The internet is basically part of our lives: we spend part of our time online consuming content, whether for entertainment, to learn, to meet other people or to stay in touch with people who matter to us.
Thanks to the connectivity the internet offers, many types of websites have been created to meet a particular need or to display a certain kind of content.
In this post we want to show you, broadly speaking, the different types of websites that exist, what they’re for and some examples of existing sites in each category.
By structure
Static websites
These websites display structured content, usually in HTML, and don’t give users the possibility of interacting with the site beyond reading the text and viewing the images on it.
This type of website was very popular in the early days of the internet. They’re also cheaper to build, since they don’t need to load extra resources or use more complex programming languages.
Dynamic websites
These websites are built with more complex programming languages, which make it possible to create ways for users to interact with your website and your content.
Building this type of website requires advanced programming knowledge. Fortunately, there are many content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress that make the programming work easier.
Another advantage of these content management systems is that they’re open to the public, which lets people build plugins that extend the website’s functionality.
Dynamic websites are very popular; almost every website active right now is built this way. Perhaps their biggest disadvantage is that they cost much more, since their programming is much more demanding.
By purpose
Blogs
Blogs are spaces where opinion articles or topics of interest are published: places where an author can write about a subject they’re passionate about or specialize in and share it with people who have similar tastes or interests.
These websites give users the chance to comment on what they think of the article or add to the information presented, and the author can reply to those comments.
Blogs can also be part of a website, since they’re an excellent SEO tool that lets you create quality content, just like the blog you’re reading right now.
Online stores
Online stores do the job of a physical store: they offer your products so people can buy them. The difference is that the whole buying process happens from home.
They don’t only sell products; they’re also an excellent tool for offering your services. For example, if you’re an illustrator, you can offer your services and have people pay you online.
Many CMSs have plugins specialized in online stores. In WordPress, that plugin is called WooCommerce.
WooCommerce lets you set up your orders, keep inventory, control your orders, create coupons and much more.
There are many online stores. One of the biggest is Amazon, and for a more local Colombian example, there’s Éxito.
Corporate websites
Corporate websites are sites of large companies where they show everything about themselves: who they are, what they do, their values, their history, where they’re located, the products and services they offer and any other information the company thinks is worth sharing with its target audience.
Corporate websites are also an excellent way for people to get in touch with companies, since they have forms where people can leave their questions and receive an answer later.
Our own website is a clear example of a corporate website, and there are others such as Nestlé’s.
News sites and magazines
The main goal of these websites is to keep users informed about the latest events, whether local, national or international.
They’re very heavily visited, since they offer breaking news and give users the chance to comment on the stories.
Newspapers usually also publish their news on their website, as a complement to the print edition that circulates every day.
Forums
Forums are virtual discussion spaces where many users can discuss topics of interest or specific subjects. Some forums have different sections for different topics, but there are also specialized forums where only one topic and related subjects are discussed.
Forums have 2 roles: on one side, the users, who register, post and comment; and on the other, the administrator, who moderates everything published on the forum.
One of the most popular forums is 4chan, where a wide variety of topics for all tastes are discussed.
Landing pages
Landing pages are pages designed to receive users after they click on an ad, whether on search engines, social networks, videos or elsewhere.
These pages contain the fullest information about what was promoted in the ad and offer a form designed for users to leave their details so the company can contact them, subscribe to a newsletter or buy the product on offer.
Whenever you click on an ad, it takes you to a landing page, so there are plenty of examples to look at, such as Netflix’s landing page when you click on its ads.
Multimedia
These sites are designed for uploading and consuming audiovisual material. You’ll find all kinds of videos: reviews, trailers, vlogs, video art, funny videos and so on.
These platforms are funded mainly by advertising, as on television, which makes them valuable digital marketing tools: your ads will be shown, and if they have a set duration of a few seconds, they can’t be skipped.
Without a doubt the best-known example of this kind of site is YouTube, where you can find everything, but there are also other multimedia sites such as Dailymotion and Vimeo.
Streaming
These sites are dedicated exclusively to streaming, or live video. They’re very popular in the gaming world, but they’re also used to broadcast social events live.
Twitch is the king of streaming platforms: there you’ll find live streams of everything, including video games, mukbang, talk shows and ASMR.
Social networks
These are sites dedicated to bringing people together. They’re places where you can create a profile and share content, whether text, images or video. You can also interact with other users, such as friends, or meet people with interests similar to yours.
Companies also use social networks to build community, earn the loyalty of their target audience and make themselves known, so they’re also a great tool within your digital marketing strategy.
Among the huge range of social networks, the best known and most used are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
There are many more types, and the list could go on and on, but we wanted to show you the types of websites you’ll find most often in this vast world we call the internet.
As we mentioned, each type of website serves a specific purpose, so keep them in mind if you’re planning to create one.
At Gulupa Digital we can help you build your website (or design your online store), focused on what you offer and what your target audience needs.
