Alex Tew’s idea with pixels integration to the page was great for the Internet of 2004, where any regulation or restrictions to maintaining the balance between the space for content and advertising were absent. The idea was straightforward and easily applicable; however, the online advertising industry was at its lowest level at the begging of the century. Today, The Million Dollar page’s legacy is the pixels-based advertising and crowdfunding services allowing people to raise money for their ideas, realization, or help.
The most successful ideas tend to appear and become successful when the time is the most suitable, and for The Million Dollar Homepage, such a period was the early 2000s. The idea worked mainly because the Internet users started to be more involved in online experiences. It could not become so viral in 1999 because the Internet’s availability was lower as not all devices included the proper connection. Consequently, the necessary level of virality and interest would not be reached, even though word of mouth has already been a powerful promoting tool.
Another obstacle to creating a Million Dollar Homepage earlier is people’s perception of paying for something online. In 1999, such projects as x.com had just been created, and making financial operations seemed unusual. Online advertising banners existed since 1993, however, they only appeared in the trusted sources, and the payments for them could still be physical between the client and the ads provider. Moreover, people of the late 1990s thought of the Internet as something they do not know well enough, therefore only the bravest could believe that they would build any sustainable business there. Lastly, online advertising’s effectiveness was still questionable and difficult to measure; thus, in 1999, Alex’s idea would not get enough customers to fill the one million pixels.