our marketing lead, Erika de Leon at erdelon@teamasia.com; at +639178813724.
For more information on our web development services, learn how TeamAsia can tell your brand’s story online.
