Doing business on the networks? Better create your own website
In a digital context dominated by large platforms, having one's own space on the Internet is an act of resistance and control over one's personal digital identity.
BarcelonaThe web was born with a decentralized and democratic spirit. Tim Berners-Lee, its creator, conceived it as a space without central authorities in which anyone could participate and share without asking permission. "The individual was empowered," the engineer explained. "That feeling of individual control, that empowerment is something we have lost."
Today, the vast majority of our digital presence is concentrated on platforms owned by large corporations. Almost 64% of the world's population uses social networks. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (now X) or LinkedIn offer us a "free" space, but in exchange they collect our personal data and trade it. The cliché "if you don't pay anything for the service, the product is you" is more relevant than ever.
In its origins, the Internet was full of personal pages where people shared their hobbies, family photos or simply experiments with HTML. They were unique sites, with original designs and personal content. The important thing: they were owned by the person who created them, not by an external platform. Now every company knows that it must have a website and complement it with social media outreach, but this is not the case for most individuals and small businesses.
The current dependence on social media poses several problems. Privacy is compromised when these platforms collect large amounts of data. Control of the content is not in our hands; platforms can delete posts or change policies whenever they see fit. Algorithms often create echo chambers that affect the visibility of what we publish. And, if we want to improve this visibility, we must end up paying.
One particularly worrying aspect is the ownership of the data. In reality, users do not own what they publish; if a platform closes, all the accumulated content can disappear in an instant. If your account is blocked, all your content can disappear. On the other hand, a website with its own domain can be moved from one server to another. It is yours, it is transportable, and it represents you without intermediaries on the network.
The advantages of having your own domain and website are indisputable. Full control over the design and content allows you to express yourself without restrictions. Ownership of data is guaranteed, significantly reducing privacy-related risks. The credibility of your own website far exceeds that of a simple social media profile, which is especially relevant for small businesses such as coffee shops, craftsmen or hairdressers that currently only have a presence on Instagram or Facebook.
An additional advantage, especially relevant in these times, is that your own website hosted by a provider based in Europe is outside the direct reach of US government intrusions. This provides an additional layer of privacy protection and digital sovereignty that US platforms can no longer offer.
To clearly contrast the differences: while social media offers limited control subject to changing policies, your own domain and website guarantees complete control. Social media shares your data with the rest of the platform and with third parties, but with your own website the data is yours alone. A social media profile may seem less professional, while your own website conveys seriousness and reliability. The stability of social media depends on constant changes in the platforms, but your own website remains stable in the long term.
With the arrival of generative artificial intelligence (AI), this problem has intensified. Companies use the content we publish on their platforms to train their models, usually without asking explicit permission. On top of that, the web is filling up with AI-generated content, creating an increasingly impersonal and homogeneous internet.
Creating and maintaining a personal website is not just a technical matter: it is an almost political act. It is claiming our own space on the web, away from corporations. It is declaring that we want to be creators, not just consumers.
Three options to create your website
The .cat Foundation's jo.cat service offers a quick and easy way to create a flat website – that is, with only one level of content – for yourself or for small businesses, free of charge and without any technical knowledge. It is a more powerful and flexible alternative, and in Catalan, to the popular LinkTree, which many Instagram users use in their profile to link to their other digital presences. It allows you to publish texts, insert images and share external links, and it adapts to both mobile devices and computers. The resulting website can keep the basic URL (mine is jo.cat/albertcuesta) or link it to your own domain name (such as manualidadespepeta.cat). It can be any, but linking with a .cat is easier.
For those looking for more flexibility and power, WordPress is an excellent alternative. Most web hosting companies offer this content management system. Its main advantage is its versatility: there are thousands of free graphic templates that allow you to completely change the look of your website without having to change the font size. touch code. It can also be extended with plugins that add new features, from contact forms to online stores. It works for a personal blog, a restaurant website, a craft store or a professional service, and it is easy to update often.
Finally, for those nostalgic for the web aesthetics of the 90s, Neocities brings back the spirit of the legendary Geocities. This free platform invites creative experimentation with basic HTML and CSS, with a retro approach that celebrates its primitive web design. It is ideal for anyone who wants to learn the basics of web language or simply enjoy the digital aesthetics of the early days of the Internet.
The importance of registering your own domain
In all cases, it is advisable to register your own domain. This unique name on the Internet is much more than a web address: it is your digital identity. A domain of your own allows you to change web hosting without losing your address on the Internet, guaranteeing real independence, as well as linking email addresses that incorporate family names or the name of your store.
You can start by defining what you want to publish: a blog, a showcase of completed work, a collection of recipes or simply personal reflections. For small businesses such as cafes or craft workshops, your own website allows you to show opening hours, location, prices or catalogues without depending exclusively on social networks.
This return to personal and small business websites is not just a nostalgic trend, but a global movement of diversification and decentralization of the Internet. Creating a personal website or one for your business with your own domain allows you to recover this original freedom of the Internet. It gives you the opportunity to control exactly how you want to present yourself in the digital world. With your own space on the Internet, you can make yourself known beyond the limitations of social networks, enjoy autonomy and permanence, and define your digital identity.
