Before any website design project begins, it is important to specify the purpose, objectives, and target audience. This is critical because there are over 1.8 million other websites out there and you want yours to stand out. Answer these simple questions:
The answers to these questions and others like them will define the type of website you need. This is important because it will give you an understanding of what users expect from your site and how to provide it. So, let’s talk about the different types of websites.
Let’s start with the basics. A website is a collection of web pages that provide users with various content, including text, images, video, audio, etc. They are hosted on a web server and identified by a domain. If you ask people to describe and classify websites, you will get different answers because there are many factors from issues to objectives and the information the site conveys.
The main classification factors that we will use for this review are functionality, content, and design.
In terms of the frequency and regularity of content updates, all websites can be divided into two main groups – static and interactive. In short, this classification is based on the frequency with which the website’s content is updated.
Static (fixed) websites are the basic ones. They don’t change their content frequently, and users don’t update them. Sites of this type are created for informational purposes rather than interactions.
Dynamic websites are those whose content is frequently updated. Different users may see different information. Remember your experience with any e-commerce site: what you see when you open a site depends on multiple factors such as location, search, being logged in or logged out, the importance of some locations to hot or seasonal sales, etc.
The site must update its content. Furthermore, some content may be generated by users or customized by them with tags, filters, and the like – in this case, the website needs to respond to the actions and display the content. No wonder we interact with this type of site more often than with static ones because web users need more from an online resource than just information.
Another classification is based on the functions of the site and the issues it solves for users. Among the most popular types today, we can mention the following:
Personal presentation websites are those that showcase a person with a creative or professional outlook. Here you may find different portfolios, writers’ and teachers’ websites, etc.
Corporate sites are the next level of marketing as they are aimed at introducing the company. Their core target audience is customers who buy services, and the conversion leads to a contract or deal. This site must provide information about the services, and the workflow, share the business philosophy and advantages, and show signs and portfolio of trusts such as reviews and testimonials.
The website must present the brand as professional, reliable, and credible, providing the link to the company representatives to the customers. Furthermore, another section of the target audience may include people who would like to work in the company: in this case, the website includes information about the team, requirements, available vacancies for employees, as well as the company’s activities and events.