Development

Internet Explorer: Is Your Browser Holding You Back?

Using Internet Explorer may be affecting your web interactions more than you think.

woman wearing glasses looking at a computer screen

Internet Explorer was one of the first internet browsers, but its practicality on the web ended in 2015. Microsoft announced then that they would continue maintaining the browser, but no longer keep releasing newer versions. Many users took this announcement in stride, switching over to other options like Google Chrome or Firefox, while others clung to Internet Explorer in hopes that it would continue to perform well.

We’ve heard it before: “But since it’s still being maintained, then it’s okay to keep using Internet Explorer, right?” In short: no. Here’s how using Internet Explorer might be hurting your web browsing experience.

Updates

While other browsers, such as Firefox or Google Chrome, are regularly updating to keep up with constant changes on the web, Internet Explorer is still running like it’s 2015. This means it doesn’t have modern updates to its security, plug-in configuration, display options and more.

Speed

The days of slow dial-up internet are gone, but it might not feel that way with Internet Explorer. The speed of this web browser lessens with each year, meaning that loading times and site functionality is going to suffer for Internet Explorer users.

Display

When using Internet Explorer, certain visuals on websites may be distorted or not even show up. A lot of imagery in web design is created using Javascript, a coding language that is not supported by Internet Explorer. So that means even basic parts of sites, such as icons or homepage sliders, may not be displayed correctly.

If you’re currently using Internet Explorer, the news is not all bleak — it’s free and fairly easy to update to a modern browser experience. At Infomedia, we recommend Chrome or Firefox, both of which are free to download and perform well for us and our clients. Want to make the switch? Click here to download Google Chrome or here to download Firefox.

Hayley

About Hayley

When Hayley isn’t knocking out website copy behind her laptop, she’s in the kitchen — a (non-snobby) foodie and committed vegan, she brings her passion for cooking into the office with pies and treats she’s made herself. Hayley polished her skills, both culinary and literary, at Cooking Light digital and MyRecipes.com, where she worked as a food writer before joining us here at Infomedia. She’s great at writing SEO-rich copy, drafting a catchy headline and utilizing digital tools to give her writing serious online impact. To unwind, Hayley likes watching horror movies, sweating the day away in hot yoga, traveling with her husband, Peter, and coming home to their two cats, Momo and Otto.

See more articles from Hayley Sugg

You Might Also Like

Join Our Newsletter

Don’t miss out on what’s going on at Infomedia! Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates and helpful tips and information.

* indicates required