A website is a group of World Wide Web pages or collection of related web pages usually containing hyperlinks to each other and made available online by an individual, company, educational institution, government, or organization that may contain text, images, audio, video, etc. The first page of a website is called a home page. Each website has a specific internet address (URL) that you need to enter in your browser to access the website.
A website is hosted on one or more servers and can be accessed by visiting its homepage using a computer network. A website is managed by its owner can be an individual, company, or organization.
The first website was introduced on 6 August 1991. It was developed by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN. As of January 2018, there were around 1.7 billion websites on the internet.
What is the need for a website?
A popular website is another name of success in modern times like today we are living in a digital world where people are spending most of their spare time on the internet browsing news, images, videos, and more. A website is the first thing that appears on the screen of your laptop when you search for a product or service, or any other information online. So, it is very important to have a website whether you are a businessman, organization, online store, etc. Let us understand how a website can help you grow your business!
The benefits of having a website are as follows:
- 1. Cost-effective: The marketing of products and services through a website is less costly than print advertising, TV, and radio advertising. It also allows you to make changes related to your products and services such as you can edit products’ specifications, features, discount offers, etc.
- 2. Broder demographic reach: A website can help your business reach people with diverse backgrounds throughout the world.
- 3. Business credibility: Having a website that is user-friendly and professional looking for your business makes people consider your business more credible than others who don’t have a website to represent their businesses online.
- 4. 24/7 availability: You can keep your products available for sale around the clock through a website. Customers can buy anytime, and thus you can earn more profits than a traditional storefront.
- 5. Consumer convenience: It improves the shopping experience of your customers; they can buy your products from the comfort of their homes.
- 6. Build customer rapport: Online presence helps you build and maintain a rapport among your customers. You can also introduce special offers or discounts for your loyal customers.
- 7. Improves productivity: It saves your time as you don’t need to explain your products or services to each customer separately, as all the information is already available on the website.
- 8. Educate your customers: You can educate people about the benefits of your products and can show them how they are betters than the competitors’ products.
- 9. Change location: You can move your business to another location without affecting your sales as customers still can find you through your website.
- 10. Grow manpower: You can post job openings for vacant positions and allow applicants to check job descriptions and apply online.
- 11: Personalized email address: It allows you to set up personalized email addresses for employees, companies, partners, etc. You can receive mails on these mail ids and reply accordingly. Furthermore, you can share offers, happy hours, and updates, and can get feedback through email.
- 12. Improve customer service: It allows you to improve customer service such as you can share phone numbers to contact you, and displaying other relevant information such as order status, delivery status, refund or replacement procedure, etc.
Types of Websites
A website can be of two types based on the type of web pages:
- Static Website
- Dynamic Website
Static website
A static website, as the name suggests, is a website in which pages do not change or remain the same. It is the basic type of website that is easy to create, maintain, and host. You don’t need web programming and database design to create a static website. Its webpages are coded in HTML
The codes are fixed for each page, so the information contained in the page does not change, and it looks like a printed page. However, changes can be made by changing the codes if required.
You can think of it as a brochure for a business that has the same information for every user. So, all users see the same information irrespective of their location, interests, etc., when they open a particular page of a static website.
In the case of a static website, the content or webpage is taken directly from the file stored in the server without requiring any interpreter (application software) to interact with a database to fetch data from the database. So, database and server-side scripting are not required in static websites.
Benefits of a Static Website:
- It takes less time to create a static website.
- It is less costly to develop this website.
- The webpages are delivered at high speed by the servers.
- Hosting through dedicated servers is available at a low price.
- It is more secure than dynamic sites as it does not rely on CMS plugins and server-side scripting.
Dynamic website
A dynamic website is a collection of dynamic web pages whose content changes dynamically. It accesses content from a database or Content Management System (CMS). Therefore, when you alter or update the content of the database, the content of the website is also altered or updated.
