Paying attention to website design is essential to building your business. There are nearly 1.7 billion websites online today, providing many different types of websites for learning, but there are also a lot of confusion about which type and layout is best for you.

As a designer or small business owner, you should be familiar with different types of web pages to determine which one suits your needs. Research your competitors’ choices and run tests, you can create the perfect format for each brand and its customer base.

The following are 8 different types of websites:

1. Home Page

The home page is the main hub of your website and the spokesperson for your brand.

Your home page can help website visitors reach different areas of the website and can also serve as a conversion funnel. Because most people come to you through your home page, this is the most important part of the design.

The home page can take many different forms, but when designing it, it is important to remember that the purpose of the home page is the primary navigation and point of interest for website visitors. Clarify what the business is and provide a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) upfront. Set up the hierarchical structure and navigation structure of the site on the home page. Use brand color palettes, logos, and images that are highly relevant to your business. The homepage sets the tone for the company’s image, so you must tell the story of who you are through pictures and words.

Matcha Kari is a great example of such a homepage site. Pay attention to the navigation at the top of the page, it sets the tone for the content you find on the site. Since this page is the starting point of the conversion funnel, visitors can get coupons, subscribe to mailing lists, or watch videos about your products.

2. Magazine website

The magazine website features articles, photos, and videos that provide information and education. In the last 20 years, the magazine industry has transformed from a purely print platform to a mostly digital format. The magazine website type is suitable for informational websites, especially publications from universities and organizations.

When considering creating a site for a magazine, start by creating a basic framework. No matter what day users log into your home page, they should see a similar layout, and each item should have a similar layout and navigation. Remember how responsive the overall layout is to different screen sizes to ensure your content is easy to read on desktops and smartphones.

Urban Omnibus is an online magazine website with a traditional magazine layout. The subject of its current issue is highlighted with a hero image and a box describing the content of the main article. Below the featured posts is a grid layout of each column in the magazine, with images, headings, and a brief description of what readers found in each article.

3. E-commerce website

An e-commerce website is an online shopping destination where users can purchase products or services from your company.

A powerful e-commerce website makes it easy to search for products, filter by category, and highlight special purchases and sales.

An easy way to get started is through a full solution ecommerce platform, like Shopify or Squarespace. Your team can easily update inventory and list new products online. In addition, because the system is interconnected, sales, logistics, and marketing departments can always know what is working well. In terms of design, e-commerce platforms provide various templates to meet the needs of almost any type of business.

Flipkart sells a wide range of products, which means there are many items on its homepage. Please pay attention to how they classify items into specific categories, but they also provide featured deals of the day on the homepage. Each image is professional and clearly shows the product, but the initial description is short and there is more detailed information on the product page.

4. Blog

The blog contains articles, photos and videos that are regularly updated. Compared to magazines, blogging starts out more informally and personal. But since then, the boundaries have blurred and it is now extremely common for major brands and companies to have their own blogs. Adding expert content can increase the overall credibility of a business or individual. The blog also provides material for social media posts and email campaigns.

However, blogs can also be troublesome for small businesses. Before considering publishing, make sure you have a team and strategy to keep the content up to date. In fact, it is better not to have a blog, but to provide some videos or guides instead of having a hopelessly outdated blog.

Nourish Eats makes things simple and focuses on your blog content. The site does not use the slider at the top of the page, but integrates a rotating slider on the right, which cycles through the different categories of the site. The slider keeps the content up to date and attracts users. The user can navigate anywhere or use the arrows to move forward or backward.

5. Portfolio website

Portfolio websites provides a place for creative professionals to display their best work. This is perfect for artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, furniture makers, you can think about it.

When you create a portfolio, you do not need to add all the projects that you have participated in. Instead, focus on creating project categories and highlight the best work in each category. Portfolio sites are more creative in nature, so this is a place to try out unique designs and add cool features.

Designer Gautier Maillard’s online portfolio is a perfect combination of creativity and the best highlights of the project. As the user scrolls down the page, different images are highlighted. Click on any image and you will see the advertising campaign for that project. If you want to learn more about the designer, click the About navigation button in the upper right corner to know that he lives in Paris, where he studies, and what projects he has done. This layout and strategy are effective because the focus is on your actual work and the text is limited. Compared to individual text, users process and memorize images better.

6. Landing page

A landing page is a specific type of page created for marketing activities that can prompt visitors to take specific actions. The content on landing page should be restricted and target the call-to-action (CTA) you want users to use. Leave enough white space around the CTA and save the elements for other pages that are not related to the purpose of the event. The

Shopify free trial home page provides a simple title and call to action, such as “start your free trial.” All elements of the page push buyers to complete a very specific journey, with the goal of converting them into qualified prospects. They used relevant and stylish images and added a little 3D effect through the sunglasses in the corners, while also showing how one of their shopping sites would be laid out.

7. Social media sites

There are approximately 2.77 billion people on social media and there are dozens of different platforms available. No matter who your target audience is, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or LinkedIn. Although you can’t redesign the platform itself, you do have control over the appearance of the page and can create content that promotes sharing on social media.

Maintain a consistent appearance across all your social media pages and web pages so users immediately know that your brand is behind the page. Use the same logo and color options. Choose a specific voice and personality that shines through in all content.

When creating content, focus on content that is highly likely to be shared on social media, such as entertaining videos, infographics, memes, detailed reports, and free offers. Here are more tips on how to make your social media page work for your business. The

Nutella Facebook page shows interesting combinations of content that are consistent with the brand’s color palette and overall appearance. They have memes made specifically for social media, like “Today, I’ll share my Nutella with …”. However, they also provide videos and ideas on how to use their products in a unique way. Pay attention to how they configure the social media buttons on their website so that users can easily find them on different platforms.

8. Directory and Contact Page

The Directory or Contact page is where users can communicate with you or others.

This type of website works well when you want to include a repository of companies or people in your organization. For example, a local restaurant directory lists restaurants in the area, including menus, price ranges, phone numbers, and reviews.

The nature of the organization creates opportunities for directory sites. For example, a local dental association in a city might list each member, their field of expertise, and their contact information. Put this design option in your back pocket for customers to use.

Manta is a business directory that contains location-based small businesses. In addition to the keyword search function, the site also provides category navigation in areas such as restaurants, contractors, and doctors. Companies can add directory entries, and the website makes money through advertising.

Choose the right type of website for your audience

A good design is not just a beautiful appearance, it can also increase user engagement and is very suitable for the needs of the audience visiting the website. Pay attention to the website design of other companies and quickly determine which format is best for each project. Knowing what others have accomplished on different types of pages will give you a clear idea of ​​which website is the best for you.