Why Your Web Site Has Several Different Looks

After you’ve created your new web site or modified your existing one, you should do extensive testing before announcing it to the world. One of the disturbing things you’ll find is that your site can appear quite differently on different computers. And this is true regardless of how well the site has been constructed.

You will no doubt have been watching the progress of your site as it’s been under construction. Through this phase you’ve been working with your designer to get the home page layout just the way you like it, possibly gone through a series of different button styles, and maybe tweaked the look of your logo. Finally it looked great and you approved the go-ahead to construct the rest of the pages.

Fast-forward a few weeks. Your project is done and you are at a friend’s house, eager to show off your new site. She fires up her computer, opens her web browser and lets you type in the address to your site. But what’s happening? It seems to take forever to appear on the screen. And when it finishes loading you hardly recognize your masterpiece. The colors aren’t right, those cool rollovers don’t work on the buttons, the writing is cramped into a narrow column, and you have to scroll horizontally to see it all! Yes my friend, you’ve entered the Web Zone, and it’s even scarier than the Twilight Zone since it’s definitely real, and it’s definitely happening to you.

What’s going on here? How can this be? Well, we’re all used to the world of print, where every Time magazine is identical this month, where your copy of the local newspaper looks just the same as your neighbor’s, and where everyone who received your latest brochure go a copy that matches everyone else’s.

What’s Wrong Here?

Unfortunately, things aren’t as uniform on the web, and there are several reasons why. When your web designer constructs your site, it ends up in HTML code. That code and all the graphics are placed on a web server, and when someone types in your address or clicks on a link to your web page, the server sends the code to your computer. It’s the differences among these computer systems that leads to so much variation in the way your site appears.

Operating System Differences

Most computers inn use today run one of the many varieties of the Windows operating system. The second most popular system is Apple’s Macintosh. Each of these systems comes with its own set of fonts, and only a few of these can be found on both systems. So if your site specifies a Windows-only font, Apple computers will have to substitute one of their fonts, and already you’ve got a different look.

Another difference between systems is the brightness they assign to the monitor. Macintoshes create a brighter image that Windows computers, so this can make for another difference in the way your site appears on different computers.

Browser Differences

The two most popular browsers now in use are Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Netscape’s Navigator. In the early days of the World Wide Web (a few short years ago), these two companies created browsers that had special features that would only work on their creation. You may recall seeing web sites that said, “This site is best viewed using Netscape 3.0. If you don’t have this, download it now!”

While this marketing battle was raging, a few visionaries realized that the end-user wasn't being well served. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) was launched to create standards for the web. As this group has gained influence, the browser makers have been forced to create more web-standard browsers, so as we move forward, the differences between how browsers interpret your HTML code should disappear.

Of course just because new standards-compliant browsers are available doesn’t mean they’re universal. After all, when was the last time YOU downloaded a new browser version? Unless you’re particularly tech-savvy, you probably only get a new browser when you get a new computer. So that’s another reason why your site can appear or wok differently on different computers.

Other Differences

Older computer monitors were only able to display 256 colors, so if your site specifies a color outside this so-called web-safe palette, the color will either be shifted to one of the colors available, or it will be “dithered.” Dithering is simulating a color by using a combination of two colors available on that computer. This will make your color appear “pixelated” or choppy.

Lastly (whew! you’ve almost made it!), the size and resolution of the monitor and browser window can affect the appearance of your site. If a site is designed on a large monitor, it may require horizontal scrolling on a small one (a sign of poor web design).You also have no control over the size of the browser window. Some people let it fill their entire screen, no matter how large or small. Other folks make it smaller so they can see part of their desktop. So ;your site may be scrunched together or spread out, depending on their setting.

Conclusion

So what’s a mother to do? First of all, just accept the fact that you will have many different version of your web site out there. Unlike print, there are many factors beyond your control.

Secondly, work with a designer who is aware of these difficulties and has strategies to deal with them. Even though your site won’t be identical everywhere, at least it can be attractive and functional on all systems.

Finally, test the site on as many different computer and browser combinations as you can, including both novice and experienced web users. This is a chance to let all your friends get a sneak preview of your new site.

Good luck!