It’s easy for web developers to assume that most, if not all, viewers of a website will have a decent-sized, modern high screen resolution. But then again, you know what they say about assuming.
The fact of the matter is that there are still a wide variety of different monitor resolutions in use out there. Fortunately, using tracking software such as Google Analytics, we’re all easily able to keep an eye on what screen resolutions our websites’ visitors are using.
Here’s an example from a year’s worth of analytics for one sample site (with 184,055 total visits in a year) and how typical screen resolutions break down:
|
Screen Resolution |
Number Of Visits |
Percentage Of Visits |
|
1024 x 768 |
56,464 |
30.68% |
|
1280 x 800 |
39,537 |
21.48% |
|
1280 x 1024 |
21,469 |
11.66% |
|
1440 x 990 |
17,861 |
9.70% |
|
1680 x 1050 |
12,294 |
6.68% |
|
1152 x 864 |
5,053 |
2.75% |
|
800 x 600 |
4,897 |
2.66% |
|
1920 x 1200 |
4,427 |
2.41% |
|
1280 x 768 |
3,830 |
2.08% |
|
1366 x 768 |
2,766 |
1.50% |
These are just the top 10 most popular screen resolutions used by visitors. Believe it or not, there is actually a long tail of 573 additional different screen resolutions that we could add to this list. Now again, this is just a representative example — but all things considered, it’s pretty typical of where things stand with an average group of visitors.
What Does This All Mean?
As a designer, it’s never fun or cutting-edge to design to the least common denominator, but in reality, it is completely necessary to do exactly this. We know for a fact that bounce rates soar when visitors aren’t attracted or don’t find what they’re seeking immediately at the top fold of the page. And all too often, when sites are designed to be optimal at higher resolutions, the important stuff is buried beyond typical recognition below the fold (meaning that a visitor will have to scroll down by at least a page length to even see it).
The ironic thing is that even with today’s growing screen resolutions on newer monitors, the trend is actually kind of making things even worse. Monitors are going widescreen — growing side to side, but the vertical resolution hasn’t grown proportionally. And it is this vertical resolution that specifically makes a big impact on having a higher bounce rate affected by above the fold and below the fold issues.
Take into account the growing popularity of small-screen netbooks and mobile devices, and it’s clear that even though the designers and "geeks" are using giant monitors these days, the average Joe is still using a low resolution screen.
The Solution?
Well, first of all, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the screen resolution category in your tracking. Your visitors might be a unique bunch, but 9 times out of 10, a website designed with higher vertical screen resolutions in mind — one that puts important information below the fold on the typical 1024 x 768 or 1280 x 800 monitor — is going to have a higher bounce rate than one optimized for these lower vertical resolution monitors. Best to optimize for 1024 x 768 to be safe!
Until Next Time.
George Chaney
President/CEO
SEO King, Inc.
