A website is a collection of webpages under one domain name and published on at least one server. They are usually set up for a specific purpose or around a particular topic.
Typically websites are for news, education, commerce, entertainment or social networking. A website is set up with a home page. The rest of the webpages are hyperlinked together.
The top most visited website (as of December 2022):
All public websites make up the World Wide Web. There are private website on company servers, such as employee phone directories, which are not accessible from outside the corporation.
The first website was created in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee, a British physicist at CERN. Three years later, in 1993, CERN announced that everyone could access and use the World Wide Web for free.
Purpose
The purpose of a website can vary depending on the type of website and its intended audience. However, the primary purpose of a website is to provide information, services, or products to users in a convenient and accessible way. Here are some common purposes of a website:
- To Inform: Websites can provide information on a variety of topics, such as news, education, entertainment, or business. They can help users learn about a product, service, or idea, and can serve as a valuable resource for research or learning.
- To Engage: Websites can engage users through interactive features, such as forums, social media, or games. They can help build a community around a brand, product, or interest, and can foster relationships between users and businesses.
- To sell: Websites can sell products or services directly to users through e-commerce platforms or online marketplaces. They can help businesses reach a wider audience and increase sales, while providing users with a convenient and secure way to make purchases.
- To Entertain: Websites can provide entertainment through multimedia content, such as videos, music, or games. They can help users relax, have fun, and pass the time.
- To Build a Brand: Websites can help businesses build their brand and establish their identity. They can showcase a company's values, mission, and culture, and can help differentiate a business from its competitors.
- To Provide customer support: Websites can provide customer support through FAQs, tutorials, or live chat. They can help users solve problems, answer questions, and provide feedback.
- To Generate Leads: Websites can generate leads by capturing user information, such as email addresses or phone numbers. They can help businesses build a list of potential customers and market their products or services more effectively.
Main Categories
This is based upon the top-level domain:
government agency - .gov
Educational - .edu
Nonprofit - .org
commercial - .com
Information - .info
They can also add country specific such as .it or .fr.
Types of Websites
There are several types of websites, and they can be classified based on various criteria. Here are some common types of websites:
- Personal Websites: These websites are created by individuals to share their interests, hobbies, or personal information with others. They may include blogs, portfolios, or resumes.
- Business Websites: These websites are created by businesses to promote their products or services, provide information about their company, and engage with their customers. They may include e-commerce websites, corporate websites, or landing pages.
- Informational Websites: These websites are created to provide information on a particular topic or subject. They may include news websites, encyclopedias, or educational websites.
- Social Networking Websites: These websites are created to facilitate social interaction and communication between people. They may include social media platforms, online forums, or dating websites.
- Entertainment Websites: These websites are created to provide entertainment, such as games, videos, or music. They may include gaming websites, video-sharing platforms, or music streaming services.
- E-commerce Websites: These websites are created to sell products or services online. They may include online stores, auction websites, or booking platforms.
- Blogs: These websites are created to share opinions, news, or information on a particular topic. They may include personal blogs, news blogs, or business blogs.
- Portfolios: These websites are created to showcase a person's work or skills. They may include artists' portfolios, photographers' portfolios, or writers' portfolios.
- Non-profit Websites: These websites are created by non-profit organizations to provide information about their mission, programs, and services. They may include charity websites, advocacy websites, or educational institutions' websites.
- Government Websites: These websites are created by government agencies to provide information and services to citizens. They may include federal, state, or local government websites.
web browsers
Websites are accessed using a web browser. Some of the more popular ones are:
- Brave
- Chrome
- Safari
- Opera
- Firefox
Search Engines
Search is an important feature not only for finding information but also different sites.
So these these are:
- Bing
- Yahoo
- Duck Duck Go
Presearch is a search engine that is run on a number of decentralized nodes. This is designed to break the stranglehold centralized entities have on search. The goal is to make this censorship resistant whereby the algorithm presents results based upon the data input and not to manipulate what people see.
This is tied to cryptocurrency where people can get rewarded for using the search engine.
Modes
There are two basic modes.
Static:
A static webpage is one that does not change very often. This is usually coded in HTML and does not take information in frequently. An example of this might be a sales brochure that is uploads.
Visitors can see the information but that is all.
Dynamic
A dynamic website is one that updated frequently. This is also programmed in HTML but using other languages. Interaction among users is common. For example, a comment section is a way to make a website dynamic. Another is a site that provides real time quotes for stocks.
We can see different sites contain pages that are both static and dynamic.