What types of websites exist in 2023

Creating a website is one of the best ways for a firm or person to make their presence known online. According to Adobe – 38 percent of people stop interacting with a website if its content or layout is unappealing to them. A Stanford study of website trustworthiness found that most consumers judge a company's trustworthiness based on their website.

Looking at the Internet as a whole, most websites fall into one clearly defined category, each with its own guidelines and corresponding functionality, and this makes it easier to design your own website according to the requirements presented.

Knowing the differences between each type of website can help you understand which one you need for your business or project.

The following 10 types of websites for 2023 are most commonly identified:

Landing page

Landing page is a website consisting of one or more well-designed marketing pages. Such sites are usually designed for a marketing or advertising campaign.

The purpose of a landing page:

To encourage customers to take one specific action, usually as part of a broader marketing campaign.

Features of a landing page::

One prominent call to action;
A brief description of services/sales.

To be more clear, this is the website where your visitors go when they click on a link in an email, maybe through ads from Yandex Direct, Rutube, VK, etc., as well as other digital platforms online.

Other types of sites contain pages dedicated to more than one purpose. But when it comes to landing pages, they have one goal: a call to action (CTA for short) with the ultimate goal of increasing sales.

A good landing page should focus all of the visitor's attention on one call to action, such as an email subscription, which is usually displayed in a clear and eye-catching location. An effective strategy is to offer a unique selling proposition (USP) that either explains the value of the CTA or addresses some user concerns (e.g., "we won't share your email").

Landing pages usually work in conjunction with larger marketing campaigns. For example, you are collecting emails for an online lottery: instead of adding a new page to your current website, you can create a separate one-page website for this purpose.

In this way, you can promote ads on other websites that lead directly to the landing page, as well as ads on your own website that send users directly to the relevant landing page. When the ad campaign is over, it will be easier for you to close the landing page than if it were a separate page on your existing website.

Another common use of landing pages is to act as a replacement while a full website is still in development. This is a best practice for businesses that want to generate interest before they are ready to launch their product. These landing pages usually ask for email addresses so that when the final website is ready, they can send a notification.

Not only will this give you an advantage at launch, but it will also help you estimate how many visitors you can expect. This will help you choose the right hosting, bandwidth, etc.

So, if users are on a landing page website, they are asked to perform certain actions, such as: purchase a product, sign up for an account, etc. So this is the best option to increase the conversion rate of your marketing campaigns.

Let's take the example of a Shopify landing page. Here you can see a free trial to create an online store to sell your products and run your business.

Take a look at a few other landing pages:

Personal Website

The purpose of a personal website:

To share personal thoughts, ideas and feelings, talents and skills. This may involve articles, drawings, videos, photo galleries, etc.

Features of a personal website:

Posting articles, media files;
Expressing one's opinion on an issue.

Matt Mullenweg's website

Personal websites are usually created to share personal ideas, not to make money.

But when the website becomes popular with viewers and like-minded people, you can also integrate advertising into it, and so you can generate income from it.

Here are a couple of examples of personal websites:

Portfolio website

Portfolio websites are types of websites that showcase the best work of professional people. These sites are created by professionals and freelancers so they can advertise their skills and work and attract the attention of potential clients or customers.

The purpose of a portfolio website:

To share personal thoughts, ideas and feelings, talents and skills in order to attract the attention of potential clients or customers. This may involve articles, drawings, videos, photo galleries, etc.

Features of a portfolio website:

A gallery of quality images and samples of the author's work;
Information about the specialist or agency;
detailed information about the services rendered;
a call to action to work together.

Having a portfolio website reflects professionalism regarding your work and is also considered a resume or online resume.

Photographers, tattoo artists, painters, developers, designers, filmmakers or any other professionals can create a portfolio website.

A portfolio website is a "canvas" for designers, writers, videographers, artists and other creative professionals. These types of websites exist to highlight certain skill sets and services that freelancers offer.

Portfolio website design

Typically, a portfolio website has several unique features. To showcase your skills, you can use slideshows, galleries or portfolio animations, insert videos depending on how you want to display your work.

Don't think you need to show every project you've worked on. Choose your best work and categorize your projects so it's easy for your audience to find what they need. Be sure to highlight each project by telling the story behind it. You can also include information about what tools of your profession you're familiar with, such as a specific website builder, SaaS (software as a service) tool, or software.

Be sure to double-check with your former clients before you share their projects in your online portfolio - not all clients will want their own designs featured. You can also limit access to your work by password-protecting certain project web pages and asking serious clients to contact you for a password.

And while you're at it, ask your previous clients to share their thoughts about your services. Posting client testimonials on your portfolio website is a great way to let satisfied clients praise you and sell your services for you.

