The Most Common Types of Websites Explained

There are over 1.7 million websites worldwide, a number that climbs every day. Whether you’re considering joining that number or wondering what kinds of different websites you can check out, you might be interested to know that the majority of websites fall into a few common categories. Here are some of the most popular types of websites, with examples.

1. E-commerce Websites

These popular websites allow you to sell products to people online. Examples of this type of site include big-box retailers like Amazon or Best Buy, as well as companies like Etsy that sell handmade products. Websites that offer the ability to put items in a cart and check out quality as e-commerce websites.

2. Business Website

These kinds of websites act as dedicated online addresses for a specific business or brand. A business website will list a company’s products, services, or past work. It will also include contact information to encourage potential customers to get in touch.

3. Personal or Portfolio Websites

These are cousins to business websites, as they showcase the contact information, products, services, and work of an individual. However, they often focus on past work, acting as a literal portfolio to highlight what an individual can accomplish.

4. Entertainment Websites

These popular website options are great for anyone with a taste for humorous or interesting content. Sites like Buzzfeed offer listicles and critiques on pop culture, for example, and sites like CollegeHumor present funny entertainment.

5. Media Websites

As you’d expect, media websites offer collections of articles, videos, and guides for their readers. They can overlap with entertainment websites, as in the case of The Onion, but the most prominent include media properties that also exist as newspapers or print magazines, such as The Washington Post or National Geographic.

6. Educational Websites

Now more than ever, people are learning online—and educational websites are what makes this possible. These websites can include the websites of universities and other institutions, or they may include sites like Coursera, which offers online distance learning from a variety of sources.

7. Blogs

Blogs come in many shapes and sizes these days, with some of them offering videos and photos while others stick to the traditional, text-based “web logs” that gave blogs their name. From major brands to your neighbor next door, blogs are popular tools to discuss a huge variety of topics.

8. Landing Pages

Popular with businesses and major brands, landing pages are designed to get a reader to follow through on a single course of action, like buying a product or downloading a guide. The best of them take advantage of web design services to ensure they have a great, eye-catching appearance and powerful content.

Consider the Types of Websites You See

These are just a few of the most popular websites people use and create on a daily basis, but there are countless other types to choose from. If you’re interested in creating a website of your own, consider the websites above, as well as the websites you often interact with, as you narrow down your options.

Want more tips to help you make the most of your website? Check out our other posts for tips on technology, advertising, marketing, and more!