Internet Explorer Versions Survey Results

Some time lately TemplateMonster has conducted a special Internet Explorer Versions Survey that was intended to reveal the opinions of our audience concerning the usage of Internet Explorer and the future of this unviable browser.

In the light of an unrolling media campaign that touches the process of dropping support for IE6, our blog team was anxious to hear your thoughts of appropriateness of the measures taken within such IE discredit activities. Therefore, we’ve made a list of the question to examine the numbers of IE unique users and check how popular this software is today. The results are collected, compiled, and presented below – now you’re more than welcome to have a look at them. The total number of respondents reached nearly 1200 people.

What version of Internet Explorer do you use?
IE9 – 56%
IE8 – 34%
IE7 – 7%
IE6 – 2%

Do you plan to update your Internet Explorer version within the next months?
No – 56%
Yes – 43%

Is it critical for you to make sure your own website is compatible with all versions of Internet Explorer, even the oldest ones (ver. 6 and ver. 7)?
No, it’s not – 50%
Yes, it is critical – 46%

What part of your website audience uses IE6 and IE7?
5%-15% – 34%
Less than 5% – 32%
Over 15% – 26%

That is what we have revealed. If to consider that IE (and even its latest version) has lots of compatibility issues unsolved and crowds of tech savvy professionals have ceased supporting IE6 anymore, we can state the fact that there’s a very strong favorability toward using this frankly speaking inadequate browser. Perhaps the most significant conclusion we can make from these survey results is that it is still critical for website owners to have their sites compatible with all versions of IE or otherwise they will simply lose a fair share of audience.

Now we really want to know your impressions – are these the results you expected to see? We were actually dumbfounded discovering them. However, thanks everyone who has took part in this survey, as you helped us make a clear perception of the ongoing.

Written by Lilian Rigo

Lilian Rigo, an expert columnist working with TemplateMonster since 2009, is committed to exploratory and creative writing that covers various aspects of the current state of web design and web development technologies.

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IE Usage Statistics

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=834484412 David Mattison
I think compatibility is greatly down to the type and audience of your website. Don’t forget that thousands of public sector workers in the UK have IE6 without the ability to upgrade their browser. Not an issue for facebook, or such like which would be blocked anyway, however if your site is about providing a service – then universal compatibility is essential, even if not all design features are included.
http://www.sublime-design-studio.com kim4true
Frustrated. I’m a designer who struggles with IE in all it’s many flawed versions on a daily basis. I had so hoped that at least IE 6 would finally go away. In fact, I often wish IE would just go away entirely!
Mark Treager
What I think is interesting is the loss of market share IE is experiencing to such noted browsers as FireFox and Google Chrome. While I realize IE will never go away but at the rate they are going IE may only have 15% of browser users in the next 2-3 years and most of them will be on IE 6! Just a thought!
Bsltrtmn27
Not suprising, considering that all windows pc’s and laptops come pre-loaded with IE. Furthermore you won’t believe the amount of users that either don’t know or don’t care about these things. It’s like a black man with an accent… everyone asks if he’s from Jamaica. There are so many other islands in the Caribbean but most people only know about is Jamaica.
Tomfeight
Pretty close to the results I expected to see, except for one, the percentage of people using IE8. I expected that to be higher because so many users really dislike IE9 and now refuse to update because of the interface changes. But I guess new computers and windows update will keep that IE9 percentage growing. Especially since most to not know how to go back to IE8 after an update.

6ix
I Hate IE, we develop on Macs, but IE9 is the best looking, acting browser Microsoft has released. Far better than than the pathetic IE8 and below. Does not surprise me that people are balking though, if they actually spend the time to learn it they would like it a lot better. What makes me smile, is that IE9 behaves like Safari did 6 years ago… so while better, it still has years to catch up with FF or Chrome.

