The World Wide Web is one of the major platforms of the technical revolution in the Information Age. If you ask how many websites in the world of the internet, there will be no exact answer for you. Draft estimation says 1.8 billion websites exist in the virtual world. Yet, the estimation changes every second due to launches or losses of new sites. Despite the rise and fall of websites, almost 4.5 billion people across the world are actively contributing to this massive virtual platform.
Since 1989, the World Wide Web has been enlarging its criteria. The biggest example is the Information Age. You can call it the digital age, but things are equally overwhelming. Our daily life is centered around the virtual world. It is an alternative way to deal with our regular life. We start our day with an online newspaper and end it by chatting with our beloved. We search on Google for our distinctive queries.
Moreover, the ongoing pandemic situation is boosting the demand for websites every day. From the virtual meetings, teaching, transactions to buying, selling, and communicating, everything is under the control of the internet/websites. Is there anything else that is not facilitating the demand for websites?
The complex infrastructure of the World Wide Web eases our life on a very vast scale. We never pay much attention to virtual domination over our life. We keep our lives updated with new features and trends of online platforms using web media. The World Wide Web and the Internet have brought enormous changes to the world.
As the internet and website are inseparable, you must have a piece of proper knowledge about them. This guide encompasses some insurmountable questions that are full of information about the internet and websites.
It includes information about the big world of the internet, its facts, statistics, types of websites, and how many active websites there are on the internet. And at the end of this guide, you will get an assumption about the future of the internet.
Table of Contents
Part OneInternet in 2021: How Big is the Internet?
The virtual world is a lot bigger than you can imagine. After the invention of the World Wide Web, it took one year to publish 10 web pages. But look at our digital age! We publish more than 10 web pages every minute. It indicates the growing advancement of networking technologies across the globe.
The Internet deals with two types of web.
- Surface Web
- Dark Web
Surface web users all over the world submerge the unquantifiable Dark web. We often call the dark web an invisible web as not everyone gets access to this web. A drafted estimation shows that the dark web is thousands of times larger than the surface web! Isn’t the depth of the world of the internet beyond your imagination?
Moreover, when we want to know how big the internet is, we try to connect many variables related to the internet. Our general queries include:
- How much data is used on the internet
- Existing web pages on the internet
- The dissimilarities between a website and a web page?
- Users of the Internet
- Downloading time of the web
Analyzing these queries will help you to understand the sheer size of the Internet.
How much Live Data is used on the Internet?
Live data on the Internet is the data or information that you have access to.
Analyzing live data available on the Internet can help us to evaluate the big virtual world. According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, the annual global IP traffic will cross 4,800 zettabytes (ZB) per year by the year 2022.
TechTerms interpret a zettabyte as “10*21 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.”
Grander scale defines one zettabyte as “approximately equal to a thousand exabytes, a billion terabytes, or a trillion gigabytes.”
When you come to know how many terabytes are in a zettabyte, it will amaze you by showing the big picture of a zettabyte. In return, you will understand how big the Internet is!
According to a Cisco analyst, “if each terabyte in a zettabyte were a kilometer, it would be equivalent to 1,300 round trips to the moon and back.”
Existing Web Pages on the Internet
One of the major queries of the users is how many web pages exist on the Internet? The estimated number is huge.
So far, statistical research by WorldWideWebSize says that there are 6 billion indexed web pages on the web as of 2020. These 6 billion indexed web pages include both active and inactive web pages.
The dissimilarities between a website and a web page
People often seem confused about the difference between a website and a web page. A website is a collection of web pages under one domain where each of the pages encompasses various types of content.
You will find multiple examples of the differences between a website and a web page. However, You can follow the given example to have a better understanding of the differences.
Consider your favorite online shop. Amazon can be taken for granted. When you open Amazon for online shopping, you explore the Amazon website. Now, one product catches your eye, and you click to know more details about that particular product. That one click will lead you to a web page, including all the details of the product.
Users of the Internet
Do you have a Facebook account? Do you not watch YouTube? Do you use the search engine to collect information for your assignments?
There are millions of people like you who make more advanced use of the Internet as it has become a popular source of earning.
Over half of the global population, like 4 billion people, search the web every day. However, it cannot be an exact estimation. It indicates the enlarging development of the world of the Internet. Just look at yourself! How many times you browse, where you explore, and how you get benefitted from your internet explorations. And there are more than 4 billion people like you, many of them are more advanced!
Downloading Time of the Web
Physics.org states that with a download speed of 44 megabits per second, it would take three million years to download all the information that currently exists on the internet.
Would you like to check your Internet download speed!
Part Two
Interesting Facts about the Internet
The following enlisted facts about the Internet have some interesting information.
With the beginning of ARPANET, scientists could link individual computers into networks using cables. Since then they started to develop bigger and better features of the Internet.
