Byte-Sized Websites
Single-page websites are all the rage. There are several platforms like Carrd and bio.fm that allow users to cheaply and effortless create a “website” in a matter of minutes, with only an email address. An unintended consequence of these simple sites, which can feature text, forms, images, and links to other websites, is that advocates are using them for social-justice-related causes. As mentioned on MIT Technology Review, “Such easy-to-use tools are reinventing the basic building block of the internet–the website–for people who want to share resources and information quickly, safely, and creatively.”
The Technology Review article goes on to explain how these platforms, which have actually been around for a while, have exploded after the murder of George Floyd. On May 30th, it “turns out that the queen of virality herself, Kim Kardashian West, had tweeted out a link to a Carrd that listed resources for the Black Lives Matter movement. It was the beginning of a fundamental change in how Carrds were used: they were embedded in Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter bios by users looking to push forward social change.” Things snowballed from there…Gen Z has embraced the single-page website to protest Poland’s electing a homophobic prime minister and to raise money for those effected by the explosion in Beirut.
In advertising and marketing, the “Call to Action” is arguably the most important element of a campaign. If you’re unfamiliar, a call to action is vital string of words or phrases (usually packed with verbs) designed to get an immediate response from your target market. The most obvious example I can think of is, “Buy Now!” And one of the biggest problems some websites have is that the call to action isn’t clear, or the message is muddled. That’s usually because of information and content overload. These single-page platforms make it easy for anyone to get to the point and share important information and resources, without having to try very hard. In a world that is falling apart thanks to increasing systemic racism and an out of control pandemic, single-page sites have been quite effective. As someone that has been tasked to design, write for, and program many complicated websites, I’m all for it.
