All the many website options out there makes the layman cringe when it comes to deciding what kind of site you should have. It makes me cringe, for that matter. There's enough acronyms to make your head spin! PHP, CMS, HTML XML, CSS, SQL, AJAX, ASP, TCP/IP... you get the picture! I've struggled with what advice to give people when they ask me what kind of website they should have.
Open Source? Proprietary? CMS (Content Management Sites)? HTML (static pages)? Custom sites? WordPress websites? eCommerce? I can't say I have all the answers (wish I could, but it's more than I want to know), but maybe I can explain what some options are in a way that will help you decide what's best for you. When you read these, think about why you need a website, what it will be used for, and who your audience is. These are deciding factors before you delve into website ownership.
Blog
You've heard of them. You've probably read them. But do you really understand them? Think of a blog as your personal diary. You're reading a blog now. It's a collection of thoughts and ideas. It's where you communicate with people you know or don't know, and tell them things you want to share. A blog is whatever you want it to be and it's one of the most popular and accessible website platforms out there today. People use blogs for political statements, to gain writing experience, to add new content to their websites, to connect with others, to vent their anger, and even to make money. They enable you to have a voice, so they can't be all that bad.
Pros to a Blog
A Blog is free, relatively simple to set up, it has lots of customizations available in the form of widgets and templates, and if you do want to be self hosted and have complete control of your site's design and development, it's relatively inexpensive to take it to the next level. Of course a Blog is content driven and you are solely responsible for that content, so it takes commitment. But at the same time, it allows you the opportunity to express yourself and share your ideas or expertise, or even promote your business (Business Blog). There is no doubt that a blog can open up doors for you to people with the same interests and possibly lead to job opportunities.
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus+, and MySpace are just a few of the many social websites out there for you to share common interests with a massive online community. Let's face it, social networking sites are everywhere because people like them. They get enjoyment out of reading them, connecting with others, keeping in touch, and being a part of a community. It is also a self-serving mechanism to establish your identity. In other words, the minute you like something, you're telling everyone something about yourself. Now the question is, "How can I make my product or service something likable so that it becomes part of another person's identity and therefore gets shared around the community?" If you delve into social media sites more, you'll find that linking your web page to these sites can generate traffic by becoming referring sites. The more traffic, the higher the ranking. The higher the ranking, the further up the search engine ladder you climb and you want to be on early pages of search engine results.
HTML
HTML sites are static web pages, meaning they don't usually change and are not tied in to any type of database. These are information sites, much like a brochure of your business. A lot of times these are set up simply because "we need an online presence" and encompass information such as who you are, what you do, contact information, and perhaps examples of your work. The first two websites mentioned are self-driven, so if you need to change something, you can with ease, but an HTML site takes a bit more computer knowledge and knowing web standards is highly recommended. Many people hire a design professional to develop these kind of sites and pay them for small changes when needed. Costs are minimum, usually a set fee for the initial site and only pay as you go for changes. Of course, tying a blog into these types of sites is a smart tool.
Flash Websites
A Flash website is one of those fancy sites that come with a slide show or some type of animation and they require a plugin to view. Of course, that's the benefit of Flash websites, advanced animation and video, but they are not indexed by search engines. Let me repeat that-Flash driven websites cannot be found when you run a search query, so people will not be able to find you on the web. Cool, yes, but not necessarily the smartest design for start-ups, small business owners, or people trying to be found. Another con to Flash websites is that they are not easy to update and therefore you usually have to hire a design professional to develop these and maintain them. If you absolutely have to have Flash, consider a combination of HTML and Flash, where most of it is coded and only elements of it are Flash, but expect to pay a bit more to develop and maintain this kind of site.
CMS-Content Management Systems
A CMS is a website that allows the owner access to edit the content. It's a great option for those people interested in handling the day-today maintenance of their own sites, especially if there are frequent changes. It should be easy to use by those who have no prior experience in programming or web design and updating it is like working with a Word Processing program. CMS is where you get to update content, add content, insert images or pages-ultimately have complete control over the content of your site. Unfortunately, a lot of CMS sites limit you to certain "packages," and you're at the mercy of the company if you want to alter the system or if they go out of business. Some packages are cheaper than others depending on customization, but most require a monthly fee.
eCommerce
eCommerce is a site where you sell something. This is a huge industry. The advantages are low overhead and an unlimited audience. There are tons of options out there for eCommerce, so you'll have to do your research and decide what is best for you. Unfortunately, a lot of these sites are not very flexible when it comes to customization and can be costly to set up, but if done right, the rewards far outweigh the initial cost. Honestly, if you're in the market to sell things, you really can't afford not to have an eCommerce website.
So which website do you need?
Make sure to check out the Search Engine Optimization post I did before you launch your website. Also, my post on Do I need a website? might also be helpful.
Roz Birkelo is a freelance graphic designer doing business as Clearly Golden, in Golden, Colorado. She specializes in print work, layout and design, production, and technical drawings. http://www.clearlygolden.com
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