16 Most Popular Types of Websites

If your goal is to establish an online presence, a professionally designed website by a reputable Wollongong web design agency can help you make a positive first impression on potential clients. Even more so, it can give your website visitors an incredible user experience.

But above all, a good website design has the ability to help you generate business leads and increase conversions.

You probably are familiar with some of the most common types of websites. Blogs, e-commerce websites, and business websites are the most popular ones. But there's actually more!

If you're planning to build a website for your business, this article can help you decide which one will best fit your goals and marketing objectives.

Most Popular Types of Websites and Their Examples

Here is a list of the 16 most popular types of websites and how they can impact your business when used in the best way possible.

1. Business Website

Having a business website may help you establish an online presence for your clients to learn more about your brand, your mission, and the products and services that you provide, regardless of whether you run an established company or a startup.

The main purpose of a business website is not only to provide relevant information that allows customers to reach out for your service but to obtain a wider range of prospective clients. To support this, businesses often create multiple landing pages to generate leads.

Extra tip:  to increase the number of potential customers of your business website, you need to SEO optimise it. This way, you can improve its position in search engine rankings. For comprehensive SEO optimisation, you can use special SEO tools. For example, one such tool is Sitechecker.

A landing page is a web page specifically intended for an advertising or marketing campaign, with the purpose of persuading site visitors to take a desired action, such as joining an email list or making a purchase. Typically, it has a compelling call to action that nudges site visitors to take the intended action.

By adding a landing page to your business website, you are providing additional insight to your audience, allowing them to recognise your brand on a deeper level.

Examples of entities that use business websites include service companies, law offices, restaurants, clothing brand, accounting firms, and many more.

Unlike other web pages, landing pages are independent from other websites, which is why they don't belong in a website's evergreen navigation.

Business websites may also be sometimes called as corporate websites because they basically give potential customers with information about their company. However, given that this type of website is built with internal purposes, they require more protection from cyberattacks since they are also more competitive and have a higher profile.

Often, businesses should hire a professional web developer to protect their website from hacking sensitive user data.

2. eCommerce Website

An eCommerce website is one of the most popular types of websites used in online business today. Although there are a lot of online platforms to sell products and services, businesses still choose ecommerce websites because they have the best approach in transforming your brand from a conventional brick and mortar business to a cutting-edge and prominent one.

Significantly, sellers also found eCommerce websites as a great tool to grow their online business and make a name for their brand online.

An eCommerce website gives you the freedom to build your own ecommerce store and sell items that you curate. You can even use a drop-shipping strategy in your online store to sell products that are distributed by other ecommerce sites.

Through an eCommerce website, various users are able to browse and buy goods and services online at their convenience.

If you are an avid shopper, you know that Amazon is the most popular website in the eCommerce and shopping industry as of 2022. And if you're looking for a way to promote your products and attract new clients, Amazon might be the perfect eCommerce site for your business.

The good thing about eCommerce websites is that they make shopping easier and stress-free. After items have been added to your cart, you can check out using your credit card or pay thru online payment platforms like PayPal and Shopify.

3. Blog Website

Blog websites are designed so people can post written and visual information covering topics about anything they like. More often than not, it can pretty much look like a personal website too. Though, by using affiliate links and collaborating with marketers, you can earn and make a lucrative job out of it.

Some of the well-known categories used in a blog include travel, food, fashion, lifestyle, and personal blogs. Nowadays, a blog website should be regularly updated with articles, photos, and even videos if you want it to keep up with the trend.

Since there are no rules in writing a personal blog, it can also be used to express one's voice and opinions. Or if you are a business, you can use a blog website to provide your clients with useful information.

4. Portfolio Website

A portfolio website basically serves as a platform for authors, designers, artists, freelancers, and other creative professionals in the industry to showcase their potential.

Typically, a portfolio website consists of everything a person has accomplished. Through a portfolio site, you can be able to highlight your skills, expertise, projects, and brands you have worked with.

