Website Types

There are a million different ways to utilize your website, but I am going to simplify things by focusing on three primary categories:
– “Business Card” Websites
– Content Marketing Websites
– eCommerce Websites

“BUSINESS CARD” WEBSITES

“Business Card” Websites are the simplest of the three types. They basically serve the same function as your business card; they tell people who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you, but nothing else. They can, and should be very flashy since you won’t be updating them much (if at all), and if you’re going to go this route you might as well hire a kick ass website developer to put it together for you since you won’t be using it as your primary marketing tool. They serve as a commercial and a motivator for people who are thinking about hiring you to take the next step.

CONTENT MARKETING WEBSITES

Content Marketing Websites are what most people think of as their “blog.” I don’t like the term “blog” because it undermines what Content Marketing Websites really are: valuable assets and essentially the face and thoughts of the company. Calling them a blog is like calling a pile of gold scrap metal. That’s not right! These websites should be a growing, evolving resource for your prospects and customers to learn and connect with you. They keep everyone informed of your company and show the world that you are more than a simple product or service – you are a growing organism that generously shares your knowledge like a Miracle-Gro-powered apple tree sheds fruit.

ECOMMERCE WEBSITES

eCommerce Websites are complex online stores that facilitate transactions for physical and virtual products. Good ones will display your products in an attractive layout, allow customers to quickly find what they’re looking for, and checkout with ease. They will also have useful backend functionalities for the administrator, like sales reports, shipping processing, website analytics, and other organization tools. What most people don’t realize about these types of websites is that no matter how good the functionality of the platform, they still rely on the owner’s ability to quickly process orders, fulfil them, and deal with customer service issues that arise (and there will be many customer service issues no matter how you try to avoid them). They are extremely labor intensive and require excellent