There is a lot of discussion about altering web page width. Keep in mind following our previous post about mobile optimization that simply reducing page size will not make your page mobile-ready, it can actually make apage less friendly because of the reduction in text and image size.

On the other hand, hardcoded width expansion from, say,800px to 960px, can be a strategic method of catering to individuals who browsewith resized windows, especially if they have a high resolution monitor ormultiple monitors. This type of expansion usually will not hurt page flow andwill allow for more content to appear while preventing scrollbars on almost allmodern pcs when the browser is maximized.

There does exist a CSS property called "max-width"that lets an area to be resized up to and including the given width, so if aperson resizes their window the content can shrink or expand as needed withinthe given width. Be warned that this behavior is at best buggy, and at worst,completely unsupported in IE6. If you do plan on supporting IE6, theworkaround, while simple, is unsupported on pretty much every other browser.

Expanding width can make your page more user-friendly bymaking it easier for visitors to view more content by minimizing the amount of verticalor horizontal scrolling needed. Choosing how to expand is an important decisionand requires careful consideration of your page and its function.