What’s the purpose of a website, anyway?

I’ve been asking myself this question, and I came up with this:

The higher the chances when a proper SEO strategy is in place, but let’s not get too technical.

Now, I do realize that “so people can find you” is quite a generic reply, by the way.

An easily replaceable statement; one that could be used to answer hundreds of other different questions.

Like:

- Why would you carry an emergency smoke bomb on a multi-day hike in the Andes?

- So people can find you.

Jokes aside, it’s also a five-word thought that imprisons heavyweight meaning. It makes it worthy of deeper investigation.

Let’s investigate, then.

Assume your website represents a business.

You have a website -> so people can find you -> so you can help them solve a problem they have.

Why else would they be typing keywords that Google’s algorithm deems worthy of being matched with your services?

They need something and are looking for solutions. Your website might just do it for them.

But my own website? What’s its purpose? (you knew we’d be coming to this point, didn’t you)

Let’s start with what I know.

When I write little pieces like this one, I think very little. My fingers just float on the keyboard of my laptop.

They press the “return” key (“Enter” would have been too mainstream, right Apple, Inc.?) anytime I’m satisfied with a sentence.

It makes the narrative less patience-endangering if you ask me.

But don’t let these innocently flowing words lead you to believe that my website has no tangible reason to occupy the tiniest bit of internet real estate.

Yes, my website has a purpose.

To portray a digital version of Mattia Cella that would have taken an unrealistically low degree of probability for you to discover in person.

In other words:

If I were to slightly open the curtains, just enough for you to peek in and reveal my character, personality, and life stories…

…and decide to upload everything online…

…this is how I’d do it.

With mattiacella.com.

And of course I want people like you to bump into my website, as you so insignificantly float in the ever-extending realms of the World Wide Web.

This takes (but doesn’t feel like) work, after all!

Don’t get me wrong: I realize the world doesn’t need mattiacella.com.

Hell, maybe it doesn’t even want it.

But who cares?

Is it self-centered?

Yes. I’ll answer for you.

Even if I’m not selling you anything, or luring you into signing up for a newsletter.

I’m not even encouraging you to click on an Instagram icon taking you to my profile.

I’m just offering you a front-seat view of the life of one of the 7.838.923.829 people out there.

Imagine? If we could meet? And we could just blabber out unconnected words like I’m doing now?

Well, I’ll have you know that I’d try to sound more interesting, curious, mysterious.

I’d act interested in seeing your cat photos too, widening my eyes as I see a picture of it sleeping.

I’d also be chuckling at seeing the dedicated TikTok account you made for it.

But don’t we all do? We’re humans, after all. Pretending is who we are.

Even (and especially) with ourselves.

Now, here’s the upsell:

I don’t expect anything from you, either!

All I hope is that you might come to think that there must be worse places online to which you could be donating your time right now.

Like selling furniture on Facebook Marketplace, for instance.

At this point, I don’t know what type of person your mind has convinced itself (sometimes irreversibly) I am.

I’ll even go as far as saying that I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t care about your opinion, dear stranger.

Well, unless you’re my dad (all-time top visitor, after mum) reading this, head forwardly bent, his ever-present pair of red glasses sitting at the tip of his nose.

Ciao Papi! ❤️