Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox (short, Firefox) is the most widely used web browser in Germany since 2008 with a market share of 43.54 percent (September 2013). It is free and is an open-source code software that is characterized by a large number of possible customizations and adjustments.

Mozilla Firefox Logo, Source: Wikimedia

History

Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross are responsible for the development of the Mozilla Firefox browser, which was originally started with the project name “Phoenix.” Phoenix 0.1 was released on September 23, 2002. Whereas the software was initially developed as part of the software package “Mozilla Application Suite,” the suite was broken down into its individual components in 2003. The Firefox web browser and the email client Thunderbird are 2 of the applications that were outsourced. The developers of Mozilla Firefox pursued the objectives of a fast program start and a small memory footprint. Today, the browser is available worldwide in 86 languages ​​and is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Functions

Mozilla Firefox is considered a browser that assists users with an intelligent address bar and a simplified user interface. Tabbed Browsing allows you to open a lot of websites in multiple tabs at the same time, between which you can switch back and forth easily. The developers place great emphasis on user security, which is why Mozilla Firefox is equipped with malware and phishing protection, automatic detection of outdated plugins, and an automatic update functionality.

The developers of Mozilla Firefox have remained true to the objective of short loading times and high speed. In benchmarks, Firefox is always one of the highest rated. The browser is equipped with avery fast graphics acceleration for video and graphics. In addition, Firefox has a high crash safety rating.

Furthermore, the browser has a variety of useful functions:

• Synchronizing of passwords, bookmarks, open tabs, and the timeline between multiple devices
• Password manager
• Autofill forms
• Simplified search functions
• Session recovery and automatic continuation of interrupted downloads
• Integrated spellchecker
• System of bookmarks with one click
• Dynamic bookmarks that update during browser start automatically via RSS

Extensions

A big plus of Mozilla Firefox is the customizability of the software. With the so-called “Personas” you can set up and change the appearance of the user interface according to your personal preferences. Additionally, buttons and input fields can be moved at will.

Mozilla Firefox has comparatively few standard features that keep the program lean and to optimize speed. Through hundreds of thousands of add-ons that can be downloaded from the Firefox Add-ons Manager, the browser can be equipped with a variety of additional functions. Possible examples are tools for web development, communication via social networks, managing bookmarks, or enjoying of images, music and videos.

Relevance to search engine optimization

The Add-ons Manager for Mozilla Firefox provides a wide range of useful add-ons for search engine optimization. They enable the analysis of important SEO parameters for websites, indicate important ranking factors (such as Page Rank, Alexa rank or popularity index) or information about the performance of a website. In addition, certain individual tools simplify certain tasks, such as checking a site for cloaking, the analysis of the incoming and outgoing backlinks, the display of the relevant meta tags or the source code of a website.