13 Types Of Websites You Should Know
In building your company's online presence the type of website you choose is fundamental. Internet Live Stats states that there are over 1.75 billion websites. However, the types of websites have also been growing as the number of websites increases.
Designers and business owners should be au fait with
different types of websites out there. And as a business or site owner, you
should know which website type and design that suit your needs.
The purpose the site is intended for and technical composition are two main factors that are used to categorize websites. Today we are going to look at 13 main types of websites, their purposes, and examples.
Let's get started!
Brochure Website
Think of a brochure website as a digital version of a
physical printed brochure. A brochure website can be used by a small business
that wants to maintain a simple online presence with no specific purpose.
It can be can either static or content managed. A static
brochure website is non-editable and is rarely updated whereas a
content-managed brochure website can be edited. To edit or add content on a
content-managed brochure site a content management system (CMS) can be used.
Business Website
This is a type of website that
represents a specific organization. Compared to a brochure website, a business
website shows more information about your company, services/products you offer,
your clients, and contact details. Live chat and contact forms are some of the
features that can be added on a business website to ease interaction with
visitors.
Electronic Commerce Website
Ever heard of Amazon or Alibaba? They are the biggest and prominent e-commerce platforms in the world. An E-commerce website is a type of website where users can buy or sell different products and services.
Statista estimate that over 1 billion people shop online and retail e-commerce sales totalled to 3.53 trillion US dollars worldwide in 2019. However, you don’t need to be Amazon to sell your products and services online. Anything can be sold over the internet and today many small businesses are selling their products and services online using e-commerce websites.
Here are some essential components and functionalities that
an e-commerce website should have:
- Categorization of products
- Payment gateways integration
- Shipping methods
- Filtration and search
Today there are many popular e-commerce platforms where
businesses can build their e-commerce websites on. One good example of these
e-commerce platforms is Shopify. A business can join these e-commerce platforms
by paying a monthly subscription and use available templates.
However, businesses with unique requirements should opt to develop their custom e-commerce websites since these e-commerce platforms like Shopify tend to be restrictive. Alibaba, eBay, Amazon, Jumia are some of the most popular e-commerce websites.
Landing Page
If you want to call visitors to take a specific action then a Landing Page is the perfect type of website for you. A landing page is a type of website that is developed around the idea of call-to-action. Unlike other types of websites, landing pages do not show much information about the business- they only show users information that is necessary to lead users to perform a certain action.
Uber , An Example of A Landing Page
Media Site
This is a type of website which contains dynamic content
meaning multiple articles and videos are posted frequently. News and E-Zine
websites fall into this category. News websites contain frequently updated
content on topics ranging from current affairs, business, entertainment,
weather, and sports. The Washington Post, The New York Times, BBC, CNBC, and
CNN are popular examples of news websites.
CNN, An Example of A Media website
Many magazines are now available online in the form of
"e-zines". Just like paper magazines, "e-zines" offer
subscriptions to users for them to receive electronic copies of the magazines.
Time Magazine and Vogue are well-known examples of "e-zines".
Vogue, An Example of an e-zine
Web Portal
A web portal is a type of website
which allows users to log into the system of a business, institution, or
organization. For organizations like schools, web portals can be considered as
internal websites. If you want to perform functions like customer service,
complaint management, and vendor management then a web portal is the perfect
type of website for you.
To access information on a web portal users log in using personalized login credentials. Taking a university, for instance, information regarding courses, programs, schedules, enrolment, grades, and personal records can be accessed by students and professors using web portals.
Online website-developing tools fall short of developing these types of websites because of their complexity in nature. If your organization has unique requirements, you should consider making use of custom web app developers to come up with a good web portal.
Blog Website
A blog is a content-based website that features frequently
updated articles, videos, and images. Blogs are usually owned by an individual
or a small group of people, and they can be of any topic. Examples of common
topics covered by many blogs ranges from fashion, culture, sports, technology,
business, food recipes, and diet just to mention a few.
TechZim is an example of a blogging website that publishes technology related content.
Techzim, An Example of a Blogging Website
To promote your business your organization can run its blog website. Furthermore, you can improve the credibility of your business by publishing expert content that is related to your brand.
Photo-Sharing Websites
These types of websites have been cropping up in large
numbers in the past few years. A photo-sharing website can be considered as an
online photo repository where people can upload, share and download photos for
free or for a minimal amount of subscription.
Unsplash, Flickr, and Pixabay are other good examples of photo-sharing websites.
Community Forum Website
It is a type of website where users can seek information, discuss, collaborate, and ask questions from the community.
Yahoo Answers, An Example of A Community Forum Site
Directory Website
A directory website is used when you want to create a repository of businesses or people within an organization. The organization's nature is a key factor in determining whether it should develop a business directory site or not. For instance, a local doctors' association might consider building a directory site by listing each member, their specialty, and their contact details in different cities.
Directory websites also have the capabilities of searching by keywords and browsing by category. Different companies can add their details to these directory websites and the websites earn revenue through advertising.
Zimbabwe Business Directory, An Example of A Directory Website
Crowdsourcing website
Crowdsourcing is one of the popular modern ways of funding any idea. A crowdsourcing website is a type of website that is used to raise money to fund people's ideas or social causes. Any individual can sign up on these sites either seeking funding or investing in ventures. Kickstarter is an example of a crowdsourcing website for entrepreneurs.
Kickstarter, An Example Of A Crowdsourcing website
Portfolio Website
This a perfect type of website that can be used by writers,
designers, photographers, or any professionals who belong to any industry to
showcase their works. Generally, portfolio sites are developed around the idea
of showcasing the skills and talents of these professionals.
Furthermore,
portfolio websites are easy to develop and maintain as compared to other types
of websites like web portals or business websites.
Personal Website
This a type of website that is built for an individual. A personal website can act as a digital CV. It form a great part of personal brand.
Conclusion: What Type of website should you choose?
I bet you are wondering which website you should develop.
The purpose of your website is the determining factor for what type of website
you should make. For example, if you want to have a website without any
specific purpose, then you should consider going for a simplistic brochure website.
And if you want to sell products online an e-commerce website rather than just
a general business website will be the right choice for you.
Furthermore, it is fundamental to consider what's achievable
with the resources that you have for any type of website that suits your needs.
One more thing, what category do you think dating sites fall
into? Can they be considered as community building sites or e-commerce sites?
Let's hear your views in the comments section.
I hope this article was of great service to you and if you
enjoyed it please share it with your friends. See you in the next one.
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