A dynamic website uses client-side scripting or server-side scripting, or both to generate the dynamic content. For example, when a browser sends a request to the server, the server contacts the application server with further interacts with the database server to fetch the content, which is customized as per the user’s requests and requirements. For example, a Facebook page may appear different to different users as per their friends’ list, interests, location, etc.
Benefits of a Dynamic Website:
- It is very quick and easy to make changes to a dynamic website as it is integrated with high-end programming.
- The web pages are easier to maintain despite being full of information and graphics.
- E-commerce sites are dynamic as they need to be impressive and have easy navigation from one page to other pages.
- It makes your site look professional.
- The users can get customized information as per their interests, needs, profile, etc. For example, facebook.com, flipkart.com, etc.
Difference between Static Website and Dynamic Website:
| Static Website | Dynamic Website |
|---|---|
| As the name suggests, Its web pages do not change in terms of design, content, etc. The information or content remains the same. | As the name suggests, the web pages keep changing as per users’ requirements such as Facebook profile pages and E-commerce sites. So, the content does not remain the same. |
| It mainly uses HTML and CSS and does not require server-side scripting, application server, and database. | It requires server-side scripting, an application server, and a database to create and send dynamic webpages to the client. |
| It has a limited number of pages. | It may contain thousands of pages in the database. |
| Its hosting cost is low, as HTML files need less space on the server. | Its hosting cost is higher as dynamic pages need more space on the server. |
| It requires low maintenance. | It requires high maintenance. |
| It loads quickly as it involves the use of mark-up languages to create a webpage. | It takes more time to load due to the more processing time. |
| It lacks the Content management feature. | It makes use of the Content Management Feature. |
| The content of the webpage cannot be changed during runtime. | The webpage content can be changed during runtime. |
| It does not require interaction with a database. | Interaction with the database occurs. |
| It is more secure or has fewer chances of it getting hacked as it doesn’t use plugins. | It is less secure and may get hacked easily as it uses many plugins and content sources. |
| It is more reliable, e.g., whenever the server is down, it is redirected to other nearby nodes. | It is less reliable, as it may go down for hours if the server breaks down. |
Types of Websites based on their purpose, target audience, etc.
- 1. Blog: It is a type of website that provides information or in which posts are added regularly in reverse chronological order, latest post or entries on top of the main page, and old ones towards the bottom. A blog is usually owned by a single person or a small group of people. The content in a blog is written in an informal or conversational style and can be focused on one subject or a wide range of related subjects. Furthermore, the posts are organized into categories if required, e.g., posts that provide similar information can be kept in a separate category. The content of a blog is generally referred to as a blog post, and it generally appears as posts on a streaming page. The information is regularly updated in a blog, e.g., articles, photos, and videos are added daily to keep readers engaged and increase the traffic to the blog. It also allows readers to leave a comment about the posts.
- 2. E-commerce: These types of websites are like online shops where people can buy products through online payment from the comfort of their home, office, etc. Anyone who wants to sell products online can create an E-commerce site instead of investing in setting up a traditional brick-and-mortar shop.
- 3. Informational: These websites are created to provide free online information to users, e.g., tutorials, news, and general knowledge-based sites. Today, you don’t need to visit libraries to read a book, newspaper, novel, etc. owing to the presence of lots of informational sites.
- 4. Online Community: These sites offer a platform to interact and share ideas with others through the internet. You can find people with similar interests and backgrounds and interact with them to fulfill your objectives which may include promoting a product or service, taking feedback about your products, or asking questions related to a survey.
- 5. Social Media: These sites are created to provide users a platform where they can build their profiles with a lot of features such as creating a friend list, sending and accepting friend requests, sending messages, creating and joining groups, and sharing information with others users, comment on others’ post, pictures, videos, etc.
- 6. Brochure: It is the simplest type of website which comprises a few pages. It is used by small businesses to have a simple online presence or to provide an overview of their business. Such websites are generally static where the content does not change, i.e., the same information is displayed to all users.
