Web Design and Development Throughout the Years

If you have been in business for a while, you’ll already have an understanding of how web development has grown and become a crucial part of growing your business.

Before websites became a core part of your marketing strategy, small businesses used to thrive on word of mouth and loyal contacts who would pass business their way. Don’t get us wrong, a huge part of doing business still is about who you know and having a positive reputation, but having a great website is now absolutely vital if you want to grow your business and really showcase what you can do.

Read on as we take a look at how and why websites became an absolute necessity for growing businesses…

1991

Tim Berners-Lee put the very first website on the internet back in 1991, and one of the first and most widely used web browsers Mosaic soon followed in 1993. Mosaic made such a splash because it displayed images alongside text (rather than opening them up in a different tab). The internet suddenly came alive and it was then that we started to get really excited about the world wide web…

Mid 90’s

Throughout the mid-90’s, brands begin hiring web developers to get them online, although some might look a bit different to what we’re used to today!

Late 90’s

By the end of the 90’s, businesses big and small had their own website, and were constantly looking to offer something different to their competitors. The increased competition meant that web designers were constantly looking to improve their online presence.

2000’s

Throughout the 2000’s, web design continued to change at a rapid speed. Changes in font, text size and colour were constantly developing and JavaScript had started to take off by the mid-2000s. JavaScript allows us to develop websites with drop down menus, navigation bars, web forms and user created content. We still use these today.

2016

Fast forward to now. It has been 25 years since Tim Berners-Lee created the first website, and since that day in 1991, the way we do business has changed. We can now view websites via our phones, tablets and desktops and the focus for design has shifted much more towards to a clean, easy and user friendly experience.

Bloomberg recently stated that 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs fail within the first 18 months of launching their business. One reason for this is that small businesses just don’t have the time or means to market and promote their business, resulting in a loss, breaking even or minimal profit.

A great website can help any growing business effectively reach potential customers and it has become more and more essential for SME’s to stand out from their competitors with a site that’s attractive, memorable, unique and search engine friendly.

By combining unforgettable web design with a solid digital marketing campaign, you can reach a much wider target audience, increase conversions and grow your business online.

If you’re a business with growth aspirations, get in touch with the experts at Platform81 to find out how a great website can help you along your journey…