Have you ever looked at a web site that wasn't quite right? Perhaps the content didn't fit properly in a frame or the text was all skewed across the page? Or even worse, you get error messages for parts of a site that just won't load in your browser, yet your colleagues can see it perfectly?
你是否浏览过外观糟糕的页面呢？有时框架内容安排不恰当，有时页面文本歪斜，甚至有时浏览器不能下载某些内容，但你同事的电脑中，网站外观却很精美，有没有遇到这种情况呢？
Welcome to the world of browser incompatibility. This happens when a site is designed for a particular type of browser, (ie Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape's Navigator) or even a specific version of that browser, without any consideration for persons viewing the site using different browsers or older versions. You see, a very flashy corporate site that might look fantastic in version 4.0 or 5.0 of Internet Explorer can end up looking like a child's finger painting in Navigator 3.0 and vice versa.
为什么介绍兼容性呢？网站有时专为某种浏览器设计（比如IE或者Netscape公司的Navigator），或者专为浏览器某种版本设计，并没有考虑其它浏览器用户。例如，在IE4.0或者IE5.0中外观精美的网站，在Navigator3.0中外观就很糟糕，反过来也一样。
Which is why backwards-compatibility testing by web development firms is so important prior to site launch. Unfortunately, the tedious nature of testing and work involved in making the site compatible with all browsers often means web designers take short cuts - either avoiding testing completely or satisfying themselves with making the site compatible with only the latest browsers. The company commissioning the site is usually left unaware that their site is not backwards-compatible and that some of their site visitors are forming a negative opinion of their site and consequently, their company. When the competition is only one click away, image is EVERYTHING.
在网站运行之前，网站开发公司应改进行向后兼容测试。然而，由于测试工作很枯燥，很多网站设计者不重视这一步，或者没有测试，或者只在最新的浏览器中测试。许多公司通常也没有注意网站兼容性测试，致使网站访问者对网站以及公司产生了消极态度。有时候，形象决定一切。
Another short cut development firms sometimes take is with search engine compatibility. The creation of site META tags in the HTML code and the inclusion of key search terms relating to site content in the body text can make a world of difference to how a web site ranks in search engines. Known as site optimization, this value-added service takes a little more time within the site build, but can ensure the client site receives the maximum exposure in search engines and consequently, much more site traffic. Some web development firms don't even bother to register the site with major search engines, let alone know how to optimize the site for better search engine performance.
网站开发公司还应该进行搜索引擎兼容性的测试。HTML编码中META标签的创建，以及与网站内容相关的搜索术语会影响网站在搜索引擎中的排名。网站优化可以保证网站的排名，增加网站访问量。有些网站开发公司甚至没有在搜索引擎中注册网站，更不用说网站优化了。