- 7. Non-profit: The sites are created to raise money for social causes such as providing free medical treatment to the poor, free basic education to children, free food to children to prevent malnutrition, etc.
There are many varieties of websites, each specializing in a particular type of content or use, and they may be arbitrarily classified in any number of ways. A few such classifications might include:
| wide click “show” or “hide” to toggle this table | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of Website | Description | Examples |
| Affiliate network | A site, typically a few pages, whose purpose is to sell a third party’s product. The seller receives a commission for facilitating the sale. | |
| Affiliate agency | Enabled portal that renders not only its custom CMS but also syndicated content from other content providers for an agreed fee. There are usually three relationship tiers (see Affiliate Agencies). | Commission Junction, advertisers like eBay, or a consumer-like Yahoo!. |
| Archive site | Used to preserve valuable electronic content threatened with extinction. Two examples are the Internet Archive, which since 1996 has preserved billions of old (and new) web pages; and Google Groups, which in early 2005 was archiving over 845,000,000 messages posted to Usenet news/discussion groups. | Internet Archive, Google Groups |
| Malware website | A site created specifically to attack visitors’ computers on their first visit to a website by downloading a file (usually a trojan horse). These websites rely on unsuspecting users with poor anti-virus protection on their computers. | |
| Blog (weblog) | Sites are generally used to post online diaries which may include discussion forums. Many bloggers use blogs like an editorial section of a newspaper to express their ideas on anything ranging from politics to religion to video games to parenting, along with anything in between. Some bloggers are professional bloggers and they are paid to blog about a certain subject, and they are usually found on news sites. | WordPress |
| Brand-building site | A site to create an experience of a brand online. These sites usually do not sell anything, but focus on building the brand. Brand building sites are most common for low-value, high-volume fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). | |
| Celebrity website | A website the information which revolves around a celebrity or public figure. These sites can be official (endorsed by the celebrity) or fan-made (run by a fan or fans of the celebrity without implicit endorsement). | jimcarrey.com |
| Comparison shopping website | A website provides a vertical search engine that shoppers use to filter and compare products based on price, features, reviews, and other criteria. | Shopping.com |
| Crowdfunding website | Platform to fund projects by the pre-purchase of products or by asking audience members to donate. | Kickstarter |
| Click-to-donate site | A website that allows the visitor to donate to charity simply by clicking on a button or answering a question correctly. An advertiser usually donates to the charity for each correct answer generated. | The Hunger Site, Freerice |
| Content site | A site the business of which is the creation and distribution of original content | wikiHow.com, About.com |
| Classified ads site | A site publishing classified advertisements | gumtree.com, Craigslist |
| Corporate website | Used to provide background information about a business, organization, or service. | |
| Online dating service | A site where users can find other single people looking for long-term relationships, dating, short encounters, or friendships. Many of them are pay per services, but there are many free or partially free dating sites. Most dating sites in the 2010s have the functionality of social networking websites. | eHarmony, Match.com |
| E-commerce website | A site offering goods and services for online sales and enabling online transactions for such sales. | Amazon.com |
| Fake news website | A site publishing fake news stories, intending to deceive visitors, and profit from advertising. | BFNN, The Daily Stormer |
| Internet forum | A site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. | SkyscraperCity, 4chan |
| Gallery website | A website designed specifically for use as a gallery; these may be an art gallery or photo gallery and of commercial or non-commercial nature. | |
| Government website | A website made by the local, state, department, or national government of a country. Usually, these sites also operate websites that are intended to inform tourists or support tourism. | USA.gov, Naenara, GOV.UK |
| Gripe site | A site devoted to the criticism of a person, place, corporation, government, or institution. | |
| Online game website | Websites where users can play online games | Browser games, OGame, Travian, |
| Online gambling website | A site that lets users play online games such as gambling. | |
| Humor site | Satirizes, parodies, or amuses the audience. | The Onion, National Lampoon digital archive, Encyclopedia Dramatica |
