The modern internet is vast, with an abundance of different types of websites available at your fingertips. It has come a long way from universities sharing resources. As the internet has grown, so too has the number of websites, all competing for their place at the top and the attention of billions of users every day. When it comes to building your website, it can be a little overwhelming to decide what kind of website you want to build. As you narrow down your goals for your website, you will be able to pinpoint the type of website that’s right for your business. Below are 15 different types of websites.
1: eCommerce Website
An eCommerce website is a website where users can directly buy products. You’ve likely used one of the millions of eCommerce websites on the internet before, as most big brands – and thousands of smaller ones – have one. From fashion websites to food websites, any website with a shopping cart and a way for you to provide payment information fall into this category.
If you plan to sell products online, whether to consumers or as a b2b website, this is the type of website for you. There are specific things an eCommerce site needs. You will want a good eCommerce application, like WooCommerce, and an SSL certificate to protect your customer’s payment details. These types of websites need to have a design and copy that is crafted to make sales.
The Coldstream Brewery site is an example of an eCommerce Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
2: Business Website
A business or corporate website is any website that is devoted to representing a specific business. It should be carefully branded like the business. It should have the same logo and positioning and communicate the type of products or services the business offers.
Every modern business should now have a website as default. Every customer you encounter will assume that if they Google your business, they will find your website and get more information. If they don’t, it can make your business look less professional or legitimate.
While most eCommerce sites will also be attached to a business website, it is possible to have a business site on its own that purely provides information about the company and generates leads for your various services.
The SOCM site is an example of a Business Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
3: Entertainment Website
Consider your internet browsing history. You can probably think of a few fun websites you visit each day purely for entertainment. They could be humorous websites like a webcomic or the Onion or websites with engaging content like Buzzfeed. Some entertainment websites work with less creative content but can provide specific information that people can use for their hobbies and interests. Most of these websites still aim to make money, but unlike eCommerce sites, they do so by allowing advertising on their websites rather than selling specific products or services.
If you are looking to start an entertainment website, you have a lot of options for formats. You can make funny, informative videos, create entertaining blogs, create your own webcomic (that’s how The Walking Dead got started!), build an animation website or even create your own satirical newspaper. The sky’s the limit. However, with so many entertainment websites out there, you should anticipate it taking some time and work to find an audience that connects with you – and even more time and work to start making money.
The Trend Wire site is an example of an Entertainment Website that can people can use for their hobbies, designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
4: Portfolio Website
Portfolio websites are essentially devoted to showing examples of past work. These are generally used by service providers to show potential clients what they do. Portfolios demonstrate the best examples of the past work they’ve done. These websites are simpler to build than other business websites and focus more on showcasing work of all kinds. They are most commonly used by creative professionals and freelancers like artists, writers, web designers, and photographers. Some portfolios, like wedding websites, artist websites or professional photography websites, show off goods and services the owner provides without the ability to buy online. This encourages users to make enquiries via email or phone and typically don’t have pricing listed online.
The Furstock Studios site is an example of a Portfolio Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
5: Media Website
Media websites are essentially magazine and news websites. Unlike blogger websites, they are focused on journalism rather than personal interests. These websites are essentially online news outlets that focus on world news, fashion, hobbies, special interests, and more. If you want to create this kind of website, you can also create a premium subscription feature. Visitors can pay to read more than a few articles per day or read more than a few paragraphs of each article.
Media websites tend to have a clean UX, so the published articles are properly highlighted, and the page elements don’t outshine the content.
The Reputex site is an example of a Media Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
6: Non-Profit Website
Much like businesses are expected to have a website to legitimise themselves, non-profits are also expected to have a website these days. A non-profit website is the easiest way for potential donors to engage with the charity or organisation, find more information about the cause, and make donations. If you’re creating a website for your non-profit, you can use it to promote the projects your organisation tackles, encourage followers and donors to take action and, most importantly, accept donations.
Remember, like eCommerce sites, you will need to take the same steps to protect your users’ data and make it possible for donors to make donations. This means setting up a payment gateway and an SSL certificate as a minimum.
The Keeley’s Cause site is an example of a Non-Profit Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
7: Educational Website
Any websites for educational institutions or those offering online courses fall under the category of an educational website. These have the main goal of either providing educational materials to visitors or information on an educational institution they may wish to attend. Some education websites will have advertisements, similar to entertainment and media websites, in order to make money. Some will also offer a subscription model or educational products for purchase. And some sites simply offer an informative online presence for an existing institution.
