You've probably already heard about static web pages and personal web pages. The more common term is "website". But if you're still not sure how to categorize it, here's an easy way to figure out exactly what kind of site you have based on its features.
The first thing we should tell you is that there are three main types of websites -- each one has different characteristics and functions. In fact, they all serve their own unique purpose. They range from simple blogs or news portals to online newspapers and social networks like Facebook. To help you understand this difference better, let's take a look at some real world examples of these three types of websites.
1) Static Web Page
A static web page (also known as HTML files) can be viewed by anyone who knows where to find them. This includes people using desktops and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It also means that you can view any information you store in those documents even when you don't use Internet connection. If you want to share important data with other users, you can simply email the file to others through email clients like Gmail.
2) Personal Website / Blog
Personal website is a great example of a static web page because it allows you to create content that only you will see. You'll typically put up articles, photos, videos, and links related to whatever topic you choose. Your readers can access this website directly via their browser without having to go anywhere else. And since everything stays within your account, you won't worry too much about losing anything.
3) Online Newspaper
An online newspaper uses similar technology but serves a different function. Instead of providing general news, it focuses on specific topics that appeal to certain groups of people. For instance, if you run a business blog catering mostly to women, then you might publish a weekly article about fashion tips aimed toward female entrepreneurs. Or if you sell products that target men, you could write about sports stories.
If you'd rather learn more about this subject before getting started, check out our 10 best free tools for creating professional quality website templates!
After learning about the differences between individual websites, now it's time to get familiar with the full spectrum of website categories. Here are five major categories that cover almost every type of website imaginable.
1) Portfolio Websites
This category encompasses a wide variety of projects created by individuals or small businesses. Examples include portfolio websites of graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, and musicians. Each user usually displays his work in chronological order so visitors can browse through past works and choose the ones they prefer.
2) Business Websites
Businesses often use this platform to showcase their services, products, and brands. These websites usually offer detailed descriptions of various items along with prices and contact details. Some provide additional resources like testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers. Others display special offers available exclusively through this website.
3) Education Websites
Education websites are designed specifically for students. Most schools and universities make use of this option to promote their courses, events, and academic activities. Students can register themselves for classes, apply for scholarships or study abroad programs, or request admission to particular colleges.
4) Corporate Websites
Corporate websites are used by large companies to market their brand across multiple lines of merchandise and services. They may feature logos, product images, and company history. Other sections focus on corporate culture, employee benefits, and customer support. A few corporations even allow members to post ideas and complaints anonymously.
5) E-Commerce Websites
E-commerce refers to buying and selling goods and services over the internet. There are many ways to build an e-commerce website, including customizing prebuilt templates provided by popular shopping carts like Shopify and Big Commerce. However, most people opt to start from scratch instead. Either way, once built, e-commerce websites must comply with several requirements set forth by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
For more insight into the e-commerce industry, read our guide on the top 6 things sellers should know about starting an e-commerce business.
Websites contain lots of elements. Let's take a closer look at the components that define a typical website.
Homepage (or Home):
Your homepage contains essential information that defines the entire experience of browsing your site. Visitors can easily navigate back and forward thanks to the address bar located near the top left corner. If you decide to add a search box, keep in mind that Google prefers text boxes containing keywords rather than drop down menus.
Navigation Bar:
Next to the home page, you'll notice two navigation bars on either side of the screen. One is called Main Navigation while the second one appears after clicking the menu icon next to Search Box. Both show shortcuts to frequently visited areas of your site. You can organize these options however you wish, but generally speaking, consider making the primary navigation easier to reach so visitors can quickly move around your site.
About Us Section:
Underneath the navigation bar, you'll find About Us section. This part describes the name of the website, ownership details, and mission statement. While this area doesn't necessarily require a lot of space, it does give potential visitors a chance to learn more about your business.
Services & Products Sections:
In addition to featuring useful info about your company, both Services and Products sections describe the scope of your offerings. Make sure to highlight the key advantages of your service or product and avoid listing unnecessary features. When writing copy for the latter section, think carefully about the language you choose because you want consumers to feel comfortable spending money on your product.
Contact Info Area:
Finally, place a Contact us link near the bottom of your homepage. Include contact forms, phone numbers, addresses, and emails. Also, make sure you have a clear policy against spamming, phishing, and identity theft.
Now that you've learned about the five basic types of websites, it's time to dig deeper into another aspect of digital marketing - the structure of the World Wide Web itself.
1) Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
Hypertext Markup Language is the foundation upon which nearly all modern websites are built. With HTML, developers can embed graphics, music, video, and interactive widgets inside the code. Every element of a webpage gets assigned a tag that instructs browsers how to render it properly. Take a moment to explore a sample website and try adding tags manually. Once done, open the source code and compare the results.
