More than just surfing
Although there are many browsers on the market, most likely you
are using just one - Netscape or Microsoft Explorer, or perhaps
Opera or America On line.... Using one or the other is fine if
you are just surfing on the web. However, if you are building
a business here, I suggest you download and use from time to
time other browsers as well.
New web browsers come with incredible features. For example,
Netscape has Netshow and MSE has Net Meeting. Place at the top
of your monitor just a simple, inexpensive, camera (most likely
you have already a microphone and speakers) and voila: you are
equipped to conduct your own online tele-conferencing!
Can we chat (and more than that)?
As you perhaps know, I host and moderate a MasterMind Chat
details at http://loska.com/successconnection/chat.html
Since the chatroom doesn't like Microsoft Explorer - causing
constant scrolling of the chat messages - I advice participants
and guests to use Netscape. Quite often this creates a problem.
Many people say "I don't have a Netscape because I prefer
Internet Explorer..."
Chances are that with you just the opposite is true. You might
use Explorer, not Netscape, or Opera, or Lynx, or WebTV, or...
maybe you don't even know which of them you are using!
Either way, if you are serious about your Internet business, you
better get used to the idea of having more than one browser. Not
because of my MasterMind Chat (although this alone may be a good
reason among my guests were Ken Evoy, Marlon Sanders and Tony
Blake, you can gain a lot from chatting with guys like that).
However, the most important reason for using more browsers is
your ability to see web pages the way other visitors do.
Don't trust your designer
You might think that if your website was professionally designed,
you are in good shape. Not so. Web designers are notorious for
paying attention only to their own computer's capabilities, which
are usually fast and equipped with huge monitors set to millions
of colors. Sadly, this is not the way most people see the world
wide web and what looks great on the monitor of your designer may
look quite awful to your visitors.
If you are really serious about your web site, you should check
the look of your pages not only on IE and Netscape, but even on
AOL and WebTV. Take a look at this beautiful model cut in half
and a disappearing act of one of my own pages:
http://internetsuccesscoach.com/examples/warnerbra-N.html
WebTV, which is becoming increasingly popular, can mess up your
pages big time. Pay attention, especially if you cater to visitors
who are likely to surf from their living rooms (you do know a lot
about your target market right?) See this Explorer/WebTV example:
http://internetsuccesscoach.com/examples/webtv.html
Convinced that you need more than one?
I am so glad you are! Here are the places to get your downloads
of the most popular browsers it's free of cost.
Internet Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.htm
Netscape:
http://home.netscape.com/download/index.html
Web TV viewer
http://developer.webtv.net/design ools/viewer
America On Line:
This is not free, but the $4.95 p/month light usage plan
is worth the price - go to http://aol.com
Download Lynx at:
http://www.trill-home.com/lynx/binaries.html
For a complete collection of current browsers go to
http://browserwatch.internet.com/browsers.html
If you use PC, you should also check how your web site looks
on Mac (many surprises here as well). One thing is sure: a page
that looks splendid in one browser might look horribly or be
even completely invisible in another. If you are serious
about your business, take it to heart!
About the Author
Wanda Loskot is Internet Marketing Coach. Sign up for her FREE
course "7 Strategies For Lasting Internet Success" learn what
you need to know about Internet marketing in just one short e-mail
per day. To sign up to http://InternetSuccessCoach.com