If you have ever tried to take on the daunting task of creating your own website, you probably know by now that web design is not easy. Sure, some people who are computer-literate can figure out how to turn a basic template into a decent website, but chances are that no one will remember it (perhaps until they see it on another site minutes later…ordinary is not a good thing to be remembered for.) Truly effective web design is rare and requires skill. Not only does the page have to look pretty, but it has to work for the average user.

Not Everyone Has Five Widescreen Monitors on Their Desk

One mistake that many inexperienced Arizona web design companies seem to make is not considering who their audience is and what technology they have access to. It is understandable that most designers, who spend hours each day at their computer, have the newest technology when it comes to monitors. They likely have an HD monitor, with an aspect ratio of about 16:10 rather than the older standard of 4:3. Heck, they might have two or three at their desk. Alas, many designers forget that not everyone is quite as computer-savvy as they are, and they need to start assuming that their audience has a bit older technology.

The Scroll is the Turning Point

Designers who fail to take this into account could be losing much of their audience. Consider how you browse the Internet. Whether you have a large, wide monitor or a tiny laptop screen, you might stop reading at the point where you have to scroll down. Unless the content is particularly interesting, the necessity to scroll is likely the turning point at which you will decide just how much you want to read the rest. So unless the content or designs on your website are particularly thrilling to all audiences, rethink making your readers scroll.

Picture Your Site As a Newspaper

A good rule of thumb is to imagine your website as a newspaper (you know, those wads of paper that get thrown at your neighbor's door every morning for some reason). If you can think back to the last time you tried to read the paper, you might remember what a struggle it was to read the stories that stood out to you while balancing it so that the ads didn't flutter to the floor.

Now imagine seeing a relevant story on the front page, reading it quickly, and then getting to that annoying warning "continued on Z183." At that point, you have to make the choice to slog through the rest of the pages until you find the right story, hoping you remember the beginning of it by then, or quit reading. When designing a website, part of your job as an Arizona web design company is to make sure people don't have to make the same difficult choice.