Today I felt like I was in 2000.  As I navigated the web looking for a solution to a current need, I came across a website that was just technically unable to do what I wanted it to do.

Even though I was a member, and had previously interacted with the site many times before including conducting transactions, I was LOCKED out of the ability to use the site all because of the browser I was using.

This experience used to happen all the time in the history of the web, but now it happens rarely.   I was assessing the video media at IStockphoto, a business that offers imagery and video for license.

In this case, I was browsing Istockphoto through Safari, a well known browser that is provided with all new Macs out of the box.  Safari is third in the browser wars (maybe even 4th with the advent Chrome) but still is a distinct and sustainable player.

When finding the video I wanted to buy, I tried logging in numerous times with ID info that I knew was correct at Istockphoto.  Nothing happened each time and there was no type of error messaging whatsoever. What a great user experience.

This just reiterates the need for your business to conduct cross-browser testing in the development and designing of new web properties.  This need becomes even more paramount, as companies use client side scripts to manipulate and render content.

When crafting your next design, insist that your designers test all HTML versus the following browsers:

Internet Explorer (last 4 versions)

Firefox (last 4 versions)

Google Chrome (Current version)

Safari (Last 3 versions)

Following this practice will ensure that your site is not losing visitors from basic performance issues relating to functionality, it could drive your conversion rate upward  if you have existing problems.