As we look at the growing number of ways companies can engage with their customers, apps, browser extensions, social media feeds, newsletters, vlogs, and podcasts, you can be forgiven for thinking that websites are a little less essential than they used to be.

The truth is that websites remain an irreplaceable part of the digital landscape. Websites, as the keystone of a centralized, privately run digital experience, couldn't be more relevant. Unlike competing technologies, websites allow almost total control of their source code, and that provides an opportunity for skilled designers and developers to compete against the biggest names in their clients' industries in a way that simply isn't possible in tightly governed systems.

Not only does quality web design help businesses increase their traffic, but it can increase the quality of that traffic. An attractive and user-friendly web page will encourage visitors to stay on the page longer and explore more of the content it links to.

Websites vs. Social Media

For many brands, social media feels like the default for connecting with customers. While billions of us are happy to spend time on social platforms, they're not great platforms for informed decision-making or task fulfillment. For any form of productivity, websites are superior:

  • Flexibility: Websites can be customized to suit a company's vision and values, whereas social media tends to magnify accounts that reflect its own values.
  • Ownership: When you publish on your website, you own your content. When you post to social media, the platform often owns it.
  • Investment: You can spend years building a social media channel only to have it disrupted by a policy change, algorithm shift, or platform decision outside your control.
  • Findability: Websites are discoverable on search engines. Competition across different search engines keeps search algorithms honest. Social media networks each use a single algorithm, free to skew browsing any way they choose.
  • Scalability: Websites can take advantage of the latest technologies to improve user experience. On social media, the user experience is governed by the platform's decisions, not yours.

Websites vs. Apps

When it comes to owning a piece of the internet, a connected app can feel like ownership. But websites have real advantages over apps:

  • Accessibility: Websites are universally accessible, while apps are usually limited to certain operating systems or platforms. If you want to distribute to devices, you'll need approval from the store owner, who can and will change the terms without consulting you.
  • Flexibility: Websites provide a greater level of flexibility and scalability than apps.
  • Cost-effectiveness: A website can be built and launched in a fraction of the time and budget of an app, and it's considerably cheaper to maintain.
  • Findability: Search engines have evolved around website technologies. It's far easier to create a discoverable website than an app that ranks high in an app store.
  • Third-party integrations: Websites can integrate chatbots, payment gateways, forms, and other tools that generally require licensing to include in an app.

Websites vs. Podcasts and Vlogs

There's no question that podcasts and vlogs are engaging content formats. However, they're very limited in the kinds of experiences they can deliver, they tend to be passive, linear experiences. Websites hold significant advantages:

  • Cost-effectiveness: Websites can be set up very cheaply. Podcasts and vlogs require high production values to compete.
  • Longevity: Well-written website content can remain relevant for years. The lifespan of a vlog or podcast episode is often just a few months.
  • Flexibility: Websites can embed podcasts and vlogs, as well as virtually any other content. Podcasts and vlogs can only ever be podcasts and vlogs.
  • Findability: Podcasts and vlogs simply can't compete with websites when it comes to search engine optimization.

Websites Will Continue to Evolve

Websites still represent a critical part of any successful business strategy. They continue to offer numerous benefits over other technologies, increased flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and superior search engine opportunities.

Unlike social media platforms that allow you to customize only a few assets like avatars and colors, websites can be completely customized to fit the tone and style of a brand. New ideas for consuming digital media will appear over time, but the website is perfectly evolved for the simple customer interactions that businesses rely on, and it will continue to matter.