Website Width Matters As Technology Marches Forward

Website flat screen monitors are now the office standard. Does your website display well in these wide screen formats or does it look more like a mailing label?

I think we can safely say that websites built in the 800 x 600 pixel schema that adequately filled the screen of a 15-inch CRT box monitor have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

With the advent of the World Wide Web and TV merging together, now is a good time to begin planning a redesign that includes a wider format website.

If you are at this stage, you’re probably doing well with your website. Some businesses are now just seeing the wisdom of having a website, and some businesses are now just realizing that they need to be on Page 1 or 2 of the major search engines. And some businesses have already been doing this for years and should once again take the lead and make sure their website displays professionally on wide screen formats.

Advantages for a Larger Website

One clear advantage of a larger website (not in pages, but in the design), is the space you gain for display of text, links and images. Sometimes called 'browser real estate', having more space to display your information across the page lessens any vertical scrolling for content heavy pages.

Another redesign advantage allows you to rethink and retool how you present your online presence to clients and potential customers. A wider format website gives you more space to do this, with less clutter. Some quick suggestions include: larger text header or taglines to draw more attention to specific content, and increased text size for better readability.

Website Comparisons

Most websites today have been designed for best viewing at 1024 x 768 browser resolution. We are one of the few companies that has made the jump to a higher resolution for best viewing at 1280 resolution.

See the snapshot below of an overlay comparing Yahoo's homepage to CBN.com's homepage. The arrows indicate the extra width CBN gained at this resolution.



Website Statistics

W3C web statistics currently indicate that nearly 76% of users in the United States are viewing at browser resolutions greater than 1024. This alone might be a compelling reason to set your website redesign plans in motion.


reference: http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_display.asp

If your website is important to your marketing efforts, I encourage you to consider the benefits of giving your clients and potential customers the best viewing possible. As website competition continues to pick up, every little advantage helps.

We can also help you with the creative and technical planning for cross-browser, dual machine support compatibility for Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Fire Fox, Opera, Safari on PCs and Macs.

Related articles:
Steps to planning a new website or redesigning an existing website
The Website WOW Factor
How to Prepare Your Website Development Plan

Rick Vidallon is President of Visionefx, a Web design company based in Virginia Beach, Va. They provide services to national companies as well as small to medium businesses throughout the United States. Rick can be reached at (757) 619-6456 or rick@visionefx.net.