Email: We all have it. We read it on our tablets, our mobile devices, our desktop clients and yes, even our web browsers.
We've kept a close eye on Litmus' work — and were very intrigued when they posted an infographic which visualized email viewing on web browsers. There are a ton of web browsers out there today, with more sprouting up by the day.
So what browser leads the pack when it comes to reading email on the web, and which browsers are emerging? We dug into the numbers from the infographic and pulled out a few of the key insights.
In September 2012, Litmus found that 51% of people who access email through the web browser use Internet Explorer. Firefox and Chrome came in second and third, respectively, at 21% and 14%.
Chrome has quadrupled in popularity from March 2011 to September 2012. The biggest loser may be a surprise to you: Firefox dropped 20.30% while IE dropped 15.01%.
It's not just email, it's general web browsing too. Litmus also found that Chrome and Safari have seen a 97% and 53% increase, respectively, for general web browsing activity. The positive trend is in line with browser preference for email.
So as a multi-device focused company, why should we examine what browsers people use to view email and browse on the desktop?
From a user perspective, a go-to browser affinity can impact what browser a user uses on a mobile device. Apps like Chrome-To-Mobile make it easier for users to merge the desktop and mobile experience by providing a mobile-optimized version of a site discovered on desktop. We wouldn't be surprised to see other browsers release similar plugins or apps that encourage users to use the same browser across all devices.
It seems that we can't go a day without stumbling across a mobile statistic or trend that we must hop onto. While mobile is incredibly important, we can't lose sight of the desktop as a key platform that could drive mobile trends forward.
Update: The numbers found in the infographic are derived from over 7 billion email opens, according to Litmus' Justine Jordan.