2) JavaScript
JavaScript isn't just for coding fancy animations. It actually plays a very important role in ensuring smooth performance of your website. It helps improve load times and prevents crashes due to technical glitches. Furthermore, JavaScript makes it possible to integrate third party apps like chatbots, maps, notifications, games, and live streaming feeds.
3) CSS Stylesheet
CSS stylesheets are made up of instructions telling browsers how to style elements on your website. Just like JavaScript, CSS comes in handy for improving functionality and eliminating bugs. As a bonus, CSS lets you customize colors, fonts, and layouts to match your branding.
Check out the best WordPress themes for creatives looking to stand out from the crowd and impress their audience.
The term "website" is used to describe many different things these days. It can be an online newspaper or blog, an online store, social network, or even a personal portfolio on either a desktop computer or mobile device. And that's just one person using it! There are thousands upon thousands of websites out there and they all have their own unique purpose.
For example, some people might use a website as a way to showcase a small business, while others may choose to create a website for fun -- whether through blogging about travel experiences or creating a photo collage site. The possibilities are endless when it comes to making your digital presence known to the world. But how exactly does this work? How should someone go about choosing a specific kind of website for themselves?
In order to answer this question, we first need to understand what makes up each type of website. Next we'll discuss the differences between those various categories so that you know where to find them if needed. Finally, we'll list down the most popular ones that everyone has at least heard of, along with descriptions of their features. By the end of this article, you will be able to confidently identify any given website based on its content. Let's get started!
This is probably the easiest category to explain because every single one of them falls under the umbrella of being a website (or maybe web property). You could say that having a website is like owning a house, but instead of living inside the walls, you're sharing space on the internet. This means that anything that goes into a website also belongs to the owner of that domain name. So when you see the term "domain", it simply refers to the address of a particular website. That doesn't mean that everything connected to the domain is automatically part of the website though. For instance, if I was hosting my very own website called MySite.com and I wanted to add a Facebook fanpage to it, then that would not count towards the total number of domains I'm allowed to host.
Here's a quick breakdown of the main categories:
Personal Website: A personal website is something that you build yourself without any help from anyone else. Usually, it's made by individuals who want to share information with other people. These kinds of websites usually contain only static pages that don't change often. They tend to look more like brochures than regular blogs.
Blog/Journal: Blogs allow users to write posts for public viewing. Journals let authors post articles directly onto the website itself. Both types of websites feature dynamic content that changes over time. However, unlike journals, blogs tend to focus mainly on written material such as text, images, videos, etc., whereas journals tend to be focused primarily on audio files. Since both types of websites fall under the general umbrella of "blog," they sometimes get lumped together.
E-Commerce Site: An e-commerce site allows customers to buy products online. Most commonly, these stores sell physical goods, although some provide services too. If you've ever purchased shoes online before, chances are you were shopping on an e-commerce platform.
Portfolio/Gallery: Portfolios are typically created by artists, photographers, writers, designers, musicians, and other creative professionals. On the flip side, galleries are basically collections of photos uploaded by professional photographers, videographers, illustrators, graphic designers, etc. When looking for a gallery or portfolio website, take note of the fact that you won't always find high-quality pictures included within them. Instead, expect to see mostly promotional materials, snapshots taken during events that took place long ago, and other sorts of low quality images.
Social Networking Service: Sites like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. are referred to as social networking services. Users connect via messaging in hopes of meeting new friends, sharing interesting content, and engaging in conversations.
Online Newspaper: Websites like Google News and Yahoo News serve as news portals where readers can read stories posted by journalists and editors. Typically, they include headlines, summaries, links, comments sections, etc.
Video Sharing Platform: YouTube is perhaps the best-known video sharing service around today. Its popularity stems from the ability to upload user-generated videos and watch them alongside millions of other viewers. Some of the biggest names in music, sports, comedy, and politics have built massive followings thanks to this platform.
Crowdfunding Campaign: Crowdfunding campaigns give ordinary people the opportunity to contribute money toward projects that interest them. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are two well-known crowdfunding platforms that operate worldwide.
Research & Education Portal: Research and education portal websites offer detailed data sets that experts can reference whenever they wish to learn more about certain topics. Examples include Wikipedia, Quora, Khan Academy, Stack Exchange, etc.
News Aggregator: News aggregators collect news feeds from multiple sources and present them in one convenient location. Popular examples include Digg, Reddit, Buzzfeed, Upworthy, Mashable, etc.
