Question: My new website looks really nice but it looks weird on devices, browsers depending on what I look at. It looks good on Chrome, OK in Firefox, terrible in Internet Explorer and on the iPhone and Android. Why?
Answer: There are many browsers and devices that your website has to adjust to…this is known as a responsive version.
When a website is built properly it should be able to be seen on all browsers and devices clearly and adjust accordingly.
It will appear on devices–smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, iPads–in a what’s known as a mobile version and should appear clearly on every browser in a responsive format.
Each browser has and expects or demands websites to conform to its own set of standards. Internet Explorer conforms to its own set of standards. Firefox is more in line with the W3C standards, but Explorer reads padding and positioning statements within the code differently. Chrome reads websites more closely to W3C standards as well.
There are many tools to check to see how your browser looks in browsers and in older versions of browsers. You need to be aware that there are many computers and devices out there that are running older versions of the software you or your developer have.
Seeing your site on your developer’s website is different than what someone else sees on their laptop or home computer or Androide. It can be overwhelming to wonder whether your website appears the same on all browsers and all devices, of all ages.
Sometimes the “latest greatest” website doesn’t appear the same on all browsers and devices without extensive work required by your webmaster. One more question to ask the website firm you hire so that you know all users will have a good visitor experience at your website.
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