The web browser battle – it rages and rages.
At one time the overwhelming leader was Internet Explorer (IE). I remember when really you had two legit choices – IE and Netscape. Well the times have changed. While IE is still going strong, it doesn’t have close to the majority of market share it once had.
Now you have a number of choices to choose from: IE, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and for us Mac users — Safari.
The question is – which web browser should I use?
It isn’t a simple question to answer – it really comes down to personal preference and what you are using it for. A web browser simply allows you to access and surf the internet. All of them will do a fine job of that. The key is to find the one you are most comfortable with. If you build websites as part of your business you will want to have a couple browsers installed for testing purposes.
Choosing the right web browser won’t make or break your online business. It isn’t something to lose sleep over. However, from my experience I have found that one browser is the most helpful to me. Notice I said helpful, it isn’t the fastest browser, and I am not calming it is the best. However, it has been extremely helpful to me:
Firefox
Firefox is definitely my go to browser and I can sum up why with one reason: Add-ons.
I have gotten so used to some of the Firefox add-ons that I almost NEED them! As an online marketer I love having add-ons like:
1. SearchStatus – This small add-on simply shows each websites Google Page Rank and Alexa ranking. The good thing about it is every time you visit your own site with Search Status on it will help your Alexa ranking. Plus I can quickly look and see if a site is worth linking with.
2. Firebug - Since I develop WordPress sites while knowing only the most basic of code, this addon is a life saver. I can find out what code controls certain page elements and I can edit it right in my firefox window to see what my potential changes will look like. I use Right Click -> Inspect Element dozens of times a day.
3. ColorZilla – Ever see a color on the web and wished you knew what it was. ColorZilla does that. Obviously, your eyes tell you what the color is, but ColorZilla will actually give you the hex code for the color so you can use it in your own web design.
3. MeasureIt – This plugin is great. Everyday people ask me “How wide is my sidebar?” With MeasureIt you wouldn’t have to ask. You would just click the icon and measure it yourself – receiving the data in pixels.
4. ScreenGrab – This add-on is one of my favs. It lets you save or copy screenshots. You can capture the visible web page, a selection you choose or the entire page (even below the fold). I use this all the time!
I am not sure if those four Add-ons intrigue you (they should), but the great thing is Firefox has thousands of Add-Ons (here). You can surely find a couple that intrigue you! it might not be enough to convert you to a Firefox user, but I bet it does make you consider!
Related posts:
Test