Web Hosting Provider: Web hosts act as intermediaries between consumers and companies who want to make a website available to the public. In exchange for payment, hosts will set up accounts, configure servers, install software, maintain backups, perform security checks, and keep records of everything going on behind the scenes.
SEO Company: Search engine optimization companies specialize in helping businesses improve search rankings across major search engines. Many large corporations hire SEO specialists to boost traffic to their company websites.
Now that you know the basics, it's time to dive deeper into the types of websites found throughout the Internet. Let us begin!
These eight categories represent the broadest spectrum of possible websites. Even though they're broken down into distinct subcategories, they still overlap quite heavily. Here's a brief description of each one:
Blogging: Blogs are essentially online diaries that allow people to communicate freely. Anyone can publish entries and view contributions from visitors. Often times, bloggers use the medium to express opinions on current issues or to promote their latest works.
Podcasting: Podcasts are similar to radio broadcasts except that they occur entirely online. Unlike radio shows, podcasts come in varying lengths and cover different subjects. People listen to them in the background while doing other tasks, much like listening to audiobooks.
Vlogging: Vloggers record short clips featuring themselves talking about whatever topic interests them. Although vlogs are technically considered blogs since they consist of unedited recordings, they differ in several ways. First off, they tend to be shorter than typical blogs and are generally accompanied by visual elements. Second, they are meant to entertain rather than inform. Lastly, they are frequently broadcast live, allowing viewers to interact with the vlogger immediately after watching.
eBooks: Books used to be printed documents handed out to students and members of the public alike. Nowadays, however, books are increasingly delivered digitally. This includes ebook versions of novels and nonfiction titles that are published as PDFs.
Mobile Apps: Mobile apps are applications that run exclusively on smartphones and tablets. They tend to be smaller than desktop programs and are therefore ideal for devices that aren't powerful enough to handle full-fledged operating systems.
Static HTML Pages: Static HTML pages are what appear on standard home computers. Because they lack graphics, animations, and sound effects, they tend to load quickly and easily.
Dynamic Content: Dynamic content consists of websites that update regularly and require frequent maintenance. Such content tends to grow larger over time and requires constant upkeep from developers.
There are many more categories of websites out there. We recommend checking out our complete overview of website types for additional insight.
Okay, now that you know all about the wide variety of website types, it's time to figure out which ones are actually useful and worth your attention. Here's an exhaustive list of the top 12 types of websites:
1) Home Page: Your homepage acts as the gateway to your entire website. It serves as the anchor point for all future interactions with visitors. It must be visually appealing yet informative.
2) Landing Page: Landing pages are special pages designed specifically to entice potential customers to convert into paying clients. They're usually optimized to target a specific demographic group and are intended to persuade people to click a button that takes them elsewhere.
3) Free Trial Page: Free trial pages are landing pages that attempt to convince prospective buyers to sign up for an account. Once signed up, free trials become paid subscriptions.
4) Membership Site: Memberships sites function similarly to paywalls. They feature limited access to premium content unless patrons pay an annual fee.
5) FAQ Page: FAQ pages are designed to answer common questions related to a product or service offered by a business. Visitors can browse answers to frequently asked questions and receive relevant advice regarding buying decisions.
6) Newsletter Subscription Form: Forms that request email addresses and ask people to opt-in for newsletters are called newsletter subscription forms. Their goal is to increase customer retention rates by keeping subscribers updated with important announcements and promotions.
A website can be anything as long as it serves its primary function well to achieve an objective. The website itself could also serve different functions depending on how it's used by users. So, there are many ways to categorize websites into several groups based on their use.
In this article we'll look at all these groupings along with some common examples that make up each category. This will help you understand more about the various website categories so you know when to use them (or not). You might also learn something new!
You may have heard of websites like blogs, online newspapers, social networks, portals, directories, etc., but did you know they come under just one category? We're going to break down exactly what those terms mean and introduce you to the other three main types of websites.
So let's get started...
The term "commercial" comes from the word commerce meaning the buying and selling of goods and services. A commercial website is any website whose sole purpose is to sell products and/or provide services to consumers. It doesn't matter if you want to start an ecommerce store or a small service company, you should first define yourself as either a retailer or provider before building your own website.
This way you'll avoid wasting time designing a website that nobody would ever visit because no one wants to buy things from you. After defining your brand clearly, then go ahead and build a professional looking website using best practices. Also remember to choose a good domain name that reflects your identity so people can easily find you online.
If you don't feel confident enough to create a website yet, consider getting a digital marketing agency to handle everything for you. They've got experience creating high quality websites for businesses large and small. Check out our list of top 10 digital agencies for beginners to see who works best for you.
