The Importance of Having a Website (Or Not)

Welcome to the glorious world of websites. The world of endless options and repetitiveness. The world where just selecting the right toilet paper holder can give you anxiety. The miracle pages which shine proudly, showcasing various products and services and are impatiently waiting for you to choose the right one. Which one is going to be the lucky one? Are you prepared to enter the jungle of swirling information?

There are more than a million adverts and daily reminders telling you that if you had a website, somehow your life would be better. People seem to be caught up in this invisible web of webpages. Whether they choose to or not. Basically, nowadays if you do not have a website, it is like you do not even exist. You are invisible and people are not going to pay attention to you unless you provide them with a shiny, easy-to-access page, where they can spend hours browsing through and killing their valuable time. But is this vortex of overwhelming websites really necessary? Is it vital in order to survive in this internet-driven world?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. This is just the era we are currently living in. Nobody has time to wait and people are becoming more and more impatient. The quicker, the better. People want information. And they want it now. It takes about 0.05 seconds for consumers to form an opinion of a website. And about 39% of internet users will stop engaging with a website if it takes too long to load. No wonder current businesses are all participating in the internet race of who’s site is going to be the quickest. It seems like a twisted version of The Hunger Games. But wait! There’s more. It is not only about speed.

There are about 4.1 billion Internet users in the world and about 1.94 billion websites. You could say, the competition is rather high. It is no longer only about the accessibility but also about the originality. And it is not just a matter of having a website but about the appearance as well. It is aesthetically appealing? Is it easy to navigate? Does it stand out? According to the survey, 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website. In other words, websites are the newest ‘first impression’. Do not dare to apply for a job in a certain company, unless you check their website first.

Anybody can have a webpage. So, how do you set up one? If there are so many of them, it should be an easy-peasy one-time thing, right? Big fat NO! Did you think setting up a website would be that simple? It is a complex process that requires a manual. There are tons of guidebooks and articles on how to set up a successful webpage. In fact, there is so much literature on this topic, it deserves to have its own category — Websitelogy. Some people even pay a lot of money for seminars. And it would not be a surprise if, at some point, it would become the main school subject or vital information that needs to be included in your CV.

Even if you manage to create your own website after endless hours of editing, customizing and crying, there is no guarantee people are going to visit it. Considering the fact that there are over 5 billion Google searches every day, you are lucky if your site gets chosen.

You have to lure people in and offer them something they simply cannot live without. Is it a list of 10 tips on how to grow their hair faster? Or 5 ways how to eat chocolate without gaining weight? Do you possess any special quotes on self-love that have not been said? You need to sell the right product at the right time. You can never go wrong with useless things. They will never go out of fashion. This is a materialistic world we are talking about. It is filled with typing fingers and bloodshot eyes waiting for something exciting to click on.

Be patient. The process of creating your own website is simply complicated. Make sure you make it a good one. Without enough followers and views, you are practically nobody. There is no meaning in existing if you are not online. You can be a volunteer or a founder of a remedy for cancer but that means nothing if you do not make a post about it and let others comment on it. Once you have a website, you have the power in your hands (or your keyboard).

Sources:

27 Eye-Opening Website Statistics: Is your website Costing You Clients?. 2019. Web. 04 Oct. 2019.<https://www.sweor.com/firstimpressions>.

Internet stats and facts for 2019. 2019. Web. 04. Oct. 2019.<https://hostingfacts.com/internet-facts-stats/>.