Websites:
Fresh-Faced or Old-Hat?
While the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is perhaps better known as the creator of the Large Hadron Collider, the center has a unique place in the public’s consciousness that, arguably, most people don’t know about. CERN created the internet, websites, and many of the web structures we’re familiar with in 1993.
Headed by beloved Brit Tim Berners-Lee, CERN later gave the internet to humanity, relinquishing all ownership rights. It celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of doing so last year. Whether they regret it now is up for debate. In an era where apps and social media are becoming more and more common across industries, let’s take a look at how the traditional website is faring.
The Go-to
The first website, simply headed World Wide Web, is still online. It serves as a portal for visitors to learn about the modern CERN, and to browse and learn about the internet as it was three decades ago. It was a very different place – just text and links. There were no dogs and cats or images at all.
Today, with that history more of a footnote than a collective memory, are we falling out of love with the website? Websites have long been considered essential. In fact, for a long time, there was nothing else. The development of social media and smartphone apps has split the web into two distinct halves, both capable of providing the same information but one vastly more popular.
Everything from musical acts to plumbers seems to prefer social media to a traditional website, the kind that CERN built many unintentional black holes ago. Yet, although some social posts paint a different picture, websites aren’t going anywhere. They’re still the go-to for businesses.
A Larger Reach
Let’s start with one of the older (but still relevant) styles of driving internet traffic around, namely, affiliate marketing. This strategy relies on a series of websites all pointing in the same direction. It’s particularly common among casino operators, who use persuasive offers to give users a reason to click.
These newcomers are directed to a landing page that describes everything from a site’s game library to its game licenses. In the latter case, an online casino in NJ is guided by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
Such a wealth of information is difficult to display on social media but the flexibility of a website allows content to be arranged in whatever way a business chooses, with as many gizmos and buttons as they like.
Oddly enough, despite Facebook and Instagram’s proven ability to foster a more personal relationship with customers, TechRadar claims that websites provide companies with a larger reach. Facebook, Instagram, and especially X/Twitter can seem like walled gardens, as some features are only available to members.
Pop-ups
Both websites and social media have a thing in common, i.e. they’re often geared towards making money. Websites have worn ads on their pages since the earliest days of the World Wide Web, an era that wasn’t exactly known for care in their use.
Closer to the present, the Google Adsense platform is known for its positive Return on Investment or ROI. The WebFX marketing company claims that 68% of webmasters are content with the return of Pay Per Click advertising, which actually costs money every time an advert is clicked on.
Still, as long as a business gains in traffic or sales, the price is often worth the outlay. Whether it’s a fully personalized look or a place for AI assistants to hang out with customers, websites offer a wealth of functions that social media lacks.