Now you can see the users of the Internet all over the world. Let’s stretch around some other interesting facts about the Internet.
Networking developed in 1961
Without a network, you cannot exchange information on the Internet.
To exchange information, computers must have a set of rules so that information/data do not mix, crash, or get lost. To avoid such problems, computer scientist Leonard Kleinrock developed packet switching in early 1961. This ensured proper data transmission through network cables.
Source: https://internethalloffame.org/brief-history-internet
The First Linked Network of Four Computers
Linking individual computers together for the first time was history.
1969 was the time of proto-internet history as computer scientists were successful in connecting 4 computers at the same time.
Source: https://online.jefferson.edu/business/internet-history-timeline/
Other Information about the Internet
The term Internet was started in 1974, and it has become one of the ruling facts of the digital world. There are some more enlisted dates and facts about the Internet:
- In 1981 the first LAN (Local Area Network) party was created
- The Internet Archive was founded in 1982
- The Science Network was created in 1985 so that researchers could share info
- The public could not access the internet until 1991
Source:
https://openbookproject.net/courses/intro2ict/internet/history.html
https://internethalloffame.org/brief-history-internet
World Wide Web vs. Internet
Internet and World Wide Web are the most popular terms used in our present time. They are inseparable as one depends on the other.
The World Wide Web and Internet are two distinctive systems. However, most of the users use the terms interchangeably. There is no doubt that both of these technologies are dominating the digital period. However, you should know what makes them different.
The Internet is the networking system by which you can connect to your Wi-Fi, or mobile data, and others whether you are at the office, home, or in a coffee shop.
On the other hand, the World Wide Web is the system that allows you to share and exchange information/data by using the platform of the Internet.
The Internet is like a vehicle that carries information via the network, and the World Wide Web displays that information to the users.
To run a website you must have a connection to the Internet. And the connection is the network you need.
Source: https://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html
How Many Websites Come to Live Every day?
There is no absolute answer to this question. Every day the total number of websites increases. Many of them become invisible at the same time. Mill For Business says that every 24 hours we get a 547,200 increase in the total number of websites worldwide. So we can assume that over 380 sites come to live on the web every minute.
Part Three
Statistical Facts of the Internet at a Glance
You can assume the facts about the Internet and Websites if you notice their several statistics. The statistical review says that in one day across the world, there are:
- More than 4 billion Internet users all over the world
- Over 3 billion Google searches every day
- 70,000+ websites get hacked every day
- Almost 120 billion emails exchanged every day
- More than 4 billion gigabytes of Internet Traffic
Country-wise Internet Users
As we are living in a digital age, the availability of the Internet is increasing in remote areas across the world. To some extent, the present pandemic situation is forcefully diverting people toward the virtual world. Moreover, there is no alternative to deal with the situation.
From everyday shopping to emergency healthcare conduct to arranging corporate meetings and educational activities, all of them are normalizing the virtual platform as an alternative. You just think about your transformation these days!
In the Global Digital Overview, Simon Kemp states that the average time global people spend using the Internet is around 6 hours and 43 minutes.
If you count your average time for the Internet, you must say our lives center around the virtual/online platform! If you have an Internet connection at home, you play online games and enjoy movies and series and all that.
Professional users of the Internet make the best out of it. Thus, the Internet has become a popular platform to earn money globally.
The image below is showing the top 5 countries where people use the Internet most:
Google Users
Do you search on Google?
The maximum will answer Yes with an expression drawing on their face.
It will not be wrong if someone asks who does not use Google in today’s world. The Google accounts estimation of 2.5 trillion searches per year is no less than increasing.
Statistics say that every individual conducts between 3 to 4 Google searches per day. What about you?
Mobile Users of the Internet
Do you have a smartphone? Or your button set may have the option called the Internet.
Mobile phones are the most common device used for the Internet. This device covers 52% of global Internet traffic. People around the world use smartphones to ensure multi-purposes throughout the Internet.
We can quickly log in to our social media, quickly order for home delivery, instant purchase, call to transport, book, or register anything by using our smartphones.
Therefore, you must say that the Internet and smartphone are the best combinations ever!
Part Four
Active Websites on the Internet
There are almost 1.7 billion websites that exist in the virtual world. However, all of them are not active. Draft estimation says 200 million active websites are running on the web.
There are also millions of inactive websites. Due to technical issues, server problems, or late and unpaid registrar payments, such websites cannot come across live.
Number of Domains
According to the report of Verisign, in the fourth quarter of 2019, there were 362.3 million registered domains. It is now growing with a 3.9% range every year. The top domain that dominates the most is the .com most widely used.
Note: More than 1500 domain extensions exist in today’s virtual world.
Let’s have a general introduction of a domain in the next section.
What is a Domain?
