How many people use the Firefox Browser?

The Firefox browser has taken the internet by storm because it is the only real competitor to Microsoft's Internet Explorer in recent memory.

But just how popular is Firefox? Figures just released indicate that 10.5% of Internet users are using Firefox, which shows a continual increase since it was first released.

However Microsoft's Internet Explorer still has the market share with 84.7%

source: Net Applications

Do you have the latest version of Firefox?

If not download your first copy or the latest version - Find out more here

What does this mean to website owners/designers?

This means that 1 in ten people are looking at your website with Firefox, and if you haven't tested your site in this new browser [Define] it might be displaying incorrectly. This is because Firefox and Internet Explorer display website differently. A pain in the arse but if this is news to you welcome to web design! If that was news to you should also check out different website widths.

Download a copy of Firefox (link below) and see what your site looks like, and from now on when designing a website test it in both Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Not tried Firefox yet?

Shame on you, its a great browser with lots of neat features, for example view multiple pages in one window with tabbed browsing, meaning you don't need lots of Internet Explorer windows open which can slow your computer down.

Download Firefox

Latest search engine popularity figures

1st Google = 48.5%
2nd Yahoo = 22.5%
3rd MSN = 10.7%
4th AOL = 6.6%
5th ASK = 2.7%

Source: Nielsen//Netratings

What does this mean to you?
If you own a website and use search engines to promote it, you need to be targeting at least the top 3 search engines with your search engine optimisation [Define], as this is how 81.7% of people find what they are looking for on the web. If you are only targeting googol, then you are missing a large chunk of potential visitors.

If you aren't promoting your site in search engines you should be. Its a free way to promote it and get people there who are interested in your site. This article Getting to the top of Google explains how.

More web design advice

Domain name availability

Domain names, also know as website addresses, aren't as easy to get hold of as they once used to be. The reason for this is that 50 million .com's have been registered so far, which is going to limit your selection a little.

All 3 letter combinations have been registered, so you have no chance of getting your company acronyms unfortunately! You have a much better chance of getting a 4 letter domain, but increase your chances of getting your desired domain name you are going to have to be creative!

Help with domain name idea's

More domain name facts

Examples of bad web design

Technically designing a website is quite easy, compared to programming complex computer programs that is. However designing a good web site is much more difficult. A good web site takes planning and constant refining, however some people don't take this into consideration and produce some really bad websites.

How not to design a web site

To help you learn what not to do the team over at www.yourwebsiteisrubbish.com have collected some of the worst website on the Internet, they will show you how not to design a website.

Remember at some point the people who have made these sites have sat back and thought "Yeah I'm really happy with that, I'll show the whole world". Scary, worth checking out.

Examples of bad web design

Good domain name ideas

One of the most important and difficult parts of setting up a website is coming up with a decent domain name, also know as a web address or URL. A domain name could make or brake your site, so take your time choosing one.

Top 3 tips for choosing a domain name

1. Make it memorable
Choose a domain name that is easy to remember, it will increase return visitors typing in the address.

2. Easy to spell
You should be able to tell somebody over the phone the address without spelling it

3. Keep it simple
Avoid abbreviations like www.blu.com and replacing letters with numbers like www.bl3e.com. It make it harder to remember.

More domain name ideas and tips

Search engine cheat sheet

Search engine optimisation [Define] is a bit of a dark art, with the rules and standards always changing. Wouldn't it be great if somebody put together a definitive guide of what techniques actually work?

Well your in luck, one of the industries most renowned Search engine optimiser has produced a Search engine optimisation cheat sheet. Don't worry if it appears a little small on your screen, just right click your mouse button on the cheat sheet and select zoom in.

Click here for Search engine optimisation cheat sheet.


More search engine optimisation advice