A website tells people who you are, informs them about your interests, and shows them your skills - all of these in a very direct and  unobtrusive way. In this way, people can make an informed decision whether they want to know you, do business with you, or simply browse away.

Looking at the proliferation of personal web pages, it seems like very soon everyone on Earth will have 15Mb of fame and a Google ads account to go with it. My personal take on having a website is that smart individuals are simply handicapping themselves by not documenting and presenting their marketable

skills. The Internet provides access to a huge audience - it would be unwise not to make use of it.

I have also noticed that my website creates much greater demand for my experience and services than my resume alone. A website provides more detailed and in-depth information about its owner. A resume can often contain false information, while it is much harder to fool people who come to your website. People, for example, often claim to be very organized in their resumes, but maintaining a website can make the truth self-evident.