A website can be used for a variety of purposes, from promoting products and services to education and entertainment. This makes websites essential when it comes to connecting with a global audience and providing information in an accessible and structured way.
Now, what is a website and how does it work? We'll tell you!
What is a website and what is it for?
A website is a set of interconnected pages hosted on a specific domain and accessible through the internet.
Websites display information, sell products, offer services or promote influencers.
In other words, they serve as a way to reach a global audience to provide them with interesting information about your activities, products or services.
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Characteristics of an effective website
An effective website must capture and maintain the attention of its visitors, making navigation easy and offering content that is truly interesting to them.
- You need a visually pleasing and brand-consistent design.
- Also, intuitive navigation through clear menus that make it easy to navigate the site.
- It must include relevant, well-written and up-to-date information.
- You need good hosting to make your pages load quickly.
- Furthermore, nowadays it is essential to have a responsive design, so the site automatically adapts to different devices and screen sizes.
Uses and benefits of having a website
Creating a website provides advantages both at a personal and business level, allowing for greater visibility and reach.
- A website makes a business or personal profile accessible from anywhere in the world.
- It offers 24/7 availability, which means that a website is always up, it can be visited at any time.
- It is an effective tool to promote products and services, attract potential customers and achieve more sales.
- It facilitates communication with customers and receiving reviews, very useful for generating trust.
Examples of practical website applications
In the UK there are many examples of websites that stand out for their impact and popularity in very different sectors. Here are some examples:
- Amazon is a leading e-commerce platform in the UK and worldwide that allows you to buy and sell products online.
- Etsy is another eCommerce site, designed to give artists and craftspeople a platform to sell.
- The Guardian is a well-known national newspaper in the UK.
They all have one thing in common - they started with a domain registration. Afterwards, each of them became whatever their administrators wanted!
Concepts related to a website
As you learn more about websites, you’ll come across various words that we define here.
Domain name
A domain name is a unique address that identifies a website on the Internet, such as www.example.com. Purchasing the right domain will increase the number of visitors to your site.
Related: How to choose a domain: 10 expert tips
Web hosting
Web hosting is the service that stores a website's files and data on servers so that they are accessible online. In addition, good web hosting has a very positive influence on aspects such as accessibility and the loading speed of the website.
Adaptive design
Also called responsive design, this refers to the ability of a website to automatically adapt to screens of different sizes, such as computers, tablets or mobile phones.
Web browser
A web browser is an application that allows us to access and view websites. Popular examples include Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
CMS
CMS stands for Content Management System, like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. These make it easier for those with some tech skills to create websites without having to code them from scratch.
URL
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the unique address that specifies the location of a resource on the internet, such as a web page.
Link
A link is a clickable element that allows users to navigate between different web pages. It is also known as a hyperlink.
eCommerce
Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet, usually on a social platform, marketplace or business website.
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SSL
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that encrypts everything flowing between a web browser and a particular server, protecting the passwords and banking details submitted to a website.
How a website works
A website requires an interaction between the server on which it is hosted and the site visitor's browser.
When a user types a domain name into their browser, the browser sends a request to the server where that website is stored.
The server responds by sending back the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that make up the page.
These files are interpreted and rendered by the browser, thus displaying the content of the site to any user who requests it.
It's that simple!
Elements of a website
Knowing the difference between parts of a website is very useful when creating your own. Here are some of the main elements:
- Header: This appears upon launching the site and often includes the business logo and navigation menu.
- Footer: This appears at the bottom of the page and usually includes contact information and useful navigation links.
- Main content: This is the central section where relevant content is displayed about your products, services or events.
- Navigation: Menus and links that make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for on the site.
- Images: Graphics, photographs, illustrations or videos that complement the written content.
- Forms: Interactive tools that allow the collection of user information.
Classification of websites
Websites can be classified in several ways based on their content, technology, or purpose. The main classifications are by:
- The content they include, such as informative, transactional or interactive.
- The technology -- a website can be static, dynamic or a CMS.
As for the purpose of the website, it can be educational, commercial or personal.
What type of website do you need?
Now that you know what a website is, if you are considering creating one, you will first need to choose which of the most popular types of websites to go with.
1. eCommerce
E-commerce sites are online platforms where buying and selling transactions of products or services are carried out, such as online stores. These require a secure way to process payments and ship products.
