Are you thinking about taking your business online, building a blog, creating an online store, or even creating an online portfolio? A website can do all of these things for you and more!
Because of this, websites can be designed and developed for multiple purposes, but not all are created equal. In this instance, it’s essential to define what you need your website to do in order for your web design company to design the best website for you!
Here we’re going to explore what questions you need to answer to find out which website you need. We’ll also be looking at the various websites you can choose from and how they function. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s discover what kind of website will make your life easier and work best for you!
Questions to ask before you build a website
Here are a few questions that would be helpful to answer before you come to your web design company with a new project. These are obviously all big questions that you would need further research into your company to answer, especially if you don’t have an answer to some of these questions. These questions will help you narrow down the function of your website, who it is for and how you will keep them engaged.
- What goals do you want your website to achieve?
- Who is your target market?
- How will visitors use your site?
- What are the essential features your website must have?
- How will users find your website?
- How will your site keep visitors engaged and visit frequently?
- Do you have a call to action? What would your call to action be?
- What makes you different from your competitors?
- Do you have content for your website? If not, who will create it?
- What is your total budget?
Types of websites
It’s important to know before looking at the specific types of websites that there are three basic websites that you can choose from depending on the function you need from it.
The first type of website would be a lead-generation website, not to be confused with a sales website. This website is built to reach out to consumers who are ready to buy your product/service but need to be convinced as to why they should buy from you. This website will be full of information and will capture contact information from potential leads that you will hopefully turn into a customer offline. You will also use this type of website if you don’t have products or services that you can sell online.
The second type of website is a sales website, which is a lead generation and sales machine all in one. This website is an excellent way for you to streamline your business, allowing automation to kick in and save you time and energy. If a website has a cart function, then it’s a sales website.
Lastly, your website can act as a tool for people, whereby your business and website are one and the same. Therefore, you would be unable to perform your business without your website. Examples of these websites are Facebook or Uber.
Now let’s look at the specific types of websites you could choose from!
blog websites
Known as ‘online diaries’, blogging websites have become increasingly popular to promote products, services and the individual writing it. Blogs have specially curated content for their target audience and often contain pictures and videos. Blogs are also a great place to promote your social media accounts and draw people into signing up to be added to your email list. Blogs can either be personal blogs centred around an individual, such as the online ‘resource’ blog, Trash Is For Tossers. There are also business blogs that are managed by a team that are a part of the business, such as the Backlinko blog.
online portfolio
An online portfolio is simply a collection of your best work displayed digitally. It is a great way to get people to know you and your work before becoming a client. It’s also a great way to promote your work in a fun, professional way. This type of website is perfect for artists, videographers, graphic designers, writers, craftspeople, and more! This type of website is an excellent way for individuals to express themselves and showcase their talents digitally. A fun example of a successful online portfolio that has also become an online shop and business website is Melanie Johnsson’s popular website.
business website
A business website is something that all businesses should have to show that they are active and trustworthy. A business website represents the identity or character of your business online so that if anyone were to search your business name on any search engine such as Google, they would be able to find you, find a professional website, and find out more about your business. A business website is a great way to reach a larger audience for your business and tap into. Business websites should have an informative, friendly ‘about us’ page, include great reviews from past clients, and display contact details, making it easy for visitors to contact you through a contact form. Our website is an example of a business website.
ecommerce website
eCommerce websites can also be called online shops. These websites are specifically designed and developed to display your products and services in such an enticing way that visitors want to click on that cart button and buy what you have to offer. These websites are designed to sell and can form part or all of your income, depending on your business. A web design company will optimise your eCommerce website so that it is easy for users to browse products and services, has regular online sales and should be measuring your website’s success through reporting tools such as Google Analytics. An example of a well functioning and optimised online store is Cotton On’s online website.
education website
Educational websites are websites that universities or schools use to give additional information and resources to their students about courses, degrees, teachers etc. Education websites are used to attract future students to their institution, representing the university, college or school professionally. Because this type of website usually contains a lot of information, it needs to be easy to navigate and accessible. GetSmarter is an example of an education website, which gives in-depth information on their courses and even acts as a hub to complete courses.
non-profit website
Non-profit websites are an innovative way for non-profits to give more information on their cause as well as collect online donations through easy payment methods built into the website. This type of website should first create a loyal online community before asking for donations. Therefore it should always stay up to date with interesting and valuable content, contain good quality pictures and videos and be as interactive as possible. Sharing social media links and email signups are important to sharing the cause. Through growing a thriving online community, non-profit’s can grow in volunteers and donations. Ethelbert’s website is an example of a non-profit website.
After reading all about the different types of websites, does one stand out to you as the one to build? As an expert web design company, we have experience in building all these types of websites and more! Get a free quote from us today to start building your dream website!
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