Commercial websites usually fall into two broad categories - B2B and B2C. B2B stands for Business-to-Business while B2C stands for Business-to-Consumer. These definitions alone tell us why these particular kinds of websites exist.
Basically, a B2B website is created to attract customers for another business' product or service whereas a B2C website aims to sell directly to individuals. There are even hybrid options where companies offer both B2B and B2C capabilities to suit specific customer needs.
For example, a travel agent might operate a B2B website offering information, reviews, booking features, and payment gateways for hotels, airlines, rental cars, cruises, tours, and vacation packages. On the flip side, a hotel chain operating a B2C website could offer rooms for sale directly through the platform without having to work with individual agents.
Another thing to keep in mind is whether you're providing a free service or a paid one. Free services tend to generate higher traffic volumes than paid ones since most people won't pay for something unless they really love it. For instance, a dating app might charge $10 per month instead of giving away the whole package for free.
It's important to note that B2B and B2C websites aren't mutually exclusive. Many B2B brands decide to launch B2C websites simply to reach a wider audience and drive sales indirectly through direct channels. This means they still run traditional advertising campaigns alongside their B2C website.
On the contrary, B2C websites often focus solely on driving revenue through paid advertisements. In fact, Facebook was once considered a B2C website until Mark Zuckerberg decided to turn it into a B2B tool.
The point here is that every kind of website has different purposes and uses. Some are focused exclusively on generating income while others aim to connect potential clients with professionals. Each type of website requires its own set of skills and tools to build successfully.
People often think that personal websites and commercial websites are completely separate entities. However, they actually overlap quite a bit. Here are some key differences between the two:
Personal websites vs. Commercial Websites
Personal Website:
- Has a blog section
- Is mostly text-based
- May include multimedia content such as photos, videos, and podcasts
- Can publish articles written by third parties
- Will typically contain links to external resources
Commercial Site:
- Includes multiple pages
- Usually includes multimedia content like images, video, audio, and PDFs
- Has a prominent search bar
- Might feature content sections like news feeds, galleries, classified ads, shopping carts, etc.
- Generally contains fewer links compared to personal websites
These are only rough guidelines though. Your website depends largely on the nature of your business and what you plan to showcase. If you own a photography studio, you'd probably opt for a photo gallery style website rather than a news portal. And if you sell vintage clothing, you'll likely prefer to post listings on eBay rather than creating a Tumblr account.
Keep in mind that although both personal websites and commercial websites share similar characteristics, neither should be confused with the other. Each plays an entirely unique role within the broader scope of internet activities.
There are five major types of websites that you must consider if you want to stay afloat online today. Let's quickly recap the previous four categories to better grasp the fifth one.
E-Commerce Sites: An e-commerce website allows customers to purchase items via credit cards and PayPal accounts. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Overstock, Etsy, and Ebay are popular examples.
Portfolios & Portfolio Sites: A portfolio site showcases the owner's skill sets by displaying his work in full or partial form. These websites allow designers, photographers, writers, artists, musicians, programmers, videographers, animators, etc. to show off their talents to potential employers. Examples include Behance, Dribbble, DeviantArt, and Vimeo.
Blogs: Blogging is essentially writing posts and publishing them regularly over time. While blogging isn't necessarily limited to business owners, it does appeal to them more than anyone else due to its accessibility and versatility. Examples include Medium, WordPress, and Wix.
News Sites: News websites deliver current events updates straight from the source. Most news organizations now rely heavily on social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook to communicate breaking stories. Popular examples include CNN, Fox News, BBC World, New York Times, Washington Post, and Reddit.
Social Media Sites: Social networking websites allow members to interact with friends and family by sharing pictures, posting status updates, commenting on other user's posts, liking and disliking comments, and tagging people in photos. Examples include Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
As you can see above, the last major category encompasses almost all types of websites except for static webpages. Static webpages are basically plain HTML files that lack dynamic features and require frequent maintenance. They were originally designed during the early days of the Internet when bandwidth wasn't plentiful and servers were very expensive.
Today, however, static webpages are obsolete thanks to modern technologies like CSS preprocessors, serverless hosting, CDN, etc. But regardless of the reason behind their existence, they're slowly dying out as more and more websites adopt responsive designs that scale perfectly across mobile devices, tablets, laptops, desktops, TVs, etc.
With that said, it's worth mentioning that none of the above categories come close to describing every single type of website imaginable. As technology advances, new trends emerge and old habits die hard. That's why you always need to remain open-minded and flexible to embrace change. Otherwise, you risk falling behind the curve.
And now that you've learned the basics, it's time to go further and explore the world of website development. Stay tuned next week to discover more.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.