To maximize the benefits of your Internet or intranet sites, the sites must be accessible to everyone. Browser compatibility means ensuring that Web pages display in a consistent format on all browsers. Designers and developers need to consider the following browser compatibility issues when they write their code.

1. Software and hardware usage differs among users, requiring cross-browser and cross-platform compatibility
2. Web browsers interpret HTML code differently; for example, some Web browsers support proprietary HTML extensions that are not a part of standard HTML
3. New versions of browsers generally add features that are not available in older versions, so you need to be aware of differences among different versions of the same browser
4. Web browsers also support different versions and implementations of languages such as Java or Flash

To account for these disparities, it is best to design to the most common denominator.

When you design your Web site for cross-platform compatibility, keep in mind that fonts do not display the same on Windows-based computers and Macintosh computers.

Click the Quiz link below to test your knowledge of Web site navigation tools and cross-platform compatibility issues.
Navigation Compatibility Quiz