For example, you can visit the WeShootFood food photography agency's portfolio website.

WeShootFood food photography agency's portfolio website

The portfolio website should be simple and presentable, consisting of a few pages and a logo. It has a gallery of high-quality images, testimonials and information about the services you provide, an "About Us" section that includes your contact information, social media account information, work completed, etc.

Take a look at a few more portfolio websites:

Blog / news website

The purpose of a blog / news website:

To educate or inform visitors about current events or specialized knowledge.

Blog / news website features:

article directories;
separate pages for each article;
categorization or tags for easy browsing;
payment gateways and account features, if applicable.

Blogs and news sites are quickly replacing print media such as newspapers and magazines. A significant portion of people surveyed learn news about the economy and socio-political life from social media and blogs. This is aided by the fact that access to content on most sites is free.

Since each blog / news website offers quite a few articles at a time, providing easy navigation and viewing content is a major concern. Most sites use tags or categorization features that allow visitors to filter which articles they see, similar to newspaper sections such as "Sports" or "Entertainment."

What's more, blogs don't have to be separate sites -- they are often incorporated into other sites, especially business sites. It's not just about providing a service to visitors, but also a great SEO (search engine optimization) aid; blogs and text articles are ideal for using search keywords and getting more search queries.

Just be careful about writing clickbait, which can drive away visitors as easily as it attracts them.

Blogs and news sites are text-based, but visuals are still important, especially on the home page, to trigger clicks on the article. It's best to include multiple images in an article, just to add a little variety and break up unwieldy blocks of text.

A blog website is regularly updated with relevant articles, videos and photos designed to inform, entertain and educate your audience.

Blogs are sometimes platforms for expressing personal opinions or a company may have a blog to offer valuable content to its customers. These types of websites can either focus on the blog itself, building the website around regularly updated content, or be embedded within a larger website.

Travel blog Salt in our hair - https://www.saltinourhair.com/

Blogs come in all shapes and sizes, but an important element of any blog is navigation. Your readers need an easy way to find what they're interested in, so good category navigation (such as sidebars on blog pages) is crucial. Expert content and interesting opinions are also key.

Often blogs skip the slider with big images at the top and go straight to the content. Use visual elements (icons, photos, art design) to highlight a category or new piece of content.

If you want to expand your audience, add a CTA and newsletter subscription area to get visitors' email addresses. This way, you can get your readers interested in an exclusive newsletter and make sure they know about your recently published blogs.

Examples of blog/ news websites:

E-commerce

The purpose of the E-commerce website:

Selling products on the Internet

Features of the E-commerce website:

Photo gallery with quality images; product pages;
product categories;
secure checkout/transaction options (with SSL certificate);
account personalization options (wishlists, saved orders, profile pages, etc.).

E-commerce website — are digital versions of regular stores, so they have the same goals and functions. You need to make your products as attractive as possible, but first you need to make sure you have the technical capability to accept bank card transactions (or any other payment method you prefer, such as PayPal or Payoneer).

Retailers with a wide variety of products will have to invest more in their websites because each product has to have its own page. Product pages give you the opportunity to encourage people to buy a product with enticing descriptions, photos, and even videos.

E-commerce website Ikea

Moreover, the more products you offer, the more complicated the navigation becomes. Not only do you need to find a layout to best display your products, but it is also recommended to include filtering or category tags to help visitors find what they are looking for.

Keep in mind that shoppers are more skeptical of shopping online than in person because they can't inspect the product in person. That's why visuals are so important: you need to use high-quality photos and videos that show the product from different angles to give the buyer a better idea of the actual product.

This is especially important for selling clothing, since the customer can't try things on. To compensate for this, try including a detailed sizing chart with measurements to give your buyers a more accurate idea of how the clothes will fit.

Examples of E-commerce website:

Catalog website

The purpose of a catalog website:

To sell products / services off the Internet.

Catalog site features:

photo gallery with quality images;
product pages;
product categories.

Catalogs are actually a stripped-down version of an online store. The difference between an online catalog and an online store is simple: an online catalog allows your customers to browse and get information about your products, while an e-commerce website allows your customers to buy your products online and have them delivered to their home or pickup location.

Fleggard dannish supermarket chain - website catalog https://www.fleggaard.dk/

Thus, the catalog site promotes the sale of goods and services, but not directly, but through further interaction - a trip to the store, a call with a customer service manager, etc.

Corporate websites

The purpose of the corporate website::

To inform potential customers and consumers about your business and encourage them to work with you.

Corporate website features:

Information about services;
Biography of the company (usually an "About" page);
basic information about the company (address, phone number, e-mail, etc.)
mission statement;
elimination of pain points and a statement of current value;
a call to work together.