The Act Mindfully site is an example of an Educational Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
8: Personal Website
A personal website is designed to put the site’s namesake front and centre. Public figures, actors, celebrities, and influencers all tend to have personal websites. This allows them not only to be featured as a brand, but to provide information about themselves and how they can be contacted by potential business partners, producers, etc. there are no conventions for what these types of websites can include, but genuinely speaking, the copy should express the person’s tone, style, and point of view.
A personal website can also be used for blogs, selling books, merchandise, creating a community and more.
The David Staughton site is an example of a Personal Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
9: Web Portal
Web portals are generally for internal purposes for businesses, organisations, or institutions. They collect information in different formats from different sources in one place to make all relevant information accessible to the people who need it. This means adding logins as well as personalised views for different users to ensure information is seen by relevant users. Web portals generally involve more complicated programming and design than most other websites described in this list, so look for a highly skilled web agency, like BSO Digital, if this is the kind of website you need.
The BSO Support Page is an example of a Web Portal designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
10: Booking Website
A booking website’s core focus is on giving its users a way to book accommodation and services. From resort stays to plane tickets, a successful booking website should offer ease of use to its customers, allowing them to quickly make a booking for what they need when they need it. Clear pages just as availabilities and products or services should be accessible to ensure users can navigate the site promptly. Ensure things like dates, location, stay time, travel time, seating and room selection are clear and concise. The last thing you want is for your customers to accidentally book the wrong concert ticket or hotel room because of unclear menus or hard to find information.
The Noosa Holiday Accommodation site is an example of a Booking Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
11. Blog
A blog is essentially a digital journal. It started as a trend for individuals to use, and many bloggers have become quite successful and built highly profitable blogs over the years. But blogging has also grown as part of business strategy, helping to update customers regarding the business and offer valuable industry content. Blogs can offer just reading material, but they can also sell books written by the blog’s author or ad space.
A blog is essentially a website you create if you want to publish written articles on a particular topic. But they can also be added as an additional feature to your personal, eCommerce, or business website.
The Ride On Magazine website is an example of a Blog designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
12: Apparel Designer Website
Apparel designer websites give their users a solution to all their custom clothing needs. From street fashion to sportswear, you can design and custom order any number of clothing items from an apparel designer website. These sites may act as a portfolio of sorts, showing off previous work they have done or giving users an option to inquire about producing custom clothing. Companies that host apparel designer websites typically design and produce custom clothing to order, whether for a sports club or a photoshoot, but may have an option to continuously produce and ship custom apparel for your online store.
The Maker Sports site is an example of an Apparel Designer Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
13: Government Website
A government website is owned and operated by the government body connected to that specific website. This can range from public health information sites, government-funded data and statistics to government services like libraries and police stations. These sites are primarily made to provide the users who live in a specific area, state or country with relevant information. The content on these government websites is updated regularly to provide users with the most up to date information. This can be as simple as contact information or trading hours to more specific information like government laws and policies. A government website should prioritise readability and user experience in an effort to make the information they provide understandable and easy to find.
The Public Library Victoria site is an example of a Government Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
14: Membership Websites
A membership website is another type of website that places content behind a password or “paywall”. Users need to register to see private content. Membership websites can offer free and premium registrations or both. There are many other possible options as well. Membership websites can offer infinite or finite access to private content after payment. You can also set up recurring payments for memberships that automatically renew as much as daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
Membership websites can also offer drip content, where the content is released at chosen intervals to paying members or non-paying members.
The Oz Whisky Review site is an example of a Membership Website designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
15: Marketplace Website
A marketplace website is a platform that allows people to come in as a buyer or a seller. Sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace give their users a way to become their own store owners, allowing them to upload images of their stock and sell at their prices. Buyers may be able to simply purchase an item and have it shipped to them on some of these sites, while others require buyers and sellers to communicate with each other to organise payment and delivery. Sites like Etsy can allow its users to make their own online store, giving them a platform to sell their goods in an organised and accessible way, making money by taking a small cut on sales. Some marketplace websites work to connect buyers and sellers together. While no goods or services are sold directly on these websites, they can direct buyers to the right seller in order to find the product or service they’re looking for.
The Digital Process Servers site is an example of a Market Website that connects buyers and sellers, designed by the experts at BSO Digital.
Are you looking to build your first dynamic website? Looking to bring your business or physical storefront into the digital world? Then contact the team at BSO Digital today! Our team can help you get your website to life with fantastic web design and development options.