SpotlightWebDesign
I agree 6ix. But even IE9 that far behind shows some growth on their part and at least a minimal willingness to start being compliant. We can always have hope they catch up to Firefox.

http://www.marketingweb.com.au Marketing Web
Microsoft have actually put an IE6 countdown site up, trying to make it extinct. Available at: http://www.ie6countdown.com/ and also referred to in the “related posts” above. Realistically, unless your market is China / Asia, it’s down below 3% in most counties. So unless you have a specific target that uses it, then IE6 is safe to ignore. IE7 and especially 8 are however here to stay for a long while yet.
Anonymous
What’s surprising is that designers/developers still try to cater to IE6. Just because my Grandma still has a VCR doesn’t mean Hollywood should still release their films on VHS. There comes a point where progression almost needs to be forced. If some designers and developers continue to cater to old browsers, it holds back development for everyone. . .
6ix
WE design for latest browsers and up… that means IE9 or better. We don’t care if the luddites can’t update and most of our clients feel the same way. IE is a disease that needs to be killed off. The sooner we send that message to the Microsoft and the entire user community the better. We embed code on every site we develop – it reads the browser version and if it older than IE9 – it recommends updating and provides links to do so (to chrome, firefox, opera or safari or i.e. 9 for vista/7 users) - its the most clicked link on our sites. We have found that 85% or more site visitors update their browser as a result. IT WORKS. Therefore, INSTEAD of developers catering to people who cannot understand that a pathetic browser like IE will limit their web experience (and, in many cases cause users to have security and other serious issues) WE should be giving them the option to update right from the sites we build. There are always those who won’t (corporations, etc) but we have found that most do. At some time, even the enterprises will have to – we can’t all be using a 10 year operating system like XP and clearly that is their issue, not ours.

http://www.facebook.com/vladimir.shpak Vladimir Shpak
What would you say if “the luddites can’t update” are the potential customers of your ecommerce site? They want to purchase from you but can’t since your site isn’t compatible with IE6, 7, 8. Even if they are only 5% of all your site visitors they still can make $$$$ in sales (depending on what you sell of course). Do you really think that the owner of such a site won’t invest extra $$ to make sure his/her site is compatible with the IE6, 7, 8 to get $$$$ & happy customers?

krishnadandu
On comparability wise its a big issue of bugs as well as user interface. I always get many more issues with IE with new version as well as old version. The IE is just better for the static website. IE 9 good not better or best. In fact IE is loosing his market.
krishnadandu
On comparability wise its a big issue of bugs as well as user interface. I always get many more issues with IE with new version as well as old version. The IE is just better for the static website. IE 9 good not better or best. In fact IE is loosing his market.
SpotlightWebDesign
What is the market that was measured? I have read that US Marketshares for IE are drastically different than those in countries such as Chine for instance. Those type of numbers would also influence development based on who the target market is for both the client and the developer.
Glenn
Good to read the feedback on a browser I never use… I test for it but thats it… as far as microsoft having a IE6 countdown the people that still use it arent savy enough to even know, if they cant update their browser, once the timeline has passed they will just think the computer is broken. 6ix is on the money, a great solution. most users havent a clue of whats out there.
Glenn
Good to read the feedback on a browser I never use… I test for it but thats it… as far as microsoft having a IE6 countdown the people that still use it arent savy enough to even know, if they cant update their browser, once the timeline has passed they will just think the computer is broken. 6ix is on the money, a great solution. most users havent a clue of whats out there.
http://www.facebook.com/jameswm1 James Wallis Martin
We developed two new sites with the sole intent to exclude older browsers and force the user to upgrade. Although we have gotten three begrudging remarks from XP users who thought they had to pay to upgrade to Windows 7 because when they clicked on the IE 9 upgrade link it told them they needed to upgrade their OS rather than tell them they could use other free browsers like Firefox or Chrome to still run on XP.
Only 31% of our users were not on the latest browsers (72% of those were on IE 7 or IE 8 and none on IE 6). Within a week of the site going live, we dropped to 2% of browsers attempting our site to be older browsers.For the sake of the user updating to a faster and safer FREE browser compared to the cost of developing and supporting older browsers, there is no argument.
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Flory Mejia
Hello, my name is Flory Mejia, I would like to have help to find the best option to my company. I am selling lingerie by internet, with an express deliver, so my intention is to be open to a simple wroup of people, a page not very much complicated to look for and easy to buy on it, nice, and kind of elegant.
Flory Mejia
Hello, my name is Flory Mejia, I would like to have help to find the best option to my company. I am selling lingerie by internet, with an express deliver, so my intention is to be open to a simple wroup of people, a page not very much complicated to look for and easy to buy on it, nice, and kind of elegant.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 at 2:50 am and is filed under DesignFloat, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.Both comments and pings are currently closed.