As recently as 20 years ago having a website was seen as something novel and exciting. The World Wide Web had to be accessed through a dial-up modem and only the most modern and wealthy families could afford to purchase the hardware and start surfing the internet.
The Digital Revolution
A series of rapid advances in technology ( read TTech News )saw the price of computers fall, allowing just about everyone to join the new digital revolution, and at the same time the hardware itself became smaller and smaller. Meanwhile wireless technology took over from the frustratingly slow dial-up broadband, allowing websites to become more mainstream.
In just two decades we have gone from the desktop computers with their huge, heavy and cumbersome monitors to small pocket-sized devices that allow us to access the internet from just about anywhere, and this has changed the way we interact with each other and the way we do business.
How Stuff Works reports that these huge technological breakthroughs have completely transformed the way businesses work. Companies can now access vast amounts of data instantly, reacting with lightning speed to developments around the world.
From computerised ticketing and check-in procedures for travel, to automated banking, we are all becoming increasingly accustomed to undertaking the majority of our interactions online. Ordering groceries, arranging birthday gifts and planning a holiday are all things that no longer require us to visit a town or shopping centre.
The Importance of a Good Website
Having a website is no longer a luxury but a necessity. As we all depend on our smartphones, tablets and laptops to source the products and information we require, to lack a web presence is to miss out on customers and, ultimately, to watch sales figures drop.
Some brave souls bow to pressure and try to develop their own sites, but sadly there are no shortcuts to producing a good functioning website. You might be able to put together some decent graphics and content, but there are many more elements to creating a website than most people realise, which is why professional web designers are so sought after these days.
An article in Forbes points out that branding, SEO, traffic and conversion rates are all factors which need attention in order to produce a site which does more than look good. Even the most beautifully created site is of little use if visitors are unable to find it on search engines.
Fortunately, good web designers are easy to find, since they possess the necessary skills to attract customers. A search for Website Design in Swansea will quickly point you in the direction of Swansea web designers Accent-adc, for example, so finding a good web design team in your own neighbourhood shouldn’t take more than a few minutes of your time.
A good website that represents your brand, your ethos, your products and your skills can pay for itself many times over if it drives the right visitors to your company. In today’s digital age it is practically business suicide to assume that any business can survive without a timely and relevant web presence