| Information site | Most websites fit in this category to some extent. They do not necessarily have commercial purposes. | Most government, educational and nonprofit institutions have an informational site. |
| Media-sharing site | A site that enables users to upload and view media such as pictures, music, and videos | YouTube, DeviantArt |
| Mirror site | A website that is the replication of another website. This type of website is used as a response to spikes in user visitors. Mirror sites are most commonly used to provide multiple sources of the same information and are of particular value as a way of providing reliable access to large downloads. | |
| Microblog website | A short and simple form of blogging. Microblogs are limited to certain numbers of characters and work similarly to a status update on Facebook. | |
| News site | Similar to an information site, but dedicated to dispensing news, politics, and commentary. | cnn.combbc.com/news |
| Personal website | Websites about an individual or a small group (such as a family) that contains information or any content that the individual wishes to include. Such a personal website is different from a celebrity website, which can be very expensive and run by a publicist or agency. | |
| Phishing website | A website created to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business (such as Social Security Administration, PayPal, a bank) in electronic communication (see Phishing). | |
| Photo sharing website | A website was created to share digital photos with the online community. (see photo sharing). | Flickr, Instagram, Imgur |
| p2p/Torrents website | Websites that index torrent files. This type of website is different from a BitTorrent client which is usually a stand-alone software. | Mininova, The Pirate Bay, IsoHunt |
| Political site | A site on which people may voice political views, provide political humor, campaign for elections, or provide information about a certain candidate, political party, or ideology. | Rhino Party of Canada website |
| Question and Answer (Q&A) site | Answer site is a site where people can ask questions & get answers. | Quora, Yahoo! Answers, Stack Exchange Network (including Stack Overflow) |
| Religious site | A site in which people may advertise a place of worship, provide inspiration or seek to encourage the faith of a follower of that religion. | |
| Review site | A site on which people can post reviews for products or services. | Yelp, Rotten Tomatoes |
| School website | a site on which teachers, students, or administrators can post information about current events at or involving their school. U.S. elementary-high school websites generally use k12 in the URL | |
| Scraper site | a site that largely duplicates the content of another site without permission, without actually pretending to be that site, to capture some of that site’s traffic (especially from search engines) and profit from advertising revenue or in other ways. | |
| Search engine | A website that indexes material on the Internet or an intranet (and lately on traditional media such as books and newspapers) and provides links to information as a response to a query. | Google Search, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia |
| Shock site | Includes images or other material that is intended to be offensive to most viewers | Goatse.cx, rotten.com |
| Showcase website | Web portals are used by individuals and organizations to showcase things of interest or value | |
| Social bookmarking site | A site where users share other content from the Internet and rate and comment on the content. | StumbleUpon, Digg |
| Social networking service | A site where users could communicate with one another and share media, such as pictures, videos, music, blogs, etc. with other users. These may include games and web applications. | YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn[8] |
| Social news | A social news website features user-posted stories that are ranked based on popularity. Users can comment on these posts, and these comments may also be ranked. Since their emergence with the birth of web 2.0, these sites are used to link many types of information including news, humor, support, and discussion. Social news sites allegedly facilitate democratic participation on the web. | Reddit, Digg, SlashDot |
| Warez | A site designed to host or link to materials such as music, movies, and software for the user to download. | The Pirate Bay |
| Webcomic | An online comic, ranging in various styles and genres unique to the World Wide Web. | Penny Arcade, xkcd, Gunnerkrigg Court |
| Webmail | A site that provides a webmail service. | Hotmail, Gmail, Protonmail, Yahoo! Mail |
| Web portal | A site that provides a starting point or a gateway to other resources on the Internet or an intranet. | msn.com, msnbc.com, Newgrounds, Yahoo! |
| Wiki site | A site in which users collaboratively edit its content. | Wikipedia, wikiHow, Wikia |