2. Landing page
Landing pages are single web pages made to capture the attention of visitors and turn them into potential customers, usually through forms or calls to action (CTA).
You may also like: How to create a landing page that sells?
3. Institutional
Institutional websites represent organisations such as companies, educational or government institutions, and provide information about them, their history, services and contact information.
4. Brand website
Brand sites focus on promoting and building a business' image by showcasing its products, values, history, awards and achievements.
5. Blog
Blogs are platforms where authors regularly publish articles or posts related to a specific topic, such as fashion, technology or cooking, and allow interaction with readers.
6. Professional services site
These websites are intended for professionals such as lawyers, doctors or designers, and provide information about their services, experience and contact methods.
7. Forum or Community
Online forums and communities are websites where people can discuss and share information on specific topics, creating a network of interaction and collaboration.
Social networks like Facebook and Instagram, which are increasingly important in the daily life of UK society, can also be included in this type of website.
8. Wiki
Wiki sites are collaborative platforms where average people create, edit and organise content together, such as the famous Wikipedia.
9. News portal
News portals offer up-to-date information on various topics such as local news, international news, sports, entertainment and more.
10. Booking site
Booking sites are platforms that allow users to make reservations for hotels, flights, restaurants, events, and other services. These sites make it easy to search, compare, and confirm reservations quickly and conveniently.
How to create a website
Creating a website involves several steps:
- Planning and design, where you define your goals and the audience you will be targeting
- Development and construction, for which you need to choose a CMS such as WordPress or an easy site builder like GoDaddy’s. This is where business owners who need something special bring in a graphic designer or web developer to help.
- Launch and maintenance, with regular content updates and robust website security tactics. If you’ve hired a web developer/designer, they may take care of this for you.
You might also like: What is website security?
15 good uses for websites
Rather than talking about examples of what a website is, something that everyone can see if they go to Google and do a couple of searches, let's do something else.
Now that we've seen some of the main types of websites out there, we're going to give you a list of 15 good ideas for creating a website in the UK that you can make money from.
We have based our analysis on the most frequent Google searches from our country. Today, there is a great demand for the products and services below. This means that they are very good business opportunities for you:
- Create and sell online courses
- Make and sell products online
- Sell someone else’s products online
- Start a baking business
- Offer classes in something you’re good at
- Become a wedding planner
- Professional dog walker
- Handyperson
- Small scale moving service
- Gardening
- Write online content
- Personal trainer
- Driving instructor
- Social media manager
- Local guide
However, remember that before launching an eCommerce business, it is important to do market research to determine the viability and demand for the products you wish to sell.
You may also like: 37 of the best side business ideas
The simplest way to create a web page
The simplest and most intuitive way to design your own website and launch it into cyberspace is GoDaddy's website builder. You'll love how easy it is!
1. Sign up for GoDaddy
Go to the GoDaddy website, create an account, and choose a plan that fits your needs.
2. Access your website builder right after purchase or from My Products in the dropdown in the upper right of the GoDaddy screen.
Look for Website Builder and click Manage.
3. Select a template from eight options
After you’ve answered two questions, Website Builder will present eight versions of website layouts created with the help of AI.
These are based on GoDaddy’s vast database of successful sites created by customers in just about every industry.
Click through the templates available and choose the one that best suits the style you are looking for.
Consider the design, structure, and functionalities of each option before making a decision.
4. Personalise your website
Use our easy editor to add and modify elements to your new site. Add sections like blogs, email signup forms, services pages, image galleries and contact forms with a few clicks.
You can also customise colours, fonts, and images, pulling from our included library of photos or uploading your own.
5. Add text
Write and organise content for each section of your website. Use clear, engaging language to effectively communicate your messages.
Learn how to write an amazing About Me page here.
6. Set up SEO
Use the search engine optimisation tools that come with GoDaddy's website builder, following the prompts to fill out the title, description, and keyword fields to improve your website's visibility in search results.
7. Preview until it’s perfect
Most people end up toggling between Preview and Edit for a while until everything looks good.
Once it's perfect, click Publish!
8. Test to make sure everything works
Before you go live, preview your website to make sure everything looks and works as you expect.
Remember, you can make changes and updates to your website at any time using GoDaddy's website builder – even from your phone or tablet.
Now that you know what a website is and how to build one, enjoy the process of creating your own online presence and starting to make money from it!
