Trend: Chrome use is growing. Marketers will need to choose rendering sides.

Google Chrome is set to pass Firefox and reach second place (behind IE) by December of this year.

Chrome is rising in the browser ranks at a steady rate, according to the trackings of StatCounter. Currently poised at a remarkable 23.6%, up from 15.6% at the beginning of the year, it’s giving Firefox and IE a run for their money.

Takeaway: What does this mean for marketers?

If you haven’t already been doing so, it’s time to start paying attention to Chrome. We’re not dealing with another fad here. The facts clearly state that out of the top three web browsers, Chrome is the only one gaining momentum. Usage of IE and Firefox is steadily declining, as each is giving up market share at a fairly rapid rate.
Knowing this and assuming Chrome is here to stay, we, as marketers need to take notice of how our message is being received. As with any other digital channel, ensuring proper message rendering within a web browser can prove to be a pesky process of trial and error. Nevertheless, it is one we cannot overlook.
 

How to:

The battle of the platforms is far from over. Years ago, when Firefox emerged as a contender, it was acceptable for marketers to design for both browsers. Those days are gone. Marketers will need to take a serious look at the behaviors of their audience. Demographics and activities will become more and more important. Are your customers largely concentrated within the mobile market? If so, you will need to focus on ensuring proper rendering in Safari. Are they mainly business and corporate centered? Then IE should be your number one priority. Recognize that a message will be received best if it has been created with the targeted audience in mind. Know beforehand what your customers habits are and you will be well on your way to a successful marketing campaign. Just as it is no longer common practice to batch and blast email, so too should we move away from billboarding the same message across all browsers and hoping for the best. Get specific. Know who you’re talking to and design according to their behaviors. The bottom line here is to utilize your web analytics tools to identify customer trends in browser usage. If you have overlooked browser statistics, now is the time to start paying attention. It is not an IE world anymore. On the off chance you have ignored analytics completely; Google Analytics can get you back on the right path. It’s free, easy to setup, has extremely granular reporting, and will provide you with a wealth of information.