Is it time to go 1024 wide?
You might be noticing that a number of your favorite Web sites are getting a little wider lately. It seems that the de facto standard of making fixed-width Web sites 760 pixels wide is coming to be in question. This has a lot to do with the fact that computer monitors are getting wider and wider. The 760 pixel limit was based on the fact that a large number of Web users were viewing sites on 800x600 resolutions.
It might be time for your company's Web site to upgrade to a 1024x768 minimum size requirement. There's a few things you can do to begin to evaluate this:
1) Look at your Web statistics. Would making your Web site wider exclude an unacceptable number of your regular Web site traffic?
2) Look at your competitors. A lot of times, a little industry research will show you the trends in your industry.
3) Use common sense. As always, if you have any reservations about making the switch, you can always hold off. Everyone with wider screens will still be able to see your Web site, and you can always make the change next go round.
