How to create a website?

When dividing the main types of sites, it is important to understand that the names of the types often carry a marketing meaning. Their boundaries are undefined and the name of the site does not describe the exact functionality. For example, a landing page is a one-page site, which web programmers consider the "easiest" and most inexpensive product. But in some cases, this one-page resource, as a result of the tasks put forward, the necessary functions may require more effort than the average corporate site. Or the so-called corporate site may contain such modules and integrations, the programming of which will ultimately be more difficult than the functionality of the average online store. If you ignore these professional nuances, sites can be divided into seven types:

1. Business card site. A laconic resource with limited functionality and number of pages. This type is no longer relevant, since modern CMS allow you to add an unlimited number of standard sections and pages. An unnatural limitation of this functionality is meaningless for both the customer and the programmer. Please note that the cost of website development is no longer determined by the number of pages.
2. Landing page. Consists of one page (single-pager), has a promotional purpose. Designed to advertise promotions and limited-time discounts, to collect orders (leads). If a business has a limited range, then by adding the functionality of the buyer's personal account and integrating online payment systems to the landing page, we will get a mini online store. Landings are also used as a laconic information site.
3. A corporate site is, in fact, a type of information resource, which is also called a business site. We use it for almost all commercial and non-commercial areas. Allows you to present complete information, has no limit on the number of sections, subsections and pages, makes it possible to add services, descriptions, galleries, documents for download. In case of special requirements, you can program the modules of the user's personal account, add useful functions.
4. A portfolio site, as the name suggests, is designed to present the work of an honest person or organization. For example, this site of our company - Astudio LLC, belongs to this group. Here we have the opportunity to add our works, texts, photos, descriptions, services, prices, receive orders.
5. The catalog of services allows you to advertise your own capabilities in different areas of services, publish full information, use online calculators, present the results of work.
6. Online shops. In this digital age, there is no need to talk about the advantages of an online store for a long time. Usually, an online store has no limit on the number of sections, categories of product groups. The nomenclature can be added in the "manual control" mode, imported in an excel file, obtained using integration from an accounting program. And the delivery cost calculator, the system of discounts and bonuses, the presence of different payment systems, an impeccable mobile version will only facilitate the shopping process.
7. Programming a business portal is the most difficult on this list. Web portals can be different - directories, news, auctions, ad sites ... Basically, such startups are united by the goal of communicating with users - giving benefits, getting income.

After formulating the tasks of the site, choosing the type and functionality, you must decide on two fundamentally important questions:

1. On what platform, using what technologies and programming languages ​​to develop a CMS?
2. What requirements should be put forward for web design?

On the first question, we advise our customers not to use such platforms as Pixpa, Wix, Tilda constructors, ready-made "boxes" of CMS Wordpress, Joomla, OpenCart, Drupal, MODX, Magento, etc. for serious and long-term projects. These free CMS templates have a thousand "factory" problems, limitations, serious security bugs. Of course, the admin panel, programmed from scratch, can also have shortcomings, but well-studied management systems are more vulnerable.

In the direction of web design, if we do not discuss the relative concepts of "beautiful" - "not beautiful", the requirements are axiomatic - to ensure easy user navigation, ease of use (usability), pay great attention to creating the design of the mobile version, after programming, it is imperative to carry out testing on different smartphones.

How to choose a decent contractor so that the cost of services does not bite, the service is satisfactory, and the team consists of good specialists? In Armenia, a common method is to ask friends. For this reason, the Astudio company pays great attention to the quality of services. The concept of "a client attracts a new client" works in our country. A satisfied client brings new ones.

The next classic method is to turn to search engines. If you search, for example, "website creation in Armenia", "development of an online store in Armenia" by other thematic keywords, Google will give the best results "according to" its algorithm. Here it is important to understand that a company providing web services is simply obliged to raise its own site to the top 10. Otherwise, a potential customer may doubt the professional competence of the contractor.

It is a little strange when you are offered to create a site, engage in promotion in search engines by a company whose site does not have an ideal code, is full of errors, and the positions for keywords in Google are suspiciously lagging.

Study not only the portfolio, the prices of a potential partner. Be careful with the copyright of the works shown. Before ordering, communicate with previous customers of the web studio or freelancer, collect objective reviews, get advice, do not be afraid to ask questions about pricing.

The article was written in 2016, updated in July 2024. If you read it to the end, we hope you will positively evaluate the usefulness of the information.