How do you know what type of website is best for your needs?
There are blogs, websites, landing pages, and e-commerce stores. Actually, it’s more of a spectrum than a simple list — there’s a website for everyone!
Unfortunately, it’s also easy to get lost. There are many different types of sites available and it can be hard to figure out which one is right for you.
There are several types of websites, such as e-commerce sites, personal portfolio sites, and small business sites. Which type you need depends on your goals.
For business owners, e-commerce websites can help convert visitors into customers.
Personal portfolio sites, on the other hand, are used to sell your own products.
While people may not convert to customers, they may visit entertainment websites like The Onion, webcomics like xkcd, and interesting content like Buzzfeed.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide on the types of websites available and which ones are best for your needs.
Ecommerce websites
Regardless of your business’s size or scope, an eCommerce website must engage your target audience daily. If you don’t have a good user experience, you risk losing your customers the first time they visit your website.
A website’s index page welcomes visitors and provides them with essential information and links to secondary-level pages. For example, an eCommerce website that sells jewelry should have a page dedicated to earrings.
Another benefit of an eCommerce website is that it allows you to get to know your customers better. The analytics features can help you learn about existing customers, which pages they visit the most, and which of your products are abandoned.
By monitoring these factors, you can improve your site and make it more efficient. For instance, if a visitor clicks on an image on your homepage but does not complete the purchase, it might be an issue with your homepage or payment options.
An eCommerce website also helps you list your products, set up a feedback form, and create a B2B or B2C eCommerce site. This way, you can make valuable first impressions on your customers. This will make marketing and sales easier.
Moreover, eCommerce websites help you define your business purpose and provide information about your company, including history and contact details. A successful eCommerce website is an excellent business partner for your company.
If you are a beginner and do not have any technical experience, you may benefit from a platform that offers a free trial. You can also find templates that meet your needs and match your brand’s personality.
There are a variety of templates available online and it’s important to find one that suits your niche. If you’re unsure of the right theme, consider looking at other eCommerce sites to determine which one is best for you.
Personal websites
If you want to establish a brand name, a personal website can be an excellent choice. These websites can be customized to your liking and help you showcase your work and talents in a unique way.
Personal websites should be easy on the eyes and convey your personality well. Make sure to choose consistent color palettes and logos. Avoid using too many images, but instead, use simple and easy-to-read imagery.
Most of all, a personal website should be enjoyable to use. The design and layout of your website should make you connect with your audience. You should not make it too stiff or formal.
Canva offers numerous templates for personal websites. All of its templates are fully customizable. These tools let you customize the visual elements on your website without worrying about coding.
It also allows you to add features such as booking tools, live chats, and Google analytics tools.
A personal website is not only a powerful marketing tool for freelancers and professionals, but it can also help freelancers find clients and convince potential clients to hire them.
In fact, 30% of consumers will not consider a business if it does not have a website, so having one is essential. It can be a daunting task, but a personal website example can help you get started with the process.
Portfolio websites
A portfolio website can be a very effective way to showcase your work. Many people are surprised at just how many options are available.
However, there are a few main features to look for when choosing one. First, make sure to consider your audience. For instance, if you’re a photographer, you’ll probably want to include a compilation of the best work on your landing page.
This will give potential clients a sense of your range, and also reduce clutter on your homepage.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a portfolio website is an extension of your skills, rather than a standalone website. It’s important to categorize your work.
A minimalist web design helps your work stand out. Graphic designers should make their portfolio site a unified extension of their abilities, so a predefined color palette and typeset will help keep everything consistent. Games and game designers can also benefit from a portfolio website.
Lastly, you should choose a platform that lets you build the site yourself. WordPress allows for unlimited features and allows you to create different designs for small-screen devices.
In addition, WordPress includes a robust app market, which offers numerous applications for your website. It can be used to create a blog, sell physical or digital products, and even manage events. Another feature you’ll want to look for in a platform like this is a customizable theme.
As a freelance designer, you can use a blog on your website to provide more detailed information about your projects. This can also provide new site visitors with more useful content.
In addition, many online portfolio websites outline the workflow of the projects they feature. Potential clients can decide whether they’d like to work with you or not by seeing your work.
It’s also worth noting that a portfolio site doesn’t need to display work from years ago, as it’s only valuable if it’s a high-profile project.
Small business websites
While many small business websites feature a minimalist design, some are designed to be more streamlined, focusing on a handful of key points. Take the website of the Italian fashion house Velasca, for example.
The minimalist design emphasizes the brand’s unique Italian atmosphere through a careful selection of fonts and high-quality images. The menu is a good example of this, with hand-drawn illustrations for each link to clarify what it is.
A website’s About page provides a unique opportunity to convey the message of a small business. Open Platform, for example, uses an interactive ‘about’ section that highlights the company’s history and provides a glimpse into the atmosphere of its office.
It can also feature awards and accomplishments, such as a timeline of the firm’s history. Visitors can develop rapport with the staff members and learn about the firm’s mission.
To create a successful small business website, remember to consider its audience and design with their needs in mind. A simple website with a clear design and a simple layout is most likely to attract visitors and convert them into customers.
A small business website should be easy to navigate, have a clear purpose, and load quickly. Whether the site is designed for a local business or a multi-location enterprise, its design should reflect the company’s brand identity.
For a website to succeed in the future, it must support a wide variety of platforms. Many visitors browse the internet from their smartphones and tablets.
Mobile internet usage was already expected to account for over half of all traffic by 2021. For example, electric car manufacturer Fisker makes sure that its website is optimized for all major platforms. In doing so, it maintains a visual hierarchy across multiple platforms.
Ultimately, this builds trust and loyalty. It’s vital that your small business website has a responsive design so that it adapts to all screen sizes.
Blog websites
When choosing a blog website, there are several factors to consider. While larger businesses have more money to spend on SEO, a small business can save money by focusing on less competitive keywords.
If you do not have a strong background in SEO, you can hire an outside SEO company. While hiring an SEO company requires an initial investment, you will also save yourself from costly mistakes. For example, you will not have to spend time chasing after bad keywords and won’t have to worry about deciding on the right keyword.
Additionally, they can develop a content calendar for you so that your blog can grow and evolve.
There are several free blogging platforms like Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress. If you’re looking to create a business blog with more advanced functionality, you may want to choose WordPress.
WordPress is a powerful content management system that many businesses use to create websites. All our websites are built on it. It’s fast, convenient, and SEO-friendly.
A blog can take a website to the next level, but it’s important to remember that producing five-star content can be time-consuming. Therefore, a blog with a website may not be the right option for a startup, small team, or solopreneur.
While most blogs can be customized, not all are the same. Whether you want to make a blog for personal use, business purposes, or both, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. And the best part is that there is no need to be an expert in graphic design or coding to achieve this goal.
There are many free blogging platforms that make customization easy. The more comprehensive platforms also have customizable templates and themes that allow you to tailor your blog to match your business needs.
Conclusion
There are many different types of websites out there today and they each serve different purposes.
There are simple websites for organizations or individuals that want to list contact information and not much else. There are also more complex websites that combine text and images with more advanced functionality such as e-commerce and contact forms.
If you have a business or organization and want people to visit your website in order to learn about your company, advertise your products or services, or contact you, then you need an eCommerce website where users can buy products online.
On the other hand, if your website is going to be an informational site where people can learn more about your industry or learn some new skills, then an informational website would be the best fit for you.
At sambaseck.com, we specialize in WordPress custom websites, SEO, and content marketing. Reach out today!!