By just allowing potential clients to visit your portfolio website, you are already attracting them to work with you in the future.

Portfolio websites are like business websites but they are more personalised. Whether you love art, music, literature, or sports, you can create your portfolio website spontaneously.

5. Membership Website

Membership websites are often created with a "members-only" design in mind. In simple terms, a membership website is a private site containing exclusive content that is accessible to members only.

Organizations, clubs, and businesses use these type of website to restrict contents that users may find interesting and valuable.

By requiring users to register or pay a fee in order to access all of the website's features, a membership website assures exclusivity.

An online magazine company provides a good example for this. Instead of releasing all the magazine content online, they ask readers to sign up for membership in order to access an exclusive online magazine content. Not only does it allow the company to expand their revenue streams, but it also encourages loyalty and trust among members while drawing more people to their website.

6. Nonprofit Website

A nonprofit website hosts the easiest way for some potential donors to donate and learn more about an organisation before deciding whether or not to make a donation.

Building a nonprofit website for your organisation is an important step in establishing your credibility and reaching out to more people if you're thinking about starting an NGO.

You can use it to solicit funds, encourage supporters to get involved, and advance the projects your organisation manages.

7. Personal Website

A personal website is another excellent way to boost your online presence. Through personal websites, you can create a space dedicated to your passion.

Whether you aspire to get noticed for your craft or you just want a website where you can express your personality and interests, a personal website is the best platform to do them all.

You can even hire a web designer to help you with the layout and design of your new website. Since most web designers have a strong grasp of the intricacies of web design, they can ensure that all your goals are properly conveyed and there are no obstacles in achieving success for your business.

For those looking to highlight their professional qualifications and achievements, you can add plenty of CV and templates on your personal website too.

8. News Websites

News websites exist to provide news to people for free. They make an excellent alternative to traditional media like newspapers, radio, and television.

Not only do they provide the usual daily news but they also offer a vast selection of content such as games, entertainment, and sports. What's more, they are also free online!

All different kinds of news, whether political, legal, entertainment, sports, and more, may be found on these websites.

9. Educational Websites

Educational websites are websites used by educational institutions basically to inform everyone of their institution or mainly to provide study materials to students via online.

Educational websites typically offer online courses for students to access subjects that they weren't able to get offline.

Sometimes, this website type may also act as an informational website given that it has plenty of exclusive educational materials that other websites do not have and cannot access.

Like media and entertainment websites, certain educational sites may also contain advertisements since some companies sell instructional products to establish an educational organization's web presence.

10. Community Forum

A community forum, often known as a message board, is a type of website where users can have discussions using posted messages. Typically, these messages are frequently longer than one line of text and are at least briefly stored, setting them apart from chat rooms.

Evidently, a community forum is a great place to interact and discuss ideas with people online who have similar interests to yours.

If you are in the business, you can take advantage of this website by acquiring priceless product feedback while also boosting consumer engagement and decreasing the cost of customer support. When a knowledge base is included, the forum gains even more strength.

11. Web Portals

A web portal is a web platform that compiles data from various sources and presents the most useful data in one unified interface. In recent years, basic web portals have advanced into full-fledged web portal platforms, which aid businesses in their digital customer experience initiatives.

Basically, web portals work by requiring an authentication to access restricted content that is solely intended for particular audiences. A prime example would be colleges and other educational institutions that require students to login in order to access their courses, funds, and other resources.

12. Brochure Website

A brochure website is a type of website that mimics the look and feel of a traditional brochure. It normally has one to five pages of eye-catching text and photos that promote a business' goods and services - all of which can be accessed through the top navigation bar or footer.

Basically, a brochure website particularly aims to convey credibility and essential details about a company. It is not designed with any objectives in mind because it cannot even be considered a part of a marketing plan.

13. Social Media Websites

Social media websites are probably the most popular and most used websites among any other types of websites today. Almost everyone has their own Facebook and Instagram accounts where they use it to engage in conversations, share information, and produce content for the web.

