Web templates typically have
one, two or three columns.
That's typical. A large website
such as Google, might resort to
four columns.
In general, though, you are better
off with less columns. Less columns
is better.
Why? Because too many columns causes
your web visitors to pan and scan.
Panning and scanning is scanning sideways.
People lose focus when they scan sideways.
In general, you want people scanning up
and down.
When people scan up and down, they are
reading. When they scan sideways, across
columns, they are deciding what to read.
I suggest you have as few as one or
two columns on your website to get
started.
Here's a one-column website I did
some years ago:
www.Poepauv.com
See how simple it is? A one-column
website is very easy to understand.
Why? Because as soon as you've figured
out that the site consists of no
more than one column, there's nothing
left to do but to read that column.
That's what you want people to do.
You want them reading what you've
written.
Too many columns means panning and
scanning. When people pan and scan,
they are deciding what to read, not
reading.
You want people reading.
OK. I think you've got the idea.
When people are reading what you've
written on your website, it is good.
When people spend too much time trying
to figure out what you have on your
website that is worth their time, it
is bad.
Quick decisions are good. Delayed
decisions are bad.
Try to get your web visitors to read
what you've written right away.
A good way to do this is to limit
the number of columns offered to
the reader.
More later.
Ed Abbott
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