Web pages of old guard retailers - why the big margins?

[Stephen Tashiro]

I've noticed that the web pages of many retailers who began as brick an mortar stores (Sears, Home Depot, O'Reilly etc.) have a characteristic look. Their web pages have wide blank margins. I wonder if they are all using the same commercial software. Why do they think that wide blank margins are a good format for a web page?

I find their web pages don't display properly ( e.g. occasionally some text overlaps other text) using either Firefox or the Opera web browser on my Linux machine. Of course, if I point this out, I get a semi-automated message telling me to use Microsoft Internet Explorer.

On the other hand, the pages of purely online sellers like Amazon display without problems and use the whole screen.

[Dan Hintz]

They are limiting the page size for people who have smaller monitors (less resolution)... the older group who still shop at Sears, etc. but only have 15" CRTs and still use AOL dialup. It's not ideal, but that's the reason for it.

[Gary Hodgin]

Hadn't thought of AOL dialup in a while. I hated that noise.

[Jim Koepke]

Of course, if I point this out, I get a semi-automated message telling me to use Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Maybe they have someone who is overly platform centric in their marketing IT departments.

A smart retailer would never want to have their sales material make you think you are using the wrong kind of eyes to see their goodies. (Eyes=browser in this case.)

A smart retailer wants anyone who lands on their web site to think more about possessing the "wonderful things" on the screen instead of wondering why the type is running under the pictures.

If it were my retail outlet that was having this problem and the programmer told me people were using the wrong browser to view my site, they would be out of a job real soon.

I think the programmers are lazy or want to make someone feel like they made a bad choice of browser. Either way, it kind of makes me think of finding a friendlier site to make my purchases.

jtk

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I find it hard to believe that Sears website(on AOL dialup) doesn't stop all matter
from moving, at the least, melt down a couple of nuclear power plants.

[Matt Meiser]

Most of them are painfully slow on my 3G internet connection--I can't imagine using them on Dialup.

Sears has their site cluttered with thousands (millions?) of products they don't actually sell.

Lowes and Home Depot have downright awful searches--I've copied and pasted a product name on their site and had it return no results. Usually searching for "lowes product name" in Google will get you there much faster.

Target recently took over operation of their site after years of having Amazon run it. I've tried to go to their site a couple times the last couple weeks and each time found it was down. They think the cute "Woof" message will make it better.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Target recently took over operation of their site after years of having Amazon run it. I've tried to go to their site a couple times the last couple weeks and each time found it was down. They think the cute "Woof" message will make it better.

...and then just recently fired the guy in charge of the website. (http://www.startribune.com/business/131825023.html)

[Dan Hintz]

Sears has their site cluttered with thousands (millions?) of products they don't actually sell.
Yeah, I was quite surprised to see Jet tools on their site last time I did a search...

[Greg Portland]

They are limiting the page size for people who have smaller monitors (less resolution)... the older group who still shop at Sears, etc. but only have 15" CRTs and still use AOL dialup. It's not ideal, but that's the reason for it.+1. They're also limiting the margins to allow for larger text sizing.


I find their web pages don't display properly ( e.g. occasionally some text overlaps other text) using either Firefox or the Opera web browser on my Linux machine. Of course, if I point this out, I get a semi-automated message telling me to use Microsoft Internet Explorer.Designing a web page so it looks identical on all systems is pretty difficult. This is one of the reasons why Flash became popular... it enables a single design for all platforms (and is now causing problems because some smart phones can't display flash).

[Stephen Tashiro]

+1. They're also limiting the margins to allow for larger text sizing.

I don't understand why bigger margins allow for larger text. Or is "larger text sizing" something different than larger text?



Designing a web page so it looks identical on all systems is pretty difficult. This is one of the reasons why Flash became popular... it enables a single design for all platforms (and is now causing problems because some smart phones can't display flash).

Also, many Linux distributions don't include Flash. Individual users can download it and configure their systems to use it, but it doesn't become part of the automatic software update process.

[Matt Meiser]

I'd guess there aren't a lot of Linux users who can't handle a Flash install. Whether they want to or not is a different story.