--- title: "Optimize Your Web-Surfing Strategy for a Remote Work World" id: "50535" type: "post" slug: "optimize-your-web-surfing-strategy-for-a-remote-work-world" published_at: "2020-07-13T23:45:54+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T03:42:31+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/07/13/optimize-your-web-surfing-strategy-for-a-remote-work-world/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/07/13/optimize-your-web-surfing-strategy-for-a-remote-work-world.md" excerpt: "Thanks to our newly remote lifestyles, we have to lean on web apps to do our jobs more than ever—and browsers can struggle to keep up, even on modern laptops. The best solution (for now) may be a bit more..." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "productivity" - "remote work" - "Technology" - "web browsers" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Employee (Non-Manager)" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Optimize Your Web-Surfing Strategy for a Remote Work World The good news about working in a remote environment these days is that nearly all of the apps you need are just a browser click away. The bad news is that your browser may not be managing all those apps and tabs efficiently. And that means performance is a constant struggle on many modern browsers, especially Chrome. There’s a long-running meme going around about Chrome [being a never-satisfied memory hog (opens in a new tab)](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/google-chrome-ram-hog) , eating up every megabyte of RAM your computer can spare. And then there’s the issue of battery life, which Chrome is notoriously bad at optimizing, [particularly on MacOS (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cnet.com/how-to/fix-your-slow-mac-once-and-for-all/) . Most major browsers depend on a variant of Chrome’s underlying [Blink engine](https://associationsnow.com/2018/12/big-web-browser-change-means-developers/) , which means your really nice computer might not be able to handle all the surfing you’re doing. Slack? Zoom? Teams? Gmail? Twitter? Facebook? Each of these web apps are highly sophisticated, with lots of data plowing through them at any time. And custom apps, especially older ones, may not be efficient at loading up or respecting your browser’s limited memory. Then there are all those tabs you inevitably keep open, which can quickly kill your RAM and battery life—especially when you’re using Chrome. For some, the solution to this problem might seem obvious: Pick a different browser that’s more efficient. [That’s what Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern recommends (opens in a new tab)](https://www.wsj.com/articles/quit-chrome-safari-and-edge-are-just-better-browsers-for-you-and-your-computer-11594558801) . But as any IT person will tell you, for various reasons, you may be stuck with a certain browser, at least for some tasks. After years when [Internet Explorer](https://associationsnow.com/2014/08/internet-explorer-the-outdated-browser-blues/) was the lowest common denominator for browsers, that mantle has been pushed over to Chrome. Broadly, that’s a good thing, as Chrome is a far more capable and standards-compliant browser than IE ever was. But it means that some sites will only work on Chrome, with no consideration for, say, Firefox. And then there’s the user experience element: Part of the reason Chrome is so successful is because of its wide array of extensions, many of which don’t have equivalents on competitors such as Firefox and Safari. ### Efficient Browsing Tips So let’s say you’re stuck with Chrome, or you simply prefer it. What are your options for finding a balance between performance, battery life, and a notably inefficient browser? A few suggestions: **Close tabs you aren’t using.** This may be difficult for users who like to have a lot of tabs open, but they tend to weigh down the browser. There are extensions that can help with this, such as [The Great Suspender (opens in a new tab)](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/the-great-suspender/klbibkeccnjlkjkiokjodocebajanakg?hl=en) (which pauses tabs you aren’t using) and [Tab Wrangler (opens in a new tab)](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tab-wrangler/egnjhciaieeiiohknchakcodbpgjnchh?hl=en) (which closes tabs after they’ve been idle for a certain period). When you cut tabs away, your browser’s performance will improve. **Try task-based browsing.** It’s easy to browse inefficiently. You load a bunch of stuff at random and get distracted with diversions that may not be related to the work you’re trying to do. To get around this, Chrome [lets you use multiple profiles (opens in a new tab)](https://www.howtogeek.com/207614/everything-you-need-to-know-about-google-chromes-profile-switcher/) , which makes it easier to separate different kinds of work (or, as the case may be, split up work and play). And you can set aside a secondary browser for certain types of tasks—something I do with Safari when digging into analytics. But extensions may come in handy here as well. Tools like [Workona (opens in a new tab)](https://workona.com) can improve your focus by organizing tabs and documents into separate workspaces. **Use the desktop version of an app. (Maybe.)** This idea comes with an asterisk because of changes in the way desktop applications are made. While it might be obvious to use Word or Excel on your desktop rather than in your browser, many modern web-native applications, particularly of the software-as-a-service variety, rely on a software framework called [Electron (opens in a new tab)](https://www.electronjs.org) . While quite useful for developers, it often generates some of the same memory issues as Chrome because it’s based on the same engine. On the plus side, [MacOS is making some big shifts](https://associationsnow.com/2020/06/the-fork-in-the-apple-a-big-shift-for-macs-in-the-workplace/) to natively support iOS apps, which could make it less annoying to use Slack as a dedicated app in that interface. So, do your homework and figure out what makes the most sense. ### Homework for CIOs While individual users can help alleviate browser overload, CIOs are not off the hook here. If you have [legacy software](https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/dealing-with-a-lot-of-legacy-software-think-virtual/) hanging around (especially custom versions), now might be a good time to rethink how users access it. You might also look at development strategies that emphasize efficiency and speed. Slow-loading sites filled with too much junk can complicate things on the web. And modern techniques (such as the ultra-fast React.js or [the JAMstack](https://associationsnow.com/2020/03/kick-jams-hot-content-tech-keeping-eye/) ) can make even dense sites way quicker. That stuff takes time to update, though. So in the near term, triage your web-browsing habits to make them more efficient. Because, after all, you suddenly need a lot more web apps than you used to, just to get through the day. (filo/DigitalVision Vectors) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#productivity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/productivity/) [#remote work](https://associationsnow.com/tag/remote-work/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) [#web browsers](https://associationsnow.com/tag/web-browsers/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents Practical AI-How Associations Are Putting It To WorkJanuary 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/01/29/associations-now-presents-practical-ai-how-associations-are-putting-it-to-work/) - [PodcastWhy Associations Must Rethink Learning and Community TogetherMarch 26, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/26/why-associations-must-rethink-learning-and-community-together/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F07%2F13%2Foptimize-your-web-surfing-strategy-for-a-remote-work-world%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !