Your Primary Website – What Form Is Best For You?
Not all websites are built the same. Browsing around the internet one can find static html sites, blogs, forums, ecommerce and a variety of membership sites. Each of these share some common elements, but function and run very differently. Selecting the model that is right for you can be a bit tricky sometimes.
The oldest form and most simple is a static html site. HTML stands for hyper text markup language. This is a special defined code of characters that allows you to create links on your web documents. Very simply, you can create any kind of text document and by incorporation of this special code your pages can be woven together. This allows the user to find all the pages associated with your website – as well as outside sites you may be linking to. HTML also allows you to add different types of media to your site. If you have for instance a video on your web page, the actual video file will be located in it’s own folder. Html acts like a map which pulls the information from the stored file where it can work to play on your page and be displayed with all kinds of different elements. Static sites display in what ever order you create them to. Each page needs to be created one by one. Some elements that carry through on every page like a menu or a banner can be managed with CSS or a cascading style sheet. This sheet includes style commands that are consistent on your entire html site. It will tell all the pages created to put specific elements in the same place on each page. This can speed up the creation of your site and give it a consistent feel.
Blogs are run with what is called a CMS or content management system. This is a pre built machine like system that greatly benefits the user by assisting them in where the content will go and then assembling it for them. Once you know what the buttons and gadgets do on your CMS, you can quickly assemble web pages with different types of media and almost no knowledge of html. The CMS assists in creating links for you, and allows the user to upload and manipulate pictures and other media most times with basic knowledge of how a word processor works. Wordpress is one of the top CMS systems to use and has a huge support system. Blogs are just as valid as sites built on html, and are known primarily for displaying their content in reverse chronological order.
Online forums allow a community to openly communicate with each other. Forums are run on scripts and give a specific set of tools for the visitor to use to share their information. Permissions given can be dictated by the owner of the site.
Ecommerce sites run on scripts that assist in displaying products in a store like fashion. Pictures and descriptions can be added to a site, and shopping carts can be integrated for the end user to assemble a variety of items they’d like to purchase.
Membership sites can be created in numerous ways. They can be a simple place where users download some materials, or as complicated as a combination of static pages, blog, and a forum for members to assemble. Scripts like Joomla are run on a CMS and allow an easy integration of all these elements through the addition of modules or plugins.
How do you decide which to use? This choice should be made with the thought of the end user in mind. You may wish to consider which is the best way to deliver your content or services in a way that your guests will get the most out of them. Before deciding which model to follow, take some time to browse the web and discover how others are delivering their content. Specifically, research your own niche and how the competition is doing things. Do their sites feel warm and inviting, and easy to navigate?
The sooner you’ve selected a platform to create your site, the sooner you can begin to build your little empire.
Originally posted 2009-10-01 08:49:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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