It is the Internet that connects us globally. Tons of technical devices and services across the world work behind the Internet. A Domain is one of them.
If you want to have a website, you must need a domain.
The base of the Internet mainly consists of two things:
- The protocol stack TCP/IP
- The Domain Name System (DNS)
TCP/IP confirms that every computer, mobile device, and web service available via the Internet has a defined IP address such as 93.184.216.34.
What the DNS does is it translates such addresses using name servers into human-readable domains, like www.example.org. This is the process of name resolution.
Domain Types
DNS stands for Domain Name System. Every domain name operates under the system. It directs visitors to your website by translating the name into its related IP address and locating where the resource is stored.
You can check out the table of domain types to get an idea about domain names:
| Domain Names | Type of Domain | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Commercial | The most popular domain used for All Types of Business |
| .org | Organization | Used for Business Organizations |
| .net | Network | Used for network organizations |
| .int | International | Limited extension for Internationally operated services |
| .edu | Education | Used for trade school universities |
| .gov | Government | Used for government institutions |
| .mil | Military | Only available to Military branches |
Part Five
Distinctive Kinds of Websites
Static and Dynamic are the two types of websites. Let’s jump into the details about the types of websites.
What is a Static Website?
A static website is the most basic type of website. This website is easy to create. The pages of a static website contain fixed content coded in HTML.
A static website is different from a dynamic one because the static site does not require programming or database design.
Static Site
- Easy to build by creating a few HTML pages
- Easily publishable to a server
- No users or comments
- No interactivity
What is a Dynamic Website?
The pages of a dynamic website access information from a database. It is a real-time website. If you compare a dynamic website with a static one, you will find the dynamic one is more functional.
Common examples of the dynamic website include
- E-Commerce Websites
- Blogging websites
The pages of a dynamic website include Web scripting code, such as PHP or ASP. Throughout accessing a dynamic page, one can resolve the code within the page on the Web server. After that, it will be possible to send the resulting HTML to the client’s Web browser.
Dynamic sites are helpful because
- They offer more user-friendly functions
- Able to manage a hundred pages
- Easy to edit
Part Six
Most Visited Website around the World
What is your most visited website?
The answer will vary from person to person as there are numerous websites of various categories. Social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube have the maximum number of visitors.
There are also many popular online shopping stores, including Amazon. People also frequently visit such online stores and purchase. When you search any of such popular websites, they come up in the top positions. Let’s have a look at the top 10 websites in The U.S and all over the world:
Most Visited Website in The U.S
| Domain | Monthly Traffic |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 1,625,928,544 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1,032,257,682 |
| 535,672,329 | |
| 512,517,207 | |
| Amazon | 492,468,801 |
| Yelp | 189,284,057 |
| 184,283,420 | |
| IMDb | 168,686,113 |
| Fandom | 168,358,254 |
| 160,008,934 |
Most Visited Website in the World
| Domain | Monthly Traffic |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 8,564,946,885 |
| 3,483,131,264 | |
| en.wikipedia.org | 2,223,668,855 |
| 2,008,820,315 | |
| Amazon | 618,747,155 |
| Google Play | 594,678,708 |
| 525,400,578 | |
| es.wikipedia.org | 450,521,278 |
| 419,840,135 | |
| Live.com | 419,057,040 |
Part Seven
Internet in Future
The journey of the Internet started with one website. Now we have more than 1.7 billion websites. The growing number of websites is a continuous process, and it may not stop or reach its fulfillment.
The fastest-growing technologies of the Internet are developing every year which upgrade our life also. You can ensure your online order, attending online classes, hosting various programs, attending meetings, and all that.
Today’s technical advancement is not limited to the earth. So, what do you think about the future of the Internet?
Virtual Reality
Merging augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are about to create a new user experience:
- With a new interactive VR experience from NASA, you can Experience life on Mars
- Interact with VR through handheld devices.
- Revolutionary shopping experience with VR changing rooms and the assistance of AI shopping.
New Embodiment of Technology
- Predictive technologies like omnipresent autocorrect
- Neutral avatars for hiring and employment solution
- Starting of neuro-engagement like gesture and gaze tracking
- Artificial intelligence (AI) will replace the labor tasks leaving people with more time for leisure
While talking about the future of the Internet, The Cisco EVP and GM David Goeckeler commented, “The key promise of the Internet of the future is that no one gets left behind this time.”
We can conclude this article by saying that the 2010s are all about software and in 2021, we are enjoying all types of technological advancement. However, the future of the Internet will explode widely out of the earth.
Conclusion
In the coming days, we will completely begin depending on technology and artificial intelligence. For example, we have artificial content creator websites that can generate content ideas and it works. There are multiple categories of websites that are beyond to list out.
To get more informative articles about websites and the internet, keep your eyes on our site.
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