Nerve Endings Firing Away

I have been using Firefox for more than two years now and rarely use Internet Explorer except for perhaps browsing those rare only-IE sites. The beauty of Firefox, like WordPress is its myriad add-ons that customize your browsing experience. In addition to pop-up blocker, scripts like Greasemonkey and GMail manager save plenty of time and increase productivity. Anyone who uses Firefox aggressively promotes it to their friends and family. Google helps you do that by offering a Firefox referral button within its Adsense program and pays you $1 each time a visitor clicks on it and downloads Firefox (with the Google Toolbar, of course).

I found this cool site, Explorer Destroyer [via Dosh Dosh] that helps you aggresively promote Firefox. They offer you scripts that you can easily install in your website template that detects when an Internet Explorer visits your site and displays a prominent message and download button. There are three levels of scripts – Gentle Encouragement, Semi-serious, and Dead Serious. The first one just puts a customized message above your header, the second one displays a splash screen before users see your site, and the third one blocks all Internet Explorer visitors. A sample screenshot is shown below:

Why would you install this script? First, to spread the word about Firefox and promote its use and second, each time a visitor clicks and converts you earn $1 [if you are enrolled in the Adsense Program]. I have had different versions of the Firefox Referral button on my sidebar or the bottom of each post but have had very limited success in conversions. This tool targets the right audience as the above message will be displayed only to Internet Explorer users and other browser uses will continue to see your site as it is.

I have installed the Gentle Encouragement script on a trial basis. You can try it out by opening my blog in Internet Explorer to see how it looks. As of today, 71% of my visitors [mostly via Google search] use Internet Explorer. Given the current high readership that this blog is enjoying, even if a small percentage click through, I would earn quite a bit and would have done my bit for the Firefox movement. However, the script especially the higher two level seriously impedes usability and might drive away visitors. So, I am just testing this tool and will have the script up until Friday. Following that, I’ll see if it has made a difference to my Adsense earnings and visitor stats. I am not doing this so much to undermine Microsoft but rather to encourage Firefox.

Feel free to try out Explorer Destroyer for your site and share your experience.

Update: Based on reader feedback, I’ve removed the script.