Because of their adaptability, social media sites offer a powerful and easily available arsenal for highlighting and pursuing topics and causes that concern and influence young people.

Even businesses use social media website to acquire a wider audience and further boost their business site through social media advertisements and promotion.

As users watch these ads, they are directed to a certain landing page where they can navigate through the business website and hopefully avail a special offer, subscribe to a newsletter, or make a purchase.

Being a primary destination for people to shop, communicate with others, and learn about the news, social media sites have impacted every industry significantly.

14. Search Engines

A search engine is an exclusive type of website that aids users in discovering web pages from other websites. Among all other search engines, Google is without a doubt the most well-known and widely used search engine in the world, accounting for over 80% of the market and over 95% of mobile traffic.

Besides Google, there are other search engine websites currently available that includes Bing, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and many more.

15. Entertainment Website

An entertainment website is a type of website that focuses on producing excellent material that is enjoyable for the intended audience.

Although anything that entertains the common people might be considered as an entertainment website, some of the most popular ones are those that include news articles, videos, movies, blog posts, and actual movies.

In general, a website or online business that specializes in creating top-notch entertainment material for its users is called an entertainment website.

Online entertainment websites are quite inventive and contain a lot of media content, including movies, music, and high quality images. Among other websites, YouTube and Netflix are the most popular ones while 9GAG stands out among humor websites.

16. Informational Website

An informational website is designed to provide users with facts, and a great source of data and information. Think about encyclopedias, news sites, and more - they all feature extensive content that covers a broad range of subjects from histories to technologies and the like. Same with informational websites such as a wiki site, informational websites can provide answers to almost any query, featuring search bars that help visitors find what they need in no time at all.

What Are Examples of Good Websites?

1. Cuddly Bubs

Cuddly Bubs serves as a prime example of a well-designed eCommerce website. It uses engaging tag lines and high-quality images to attract customers and inform them easily of what the brand offers. It also features a user-friendly navigation menu where you can quickly find their products based on categories.

Aside from providing a good user experience, Cuddly Bubs' website puts a lot of attention on being interactive and dynamic to keep visitors on the page. Ready to purchase your items? No worries! Cuddly Bubs employs multiple call-to-actions to assist you in reaching the checkout page.

2. Better Planning

With a good colour scheme, an easy-to-read layout, and lots of informative text added to the homepage, Better Planning is undeniably a good example of a website that does everything right.

Visitors are made to feel welcome by the refreshing, joyful images, and the typography selection that enhances the overall positive vibe of the website. On the home page, there is also a video of what NDIS is, aiding users to understand more about their services.

With a good choice of visuals combined with compelling tag lines, everything functions as an excellent and effective website.

3. Kells

Kells the Lawyers is a perfect example of a good law firm website that is straightforward, informative, and easy to navigate. It has a simple, yet attractive web design with a professional look and feel.

The homepage includes an overview of the firm’s services and areas of expertise so you won't be confused about what you are looking for and where to find it. It's also easy for clients to learn more about their services as there are call-to-action buttons below each service.

The fact that their testimonials are prominently displayed on their website is also great because it draws potential customers to use their services with confidence. Overall, Kells' website is crisp, clean, and adheres to what their taglines indicate.

Takeaway

Now that you are aware of the various types of websites, you can now start creating your own website.

If you are a beginner or just a business starting out, you can easily create one using various website builders. There is, however, no guarantee that your website will succeed. It may even do more harm than good to your business. Website builders may provide you with a basic website, but they are often limited in scope and functionality and lack the finesse of a professionally designed website. 

So if you want to be sure and your goal is to generate high-quality leads for your business, you need to work with a top-notch web designer who can understand your brand and build a website that meets your company's objectives.

At Love My Online Marketing, we help clients achieve success online. As a certified Google partner and one of the leading website and Google marketing agencies in Australia, we provide the solutions for all your web design and internet marketing needs. Book a discovery call to learn more.