What Is a Website?
A website is a digital space where individuals, businesses or organizations create an online presence. It allows them to share information, products or services with people globally and connects with audiences through various forms of media. Websites come in multiple types and categories that are tailored to specific purposes and consist of essential components contributing to their design and functionality.
A webpage is the foundation of any website, with content, graphics and links all working together to provide a user-friendly experience. The content of a website can be anything from text to video, audio recordings and even images, but the purpose is always to inform, persuade or entertain, resulting in longer stays and repeat visits. Content also plays a role in search engine optimization (SEO), helping to boost visibility on Google searches and other platforms.
As a digital medium, a website is accessible 24/7 and offers a global audience that can engage with a business or personal profile at any time of day or night, irrespective of where they are located in the world. This makes it an invaluable tool for anyone wishing to reach out to potential customers or clients, whether they’re selling a product or service, offering a free course, or simply hoping to build trust with their audiences through engaging and informative content.
The structure of a website can be likened to that of a book: it has an opening page, known as the home page, and individual pages on different topics that are called web pages. These pages are accessed via a domain name and stored on servers connected to the internet, which means that computers around the globe can access them by entering the web address into their browsers.
A website can be structured as an e-commerce site, where products and services are sold directly to consumers, or as a brand website, where the company highlights its history, values and leadership team, aiming to connect with its audiences through a clear and consistent identity. It can also be a news or blogging site, where writers and thought leaders share their views with the public, or it can be a single landing page for marketing purposes.
Many popular websites such as Amazon, Etsy and The Guardian have a combination of these features. Other websites are geared solely to one particular form of media, such as Pretty Handy Girl, a DIY blog run by Brittany, or A Cup of Jo, which is a lifestyle journal written by Joanna Goddard, who has been able to turn her site into a full-time career for herself (find out more about how she did this here). Whatever type of website you’re looking to create, there are a number of things to consider that will influence the overall design and functionality. These include: