Web sites can come in all types of styles and forms. Knowing the type of web site that will be needed is a first step toward designing an effective website. Now this is looking more from a functional perspective, than a design perspective. You can place any design, into any of these types. Common design styles include Flat, Retro, etc.
Consider these common types of websites:
Business Card
- Generally one page only
- Provides the company name, and method to contact them.
- Not too common any more, as they were more common early on when people were charged by the page
- Sample
- Some times used as a “place holder site” while the full site is being developed, with a way to sign up as a “beta” user.
- However, see the article about coming soon landing pages
Business Brochure/Information
- Generally 3 to 5 pages, although some may be many more
- Limited interactivity (maybe a simple contact form)
- These are becoming more and more rare, as people want an easy way to build and grow their site. Many sites now take advantage of Content Management Systems (CMS) which means it’s a web application.
Web Application
- Data driven (& probably dynamic)
- May include:
- Social/Networking (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc)
- e-commerce
- Search
- Learning Management Systems
- Customer Support
- Blogs
- Forums
Flash Sites
- Oooohhhh…flash
- Can vary from a simple Business Card (with animation) to complex Web Applications
- This is less a “type” and more of a what is it created with.
- Remember that Flash is now gone. So a Flash site, while some still exist, is pointless in many ways.
Examples of Different Types of Websites was originally found on Access 2 Learn
