Browser battles are ongoing regularly these days.  Mozilla is releasing new versions of Firefox with increasing rapidity, and market share has definitely changed, but a comment from one of my co-workers this past week made me ponder why so many are still using Internet Explorer when it is still having more problems than most other browsers.

To be fair, IE has made major progress from 7 to 8 to 9.  Regularly rotating into the top position in terms of speed and security features, Microsoft is doing their best to keep up with the competition.

New features, such as HTML 5 support, hardware acceleration, best plug-in libraries, and now RAM optimization (Firefox) must be emphasized by browser manufacturers in order to try to differentiate themselves.

One thing I have noticed is that, in most cases, speed is now the least relevant item to use to distinguish one browser from another.  All recent benchmark reviews I have seen, really over at least the last year, show no “human-discernable” difference between browsers.  However, one area where IE seems to consistently lag behind the other browsers is in Java-scripted site content, where it continues to struggle.

All this, and regular usage of all browsers, has led me to realize that the “look and feel” and feature-set are more important to me than raw speed, stats, or behind-the-scenes security settings that aren’t exactly visible.

For instance, the RSS-feed-aggregation in Safari I wrote about in my last update.  As an IT professional I regularly need to be seeing and digesting industry news, updates, tips, etc.  This method of adding feeds in Safari, and the built-in tools and sorting methods it provides, represent a real improvement in efficiency AND my own experience/perception.

All else being equal, it seems the individual user experience, which is NOT measurable in the way most benchmarks work, makes the biggest difference for individual selections.

Some of my co-workers like Firefox because they are used to the larger library of plug-ins.  Chrome, the first to introduce search in the address bar, with a more-streamlined UI and behind-the-scenes updates, impressed others and hasn’t done anything since then to convince them to switch.  Opera, long considered the “geeks” browser, actually won the latest round of speed tests done by Lifehacker, and continues to add new and interesting features, some of which are not immediately apparent.

However, looking at the stats, it seems the overwhelming issue for users is which browser is the default for their OS.  Even though I can and have installed Firefox and Chrome for Lion, I rarely find myself opening them because Safari does everything to my satisfaction and I really enjoy the minimalistic interface.  Since Windows still ships with the largest percentage of computers sold, and IE is the built-in, default browser, the majority of people still use IE. Despite its’ lag, bugginess, and lack of some features and UI design elements compared to other browsers, most users seem content to use it.  Maybe because they don’t need to spend extra time researching, downloading and installing other browsers, configuring and migrating favorites, plugins, etc?  Or maybe because a high percentage of the computer-using world doesn’t even realize other browsers are options, and might provide them value?

Regardless of the causes, I must say that when it comes to browsers, it is one area where ignorance is NOT bliss, and I am glad to have the time to regularly review, test, and experience the various products.

What are your experiences?

When I bought my first pair of hiking boots in the ‘70s, I learned to be a loyal consumer. When that first pair of Vasque boots died, I didn’t even do any research. There was nothing to research: Vasque was what I had, Vasque was what I wanted, Vasque was what I bought. After the second pair, my preferred model was discontinued, so I simply switched to another model – still by Vasque – without every questioning why my favorite model had been discontinued.

Enter middle age, severely damaged feet, and a podiatrist who recommends very weird (and expensive!) shoes called MBT’s (Masai Barefoot Technologies) that have curved soles shaped like the bottom of a rocking chair.

With two pair of MBT shoes (walkers and sandals) purchased, I’m already in for about $500, so I consider myself a good customer. After recently hiking a moderately rocky trail in the walkers, trying not to twist my ankle, I decided I was ready to consider a third pair: the MBT Kilima hiking boot with extra ankle stability. I had looked at them (lusted for them, actually) online just a few months ago, and after finishing my taxes last night finally made up my mind.  After decades of wearing the same brand of hiking boots, I’m ready and willing to consider plopping down a couple of hundred from  my tax return for yet another pair of hiking boots, as the MBT rocker design really does prevent a lot of pain and allows me to walk further (and gives me a better workout at the same time).

MBT Kilima Hiking Boot (Discontinued)

So, what do I find? They quit making them, and no one has them in my size any longer.

