Website Types: Which one fits your business?

01-02-2009 • Headline: Web Services

There are millions of active web sites on the internet today. Choosing which type of website bests fits your business needs can be a tricky decision, especially when you're looking towards the future.

Determining the type of website you need revolves around whether it’s for a business or personal use. If it’s for a business and then it’s based upon the type of business you have. For instance, if you’re selling products, decide if you plan on selling them online or just showing product information in a catalog.

Some other questions also will determine the type of website you need. Are you looking to present your company information in a 5-7 page website or a 10-50 page one? Do you want a static (standard) website or one built with flash (animated)? Also, do you plan on adding internet marketing, advertising or custom web applications to your site? And do mobile phone users need to access your website?

Once you’ve figured out the type of website you need, next look at all the options available. Even though new technology appears on daily basis we’ve taken some time to research some standard website types to choose from:

First, we’ve broken down websites into two categories to start:

Static (CSS) Website. The advantage of a static website is that you do get the best of both worlds. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you want. Whether you’re looking for an inexpensive 2-3 page website or a 25-50 page corporate website that includes everything, this option fits most businesses today.

Animated (Flash) Website. The advantage of an Animated website is that well…it’s impressive. Flash websites are dynamic and provide your visitors a rich user experience. If you’re planning on making a statement and knocking your visitors off their feet then flash website design is the way to go. The disadvantages are higher costs and flash sites are usually unreadable by search engines and mobile devices.

Next, decide on the content to add to your website.

Here are some examples:

Presentation Website. This is your standard 1-10 page website. Your options are having a custom site built or use a prebuilt template. This type most commonly has menu items and pages representing your company’s products and services, along with an “about us” page, a media gallery and contact form.

Corporate Website. This is the same as a presentation website but in larger scale, up to 25-50 pages. Because there’s so much content these types of websites are generally designed so the company can update all the content themselves. These sites are sometimes made with a Content Management System.

Personal Website. A personal website is usually targets friends and family and has limited viewership. A personal web site can be constructed easily through free online website services or social network websites.

E-Commerce. If you’re selling your products online this is the only way to go. Online sales are increasing and many retailers are moving onto online sites. An E-Commerce site allows users to shop online and complete their transactions paying by credit card or PayPal services.

Web Applications. Many companies are now turning to web based applications to perform normal business activities as well as interact with customers. Most Web Applications or Intranet Systems are also integrated with multiple back end applications.

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