There has been a steady trend over the last few years for screen resolutions to move to 1024 width. The traditional 800 x 600 pixel screen width made up 56% of the computers in the workplace, home and schools back in January 2000 but that figure has since dropped to just 8% in 2008.
The chart below shows the percentage of users accessing sites with various screen resolutions (data extrapolated in January 2008).
Is your website's design still languishing on a 800 x 600 screen resolution and potentially alienating 48% of your potential client-base? MSO.net's Q and A section below may help you come to a decision.
Why do I need to move to 1024?
Recent research estimates that the majority of computer users are opting for a 1024 x 768 display setting giving a more spacious feel to their screen. However, the majority of websites have been designed to an 800 x 600 pixel screen width. By not updating your website to accommodate users with larger screens, sites are not optimizing the space they have at their disposal and reducing the impact the site has on its visitors. A select few that still use the smaller 800 x 600 display may have to scroll horizontally across the page to view all your content, but these users are a dying breed. If you feel uneasy about alienating 800 x 600 users, and if you have Google Analytics, we can help you evaluate web statistics for your site and establish what screen size would be most appropriate based on your visitor profile. If you don't currently have Google Analytics set up on your site, we can install it and guide you around its features for a minimal cost. If you are interested, please email us.
Do I need to have the entire site re-designed?
No, depending on the current design, we can stretch the content across the page - each website will be assessed on its own merit.
How much will it cost?
Again, each site would be assessed separately to establish how easily the design can extend to 1024 - but the cost will be significantly cheaper than a site re-design.
Can you provide some of examples of websites that have moved to 1024?
Are more technological changes ahead? Should I wait and get the site changed at a later date?
The data set out in the chart above, shows that 38% of computer users have screen resolutions larger than 1024 x 768 - however MSO.net would suggest that 1024 x 768 is the best option currently, and sites cannot run the risk of disaffecting almost 50% of its potential market.
For further information on moving to 1024 or any other enquiries regarding your website's design, please email us: info@mso.net.