MBT Moto-GTX

And here is where I realize how my habits have changed. I simply assume there is a corporate blog where I can find a discussion of changes to their lineup, ask a question about what the replacement for the Kilima is or will be, discuss what I liked about the Kilima and what I don’t like about the only other ankle-high boot in their lineup. So I google “MBT blog.”

Unfortunately for MBT, I most definitely did not get a hit for a corporate blog; I got a blog about MBT’s by a podiatrist whose opinion of them is the exact opposite of Dr. A’s: “Typically when someone comes into the office wearing MBT’s, I work with them to transition out of the MBT’s into a more normal type of shoe and I have never recommended MBT’s as a first line of treatment.”

This can’t be good for MBT, though it might be great for my budget. For now I’ll split the difference and pack the painkillers along when I do ankle-twisting trails in my old hiking boots, and keep the MBT’s I have for walks on solid pavement.

But I don’t give up easily on my internet searching tonight; I keep going to try to find MBT in the social media world. Twitter maybe? No luck. There is a #MBT hashtag, but barely used and having nothing to do with MBT shoes. There are a handful of tweets about MBT shoes, but the company isn’t engaged.  Maybe Facebook? For a minute I think I’ve found them: an MBT page complete with the MBT logo. I sign up as a fan and start to post my question, but something makes me check the “info” tab. It turns out this is not MBT the manufacturer; just a shoe store that sells MBTs … and Naots, and New Balance and other pricey shoes I know they would be happy to have me consider.

An hour ago I was a huge fan of MBT’s, and later I probably will be again. Right now, though, I’m a frustrated consumer, caught between the opinions of two podiatrists, and MBT doesn’t even seem to be trying to engage me in conversation. And that’s the difference between 1972 and 2009. I never would have expected Vasque to engage me in conversation in 1972 (or ‘84 or even ‘96): that was the responsibility of the retail store where I shopped. But in 2009 I do expect easy access to a company making such a specialized, expensive product. And if I can be retrained to think this way, what do you think the expectations are of the thoroughly digital generations?

Lastly, I also expect MBT to be listening – and not just to an email I might send if I can find their email address, or some web form I might complete. I expcet them to be listensing here and now, where I’m speaking; on Twitter, where their product is being discussed by fans who have discovered a favorite celebrity wearing MBT’s; on Facebook, where their retailers are making an effort, but are happy to sell you something else as well.

If MBT wants to be smart about social media, they will not only join the online conversation – and soon – but they will use a listening platform like ReputationConnect to keep up with what their customers are saying.

What happens when the unthinkable occurs? Delta Air Lines and Dell Computers are two companies that have experienced the wrath of indignant customers armed with advanced publishing platforms. Another company is the Kryptonite Bike Lock Company, which in September 2004 learned that some of their locks could be picked with simple Bic pens. (While early reporting alleged that Kryptonite only learned of the blog-based buzz when the New York Times posted a story, Donna Tocci, Public Relations Manager for Kryptonite, more recently told Dave Taylor that the company had been “aware of the Internet involvement with this issue from the first day. This included blogs and forums.”)

Kryptonite had to deal with the situation fast — and their response should serve as a primer on outstanding customer service and company reputation-management. The crisis was two-fold for Kryptonite: They needed to 1) replace malfunctioning products while 2) quelling rumors that their company was unresponsive to consumer needs.

According to Tocci, Kryptonite did everything they could to ensure that their corporate response to the Bic pen unlock episode was rapid and global in scope. Timing and execution allowed the company to distribute over 380,000 replacement locks to customers worldwide. Tocci said that Kryptonite quickly set up a synergy among distributors, retailers, factories, shippers and fulfillment houses to ensure that customers were able to get replacement locks within weeks of the first mention of a problem in an online forum.

Tocci crystalizes the lessons that can be learned from her company’s experience: “They [companies] do need a good crisis management plan no matter who they are or how they choose to implement it.”

The takeaways from this incident transcend blogs and blogging, and offer critical insights into what being a responsive company really means; no matter which medium is used to reach customers.