Have you ever pulled up your website in multiple browsers and notice they look slightly different within each of them? Have you ever wondered why that might be? Well, there is a reason behind this that is helpful to understand. Here are some reasons why things look different when viewing your website on browsers like Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Chrome.

Browsers Interpret Code “Languages” Differently

Browsers render your site based on the language and instructions provided to them. Sometimes browsers interpret these things differently based on the browser version you are using. For example, the same site could look slightly different when you pull it up on an older version of Internet Explorer versus a newer version of Google Chrome. Since HTML and CSS are always changing and developing, our browsers need to stay up to date as well. It is important to download and use the latest browser versions on your computer whenever they are available. By doing this, you help ensure your browser is up to date and is interpreting the language of your site effectively. 

At Ecreative we always check your site on different browsers during the initial development stages to ensure everything looks similar and is interpreted properly across all browsers.

Default Site Elements Could Be Displayed Differently Across Browsers

Each browser has its own default settings built-in. For example, some browsers have set default fonts which will then change the font of your site when viewed in that specific browser. These default fonts are most often seen in Internet Explorer and Safari. When viewing sites in Firefox it is common to see bolded font within navigations as well.

While default site elements can cause visual differences across browsers, it’s relevant to understand that the functionality of your site and how your users interact with it should all still be intact.

Display Resolution and Computer Setting Differences

If you are noticing sizing and color differences on your site, this could be due to the display resolution on the computer you are using. Your computer’s operating system could also play a role in compatibility differences throughout websites. Your computer OS (operating system) renders things like buttons, text boxes, radio buttons, etc. differently depending on its own default settings.

To combat this, custom buttons can be created in order to make them consistent across browsers, no matter what OS is used. At Ecreative we create websites with responsive designs so that differences in display resolution won’t be an issue.

Understanding Why Browsers Show Sites Differently 

What it comes down to is that different browsers interpret and display code in different ways. These can be very slight differences such as changes in fonts, sizing and color differences. If these differences don’t affect the sites overall functionality then we shouldn’t necessarily be concerned but it’s still beneficial to understand what’s causing them.

Some issues could also come from users not having the most recent version of a browser downloaded. Although it’s not possible to make all sites uniform across all browsers, we can make sure they are all functioning properly between each one. Here at Ecreative, we use different tools to ensure that sites are compatible across multiple browsers. 

Contact your Digital Marketing Specialist to discuss testing your site’s browser compatibility.