What type of website do I need?

That’s a good question!

You’re in the right place to get the answer and to understand what type of website you need.

Depending on your requirements, you may want scheduling capabilities, a photo gallery, a member login area, newsletter registration widgets, a blog, or a number of other possible features on your site.

This brief article will help you understand some of the most popular types of websites.

Reviewing the simple Website explanations will help you determine what type of site you want and going through the Website Wishlist questionnaire will help you think through the requirements for your site.

Although creating your Website Wish List will provide your development team with the plan they need when building your website, it’s worth taking a moment to understand these basic types of websites before you discuss your plans with your developers so you will be able to better understand their questions and make recommendations.

This explains five types of websites you will most likely want to choose from for your business. They are:

Static Website

Brochure style website with static content changed only on rare occasion

Commerce Website

Catalogue site featuring multiple products. Ultimately selecting products “may” place them into shopping cart which is eCommerce enabled allowing you to make a purchase and enter shipping details

Squeeze Page

A one page site focused on capturing user’s email addresses in exchange for the solution to their problem. Also referred to as a Lead Capture Page or Landing Page. Landing Page is also used to mean the first page visitors land on and enter your website from.

Sales Letter Page

A one page site that offers a detailed explanation, usually in long form copy, building the value of the offering with the goal of compelling the user to register for the full or greater package being sold

Blog

An online journal. Blogging platforms such as WordPress offer robust content management systems, static pages and countless features which available for you at add by uploading “Plugins”

If your Website is your business, you may want to add these to the list:

Membership Sites

If you want to create a service users can subscribe to and receive special privileges, like the ability to advertise or access to special content or training

Social Networking Sites

If you want to create a social networking site using web 2.0 features. Perhaps targeting an unserved niche community. You can think of it as creating your own version of Facebook.

Mobile Apps and Mobile Friendly / Responsive versions of your chosen type of Website are also important considerations.

As you have probably determined by now, your new site may become a combination of two or more of these types of websites. For instance, you may need a membership website that has an eCommerce catalogue shopping cart and a blog area.

How should I get started with a New Website?

That depends!

This can become a complex question and may depend on your experience and budget.

In general, especially if this is your first website, I recommend that you walk before you run!

Today’s website platforms are very scalable. It’s often wise to have a longterm vision for your website and implement it in phases. This may mean launching the site with only foundational pages in the first phase, then adding features and deeper content to the site in the following phases.  A phased approach  will allow you to get the site up and running sooner and achieve tangible milestones with your developer, minimizing the possibility of getting overwhelmed implementing too many features at once.

Thoroughly scoping out your website project before starting its development is the best way to avoid scope creep and getting bogged down in analysis paralysis.  Once the site is live, between phases, you can observe and measure how people are interacting with it. You can use the feedback to guide the following phases.

Understanding these website types and referring to your Website Wishlist will help you clarify your requirements. You’ll understand what type of website you need, be enabled to accurately answer your web-developer’s questions and better understand their recommendations.

Cheers and best wishes,

Bernie