If you want to establish an online presence, it helps to have a website. Sure, you can build an online presence on popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but there’s nothing quite like having your piece of the web that’s just yours.
There are various ways you can create a website. For example, you could code it using HTML and CSS, hire a professional web developer, or build your website using WordPress.
But before deciding how to create your website, you must first decide what website type you want.
20 Most Common Website Types
The web is filled with many types of websites, all serving their particular function or niche. Here, I will run through 20 of the most popular website types to help you decide which one might be best for you.
1. Business website
No matter your business type, having a professional website will boost your brand’s online presence and build credibility.
Orange Cube is an excellent example of an online advertising agency website built with WordPress, using Crocoblock. Its design is elegant yet vibrant and conveys credibility.
Restaurant websites are another good example of a business website, and a great example is Steak Cattle and Roll.
2. eCommerce website
If you want to sell products from an online store, an eCommerce website is what you need. This could be for selling products you stock yourself or selling other people’s products using the dropshipping model.
Check out this video showing how you can easily create a WordPress bookstore website with JetPlugins:
3. Blog
A blog is a regularly updated website containing posts in reverse chronological order. For example, it could be a travel blog, food blog, lifestyle blog, or business blog.
Groedgrisen is an excellent example of a WordPress blog website built with Crocoblock.
4. Personal website
The purpose of a personal website is to have an online presence dedicated to you as a person or about a topic you are personally interested in. Personal websites often contain blogs, allowing the owner to freely express their thoughts and feelings to the world.
5. Portfolio
An online portfolio is a great way to consolidate and display examples of your work if you are a creative professional, such as a graphic designer, artist, or writer. When trying to score a job with a client or employer, you can provide the link to your portfolio so they can see the type of work you are capable of.
Photographer Robert Lawler has a good example of a photo portfolio site.
6. Event website
Having a dedicated website is a good idea if you are putting on a big event. Not only will it help advertise the event, but you can also use it for booking tickets and keeping in touch with anyone interested.
An excellent example of a WordPress event website is Earagail Arts Festival.
7. Magazine or news site
News and magazine sites can have a similar structure to blog sites, but rather than being about personal interests and opinions, the focus is on journalism. These sites contain informative and educational content in articles, photos, and videos.
The most popular news site in the world is the New York Times.
8. Membership site
While anyone can read most sites on the web, a membership site can only be read by those who sign up and pay a fee to gain access. This could be anything that people are prepared to pay for, such as fitness coaching, nutrition tips, or an exclusive book club.
If you want to create your membership site, check out our guide to building a WordPress membership site with JetEngine.
9. Educational site
Educational websites either provide online courses or information on educational organizations.
A popular example of the first type is Udemy, which provides high-quality online courses on every topic worth learning about.
A highly respected example of the second type is the University of Oxford.
10. Landing page
While most websites contain lots of information across multiple pages, a landing page is an opposite. It is usually just a single page with the sole intention of getting the visitor to take a specific action, such as joining a mailing list or downloading an app. These are the websites you end up on if you click on paid ads in Google, for example.
11. Crowdfunding site
Crowdfunding sites enable people with great ideas to raise money to realize their ideas. Popular crowdfunding sites include Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and Kickstarter.
12. Nonprofit website
No matter the cause, having a dedicated website can be a great way to raise its profile. Popular nonprofit sites include Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, and American Red Cross.
13. Entertainment website
An entertainment website’s purpose is to provide entertaining content. This could be about movies, celebrity news, or even funny images — whatever people are likely to find entertaining.
One of the most popular entertainment sites is Fandom.
14. Government website
The purpose of a government website is to inform the public about any news or information regarding any government business. One of the most well-known government websites is usa.gov for the United States Government.
15. Web portal
Web portals are often used for internal purposes within an organization. Some companies might use web portals to distribute work-related information among employees efficiently. On the other hand, universities may use web portals to enable communication between teachers and students regarding educational materials and academic information.
16. Social media
Social media sites enable people to share their lives with people they know. This can be in the form of text, photos, or videos. With infinite scrolling providing endless novelty, these sites can be highly addictive.
The most popular social media sites are Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
17. Forum
With an online forum, you can build a community based on a shared interest. One of the most popular online forums is Gaia Online, for gaming enthusiasts. At the time of writing this, it has over 31 million registered users. You can make money from it by restricting access to paid members only.
18. Brochure
A brochure site is a minimal website for providing essential information about your business. It is an ideal option for sole traders and small businesses who just want to provide information to potential customers and a way for them to get in touch.
KC Commercial Cleaning is a good example of a brochure website.
19. Wiki
Usually, a website is updated by one person or a few people. By contrast, a wiki is a website that can be contributed to or modified by its users. Of course, Wikipedia is the most well-known example, but many others exist. For example, Wikitravel is a wiki dedicated to travel, and Wikibooks is a wiki devoted to textbooks.
20. Video streaming site
Video streaming sites are websites dedicated to providing video content. When you think of videos, the first site that comes to mind might be YouTube, which you can watch for free because it displays ads. However, many video streaming websites are paid membership sites, such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney Plus, which require a paid membership.
FAQ
As of January 2024, the most visited website is google.com.
As of January 2024, Google is the most popular search website, claiming over 92% of the market.
In 2023, the most popular search word was YouTube.
When Google started in 1998, the first term searched on the site was Gerhard Casper, the president of Stanford University at the time.
As of January 2023, there are almost 1.13 billion websites. However, only 18% of these sites are currently active.
Summary
If you are looking to start a website, there are many different website types. Here I have looked at 20 of the most common website types, which are:
- Business website — to boost your brand’s online presence.
- eCommerce website — to sell products via an online store.
- Blog — to post regular updates about a topic you’re interested in.
- Personal website — to have a personal online presence.
- Portfolio — to showcase your creative work.
- Event website — to advertise and manage an event.
- Magazine or news site — to provide news.
- Membership site — to provide exclusive content to paying members.
- Educational site — to provide information and resources to students and teachers.
- Landing page — for marketing a specific product or service.
- Crowdfunding site — to raise money for a new idea.
- Nonprofit website — to raise the profile of a charity.
- Entertainment website — to provide entertaining content.
- Government website — to inform the public about government business.
- Web portal — for internal communication within an organization.
- Social media — to share your life with your friends.
- Forum — for people with a shared interest to have discussions.
- Brochure — a simple business information site.
- Wiki — a website that the users can edit.
- Video streaming site — for watching films and TV shows.
Whichever website type you decide to create, I wish you all the best with it.
