Websites have become a staple of everyday life. You visit them every day to find information, stay in touch with friends and family, or simply while away the hours on social media (guilty as charged). But what exactly are these websites? What goes into building one? Websites come in many different shapes and sizes. To get a clearer picture of how they work, let’s look at the different types of websites that exist today.
We can Broadly Categorize Websites into the Following Main Types
You can broadly categorize websites into the following main types:
- Corporate websites. These are designed to promote and sell products or services of a company, organization, or individual. These sites often include a contact us page that allows users to make inquiries about their offerings.
- E-commerce websites. Sites are designed for online shopping and payment for goods and services by consumers through the Internet. The site may be one where people can browse through items on sale from various vendors, or it may be dedicated just to one vendor’s offerings (like Amazon). They tend to have an extensive product inventory, with pictures and descriptions of each item available for sale (see our article on how e-commerce works).
- Portfolio websites. These sites contain examples of an individual’s work in order to showcase their talent, skillset, and experience in certain fields/industries (for example design portfolios, photography portfolios, etc.).
Corporate or Business Websites
Corporate websites are a type of website that is owned by a business entity or organization. A corporate website is used to establish a presence on the Internet and promote products, services, and information about the organization.
A corporate website can be an important part of an overall marketing strategy for a company, especially if they want to attract new customers or clients online. Corporate websites typically contain information about their products or services as well as contact information for customers who want to learn more about them or make purchases from them.
E-commerce Websites
Ecommerce websites are online stores. The most common type of e-commerce website is a simple one that sells a single item or multiple items, like a shoe store or an electronics store. Often, these sites are hosted by third parties, who provide the technology and infrastructure to run the site. They also usually have shopping carts and checkout processes that allow you to pay for your goods using one of many types of payment gateways (such as Stripe). At Social Spike, we offer E-commerce Web Design using the Shopify platform.
Portfolio Sites
Online Portfolio websites are used to showcase the work of a designer, developer, or artist. They’re not generally used to sell products, but they can be used for that purpose as well. A portfolio website is often used to showcase work for a specific job or project. It may also be used to demonstrate a person’s skills and experience in their field of expertise so that potential employers can see what kind of projects they’ve worked on in the past.
Brochure Websites
Brochure websites are a good option if you have a lot of text to include on your website. These sites are typically designed to be informational and professional, so they have a lot of text and are designed to provide information about a company or organization. Brochureware websites often use large fonts and lots of white space (the blank space on the page). This makes it easier for readers to read through all the content without getting distracted by other elements on the page.
Blogs
Blogs are a great way to express your thoughts, experiences, and ideas with others. They can be personal blogs, or maybe even a place to showcase your poetry/art. They can be used to promote businesses or products. Some blogs may also have advertisements on them in order to make money. We call this affiliate marketing, or affiliate websites.
Personal Websites
Personal websites are usually used to showcase the work of an individual, as well as their skills and experience. They’re often used by freelancers to promote their business, or by people who wish to share their interests with others. For example, if you’re a freelance photographer or writer, you might have a personal website where you post samples of your work and advertise your services.
Or if you’re interested in UFOs and conspiracy theories, then having a personal website allows you to share this passion with others without having to write about it on other websites (which might get removed).
Social Networking Sites
Social networking websites are a type of website that allows users to create online profiles, connect with other users, and share content. Social media sites have become an integral part of many people’s lives; in fact, more than half the world’s population is using social media sites at least once per month (Source: Pew Research Center).
This will help attract customers who may not be aware of your presence in their neighborhood yet but would love to try out something new if they find out about it through social media channels such as Facebook or Twitter!
If you’re looking for ways to network online then consider starting up a blog where others can leave comments regarding their thoughts & experiences while using one product over another similar product from another company which means more exposure for both companies involved including yourself!
Membership Websites
Sometimes these can be sites dedicated to education, or maybe even something along the lines of online forums/community forum websites. Either way, to use or access these sites, you may need to be a registered user. Think of something like Reddit for example.
News Websites
News sites are popular for making sure they are keeping their content fresh, which helps their users engage with the most up-to-date news information.
What Kind of Website Is right for my Needs?
After going through this article, you can get a sense of what kind of site might be more relevant to your specific needs. It really comes down to what your overall objectives and goals are. So map out what your desired outcome is, then see what model of site build is right for you.
Have questions? Check out our calendar below to book a free strategy session with our team!
