The Types Of Websites And How To Design Them In order to successfully build your business and brand, paying attention to your web design is extremely important. There are now almost 1.7 billion websites and many different website types to study, but also a lot of confusion as to which style and design will work best for you.
As a designer or small business owner, you should be familiar with all the different website types to decide which ones you need. Looking at your competitors’ choices and testing allows you to create the perfect format for each brand and its customers.
Here are the eight different website types:
Home Pages
The most well-known website type is the homepage. The homepage is your site’s hub and acts as a brand’s face.
Your homepage helps site visitors get to different site areas and can serve as a conversion funnel. Since most people come to you through your homepage, its design is the most important.
A home page can take many different forms. However, while designing, it’s important to remember the home page’s purpose as the main navigation for site visitors. Make what your company does on the homepage clear and share your value proposition directly. Establish the site’s hierarchy and navigation structure on the home page. Use your brand’s colour palette, logo, and images most meaningful to the business. The homepage sets the tone for the company’s vision and builds the bridge to the visitors, so it should tell a story about who you are through pictures and words.
Matcha Kari is an excellent example of these types of websites. Notice the navigation at the top of the page, which tells you what to find on the site. Because the page serves as the start of the conversion funnel, visitors can receive a coupon, sign up for the newsletter, or watch a video about their products.
The Types Of Websites Magazine Websites
A magazine website contains articles, photos, and videos that are informative and educational. Over the past 20 years, the magazine industry has transitioned from a print-only platform to a primarily digital format. Magazine websites work well for informational websites, especially publications from universities and organizations.
If you are thinking of this kind of website type, you should start by building a basic framework. Users should see a similar layout no matter what day they land on your homepage, and each article and navigation must have the same structure. Notice how the overall design adapts to different screen sizes to ensure your content study on both desktop and mobile.
Urban Omnibus is an online magazine with a fairly traditional magazine layout. The theme of their current issue highlight with a hero image and a box describing what the editorial says. Below the editorial are a grid layout column in the magazine, a picture, a headline, and a brief description of what readers will find in each article.
E-commerce Websites
An e-commerce site allows users to buy products or services from your business.
A solid e-commerce site makes it easy for users to browse products, filter by a category, take advantage of specific offers, and make purchases. An easy way to get started is to use an e-commerce platform like Shopify or Squarespace. Your team can easily update inventory and list new products online. And since the system is networked, sales, logistics and marketing stay informed about what works well. E-commerce platforms offer various templates that fit the needs of almost any business.
Flipkart sells many products, so many items feature on their homepage. Notice how they have divided the articles into specific categories and offer deals of the day on their homepage. Each picture is professionally taken and shows the product very clearly. The descriptions are brief initially, with more details on the product page.
Blogging
A blog contains regularly updated articles, photos, and videos. Initially, blogs contained more casual, personal content compared to magazines. But now, the lines have blurred, and it’s prevalent among big brands and companies to have their blog. Additional professional content improves the credibility of a company or an individual. Blogs also provide material for social media posts and email campaigns.
However, a blog can quickly become tedious for smaller companies. Therefore, before you think about starting one, ensure you have a team and a strategy to keep your content up-to-date. It’s better not to have a blog and instead offer a few videos or guides than a hopelessly outdated blog.
Nourish Eats keeps it simple and focused with the content on its blog. Instead of using a slider at the top of the page, the site integrates a rotating slider the right that cycles through different site categories. The slider provides up-to-date content and appeals to users. Users can navigate anywhere or use the arrows to go forward or back.
Portfolio Websites
A portfolio website gives creatives a place to showcase their best work. It is perfect for artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, carpenters, etc.
When building a portfolio, you don’t have to include every single project decided. Instead, focus on creating specific categories and highlighting the best work in each category. A portfolio website is inherently more creative, so it’s the perfect place to try out unusual layouts and exciting features.
Designer Gautier Maillard’s online portfolio is the perfect blend of creativity and the best of project work. As the user scrolls down the page, different images show up. Click on any image, and you will see the advertising campaigns of the project. If you want to absorb more about the designer, click on the About button in the navigation in the top right corner and learn that he lives in Paris, where he studied and what projects decided on this layout and strategy work because the focus is on his actual work, and there is tiny text. Users process and remember images better than plain text.
Landing Pages
A landing page is one type of website created specifically for a marketing campaign that drives visitors to take a specific action.
The content on a landing page should be limited and reference the call-to-action (CTA) you want users to take. Work with plenty of white space around your CTA and save elements unrelated to the purpose of this campaign for other pages.
Shopify’s free trial landing page has simple headlines and calls to action, such as “Start your free trial.” The elements on the page guide the visitor down a specific path to convert them into a buyer. They use relevant, trending images and give the page a slightly 3D effect with the sunglasses in the corner while also showing what one of their shopping page’s layouts resembles.
The Types Of Websites Social Media Websites
There are approximately 2.77 billion people on social media across dozens of different platforms. No matter who your target audience is, you’ll likely find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or LinkedIn. While you can’t refactor the platforms themselves, you have some control over how your site looks and can create content that encourages sharing.
Aim for a consistent look across your social media pages, so users instantly know your brand is behind the page. Use the same logo and colours. Choose a specific voice and personality that will come through throughout your content.
When creating content, you should focus on things most likely to be shared on social media, such as funny videos, infographics, memes, reports, and free offers.
Nutella’s Facebook page features an exciting mix of content that matches the brand’s colour palette and look. It includes memes explicitly made for social media, like “Today I’m sharing my Nutella…” But they also have videos and ideas on using their product in unusual ways. Also, please pay attention to how they use social media buttons on their website so that users can easily find them across the different platforms.
The Types Of Websites Directory and Contact Pages
A directory or contact page is a place where people can connect with you or others. This type of website works well when listing a collection of businesses or people within an organization. For example, a restaurant collection contains local eateries with menus, price ranges, phone numbers, and reviews.
The very nature of an organization creates an opportunity for a directory website. For example, an association of local dentists in a city might list each member, their speciality, and their contact information. Keep this design option on hand for clients.
Manta is a business directory featuring small businesses based on their location. The site offers the ability to search by keyword and browse categories such as restaurants, contractors, and doctors. Companies can add an entry to the directory, making the site profit from advertising.
Choose the Right Website Type for Your Target Audience
Good design is far more than an appealing look. It speaks to users and targets the needs of the target audience viewing the site. Please consider what other companies have done with their web design and determine which format works best for each project. Knowing what others have achieved with different website types will give you a good sense of which works best for you.
Conclusion
As a designer or small business owner, you should be familiar with all the different website types to decide which ones you need. However, while designing, it’s important to remember the home page’s purpose as the main navigation for site visitors. A solid e-commerce site makes it easy for users to browse products, filter by a category, take advantage of specific offers, and make purchases. A landing page is one type of website created specifically for a marketing campaign that drives visitors to take a particular action. Also, please pay attention to how they use social media buttons on their website so that users can easily find them across the different platforms.
