Microsoft recently announced it will be ending support for Internet Explorer 11 across its Microsoft 365 apps and services as of August 17th, 2021. If you use Microsoft Teams, you can expect support for IE11 to end on November 30, 2020.
It’s important to note that while support for Internet Explorer is ending, it won’t be removed from the Windows operating system. This means you can keep using IE11 to visit websites, but your browsing experience will begin to degrade and you won’t be able to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services through the browser.
However, if you’re still using Internet Explorer as your default browser, we highly recommend you start using a different browser. Here are a few reasons why it’s time to stop using IE11 as a web browser.
It has terrible security
The main reason you should stop using IE11 is that has poor security. Even though IE has been a staple, it also has a long reputation for poor security, which has only gotten worse. Hackers target IE for its known security flaws, which places your data in danger. Microsoft’s set bug fixes mean these vulnerabilities are often left unaddressed for months before a fix is released. With the planned sunsetting of IE11, you can expect even fewer security updates in the final months.
Microsoft wants to you stop using it
Before Microsoft announced it was officially ending support for IE11, they released a blog post in February 2019 admitting it was time for users to stop using Internet Explorer as their default browser. Because they were no longer making sure it supported new web standards, Microsoft classified it as a “compatibility solution” to use for specific apps that won’t work in any other browser.
Poor website experience
Websites don’t look or perform as well in IE11 as they do in other browsers. Because IE11 doesn’t support today’s web standards, certain features don’t work as well in this browser as in other options. Not only that but since IE has to translate and load additional code, websites tend to load slower. Slow loading pages are a major reason for page abandonment. Almost half of today’s users expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less so every second counts. You don’t want to risk losing out on reaching potential homebuyers because your homepage took too long to load.
Not only are you risking alienating users but your page speed also impacts search engine optimization and rankings. Google has made page speed a ranking factor. If people are abandoning your page because it takes too long to load, Google will note that as providing a bad user experience and eventually start to penalize your website by ranking it lower in search results.
Graphic Language is ending IE11 support
Graphic Language has made the decision to stop supporting Internet Explorer in future web design projects. We’ll admit our developers were excited to hear this news. We take pride in creating stunning and functional websites but the quirks of Internet Explorer meant your brand-new website just didn’t look as good as it should in IE11.
Because IE11 is severely behind other browsers like Chrome and Firefox in feature support, it often isn’t able to handle a lot of the newest technology features so they are often either left out from IE11 or severely downgraded.
Developing a website that is IE11-compatible takes a long time. Our developers must write additional code and commit more testing time to make sure our websites display and work properly in IE11. Ending support of IE11 means you get your new website faster but also means your website can now have newer features, design elements, and other technology that’s IE11 isn’t able to handle.
But what about our customers?
Giving your customers the best online experience is important. Homebuyers judge home builders based on their website, so if you’re presenting a subpar web experience, you could be driving buyers away. However, if you’re worried about missing buyers who are using IE11, don’t.
According to a NetMarketShare report, less than 10% of web traffic comes from Internet Explorer. Looking at our clients’ Google Analytics, we found that about 8% of total website visitors are using some version of Internet Explorer, and of that, about 2% of total website visitors are using IE11. In short, it’s not worth supporting IE11 with such low numbers of users. Remember, IE users can still use your website; they will just switch to a different browser to do so.
What should homebuilders do now?
If you’re using IE11 as your default web browser, start using a new browser. Some popular alternatives include Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or even Microsoft’s new Chromium-based Edge browser.
If your current homebuilder website has been built to run on IE11, it’s time to invest in a new website.
Graphic Language has been creating unforgettable home shopping experiences for over twenty years. Check out our portfolio and see what we can do for you. When you’re ready to stand out in a digital world, schedule a demo and we’ll show you how we can help achieve your goals.