The fact is, every 21st century business should have a website. It's becoming a popular practice that the first step a person takes to learn about a business is to check out the website.

For companies offering new or unique services, a business website gives a chance to explain what they do. For traditional businesses, it's a chance to ease people's fears and make sure the company is legitimate.

A good corporate website presents all the necessary information about the company: not just basic information such as address or contact information, but also additional information such as brief employee biographies or a mission statement. The idea is for people to get to know your company and have a desire to work with you.

Transportation Services, Inc website - b2btranserv.com

In particular, corporate websites typically prioritize a call to action (CTA) such as a direct message widget where visitors can schedule a meeting or a phone call, or at least get answers to their questions from a real person rather than a bot.

Call to action for direct messaging works well on corporate sites because it speeds up the process of converting store visitors into customers/purchasers, and encourages users to take action when their desire for collaboration is highest.

Corporate sites should always be consistent with the company's corporate identity. For example, if you're a tech company for young people, the style may use futuristic visuals and informal language, whereas if you're a law firm for regular clients, you may need traditional visuals and professional language.

What's important is that you answer any questions your visitors may have. Having an address and contact information confirms that your company actually exists - in other words, you're not a scammer.

But your potential customers and buyers will have additional questions, such as how you feel about certain issues, such as using environmentally friendly materials or where your products are made.

Your business website is your opportunity to address these issues on your own turf, rather than letting people draw their own conclusions.

Examples of corporate websites:

Online service

Purpose of online service:

To offer a complete online service such as streaming or online tools: such as search engines, spell checkers, photo editors, or translators.

Internet service features:

easy access to the tool;
subscription payment options;
account personalization (favorites, recommendations, taste tracking, etc.)

Sometimes a business is a website. For example, sites like Netflix, Figma, and Uber are usually one-stop sites for what their visitors are looking for, whether it's entertainment or a specific service such as a search engine or online tool.

Netflix - an online cinema

Typically, service sites are built around what they do, with access to the center on the home page. Consider the Google home page with a large search bar or the online translator DeepL with a text box displayed prominently. There's no confusion about where to start.

In the case of paid subscription services such as Netflix, the direct call to action takes center stage. For example, when non-registered users go to Netflix, they see a line to enter their email and a brief promotional offer.

The idea is the same: the visitor knows exactly what the next step is simply by the layout of the page. Like blogs, service sites can be added to other sites.

It's a clever marketing strategy to attract new customers and provide more convenience to existing ones. If this is what interests you, try providing an online tool appropriate to your industry. A construction firm won't attract the same visitors as a currency conversion tool.

Examples of Internet services:

Forum

The purpose of a forum:

To allow users to discuss among themselves and share information and links with each other, usually on specific topics.

Forum features:

Organized discussion boards by topic;
Generation of user-generated content (users can upload their own content on their own);
moderators;
account personalization (favorites, reply notifications, profile bios, etc.).

Like social networking websites, online forums do not necessarily provide content, but rather are places where users can share their content with each other. Like the historical forums from which they get their name, online forums are a place to meet and discuss your interests and share useful content, such as links.

BigSoccer - forum about football (socker)

If you are designing a forum, your first goal is to create an organized navigation system for posting and searching for various discussions. Some forums create their own discussion boards, while others let the users do it on their own. Either way, you should make it as easy as possible for users to find what they're looking for.

Your next goal is to moderate the discussions. Don't be intimidated, but not everyone you meet online is a good one! Moderators review forum comments and remove malicious or illegal posts to create a safe space for everyone else to discuss. Sometimes moderators will work for free, but in most cases you may need to hire a professional.

To promote social networking among users.

Simple but intuitive and user-friendly user interface;
Secure registration and login;
Real-time communication through chats or video calls;
Sharing media files, links, documents, etc.

When it comes to social networking or social networking sites, they are designed for online communication between two or more people or for creating communities of people.

In general, such sites allow you to create social networks with other people. These can be people with similar careers, experiences, interests, activities or anything else.

On a social networking site, you can share your information with a huge audience. Everyone gets to create content and then share it.

Social network Facebook

For example, Facebook is a popular social networking website where you can create a public profile and then communicate with your friends.

There are different kinds of social networking or networking websites for sharing different content. Some of them along with their examples:

Communicating with your existing friends: Facebook и т. д.
Non-social interpersonal communication:TenChat и т. д.
Image sharing: Snapchat и т. д.
Community blogs. For example: Habr, Medium и т. д.

The popularity of such sites is increasing with each generation. Thus, you can also come up with a unique idea for a social networking site.

And that's all for today. Thank you all, bye everyone! 👋

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