5 Website Types

A website is a fundamental requirement for individual professionals all the way to large corporate enterprises. It is for a growing chunk of businesses a strategic hub that provides indirectly and often directly part of the revenue, and for some it delivers all the revenue. Customers come to your website with a specific set of expectations. If you have what they are looking for they stick or might come back. There are many different types of websites with a vast spectrum of functionalities and complexities. Depending on your business requirements, your internal and external eco-system For those looking to partner with a web service provider, understanding these different types is crucial to identifying where you currently stand and where you aspire to be.

Here's a breakdown of common website types, ranging from foundational to the highly integrated:

1. The Essential Hub: Portfolio Websites

Typically for: Artists, coaches, freelancers, and small businesses focused on showcasing their work, services, or the development of a personal brand.

These websites are compact, ranging from one to five pages. Their primary goal is to present a curated collection of work, testimonials, and a clear call to action. A key feature is a contact form, connected to an email service, enabling inquiries and serving as a lead source. The emphasis here is on clean design, compelling visuals, and concise messaging to make a strong first impression. It should load fast and be easy to navigate on both mobile and desktop.

Example: While it's challenging to pinpoint single, publicly available "best in class" European examples, a well-executed portfolio site like that of a graphic designer or photographer will prioritize high-resolution imagery and an engaging user experience. Good examples Eastwood Brand Consultancy and 

2. The Informative Hub: Websites with Content Sections

Typically for: Small businesses and startups offering services or products, seeking to establish expertise and engage their audience.

This category expands on the basic showcase by incorporating dedicated sections for richer content. Think of a blog for thought leadership, a Projects section to detail case studies, Partners to highlight collaborations, or in-depth Services and Products descriptions. Each of these sections typically includes an overview page and detailed individual pages, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of specific topics. This structure is ideal for building authority, improving search engine visibility, and nurturing customer relationships. The content helps build authority. This is important for SEO and also for AI platforms, allowing the business to be found online by the right target audience, so the website is a true lead generator.

Example: Many small businesses use this website type. Examples are local artisans, photographers, creative designers and startups. The site combines a brand, services and historical or ‘purpose’ sections with content that helps customers understand the qualities of the products and services. 

3. The Interactive Service Hub: Websites with basic API Integrations

Typically for: SMEs and individuals like doctors, lawyers, schools, and universities who need to provide real-time visibility into availability, bookings, or reservations or for basic work flow management for submission of forms, surveys or documents.

These websites go a step further using Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to offer dynamic functionalities. This includes online booking systems for appointments, reservation platforms for services, or tools that provide workflow management, often supported by AI-enabled chatbots. There is some technical complexity regarding the integration between the website and third-party systems. The upside is the reduced effort for both the business and the customer to manage appointments or complete tasks, like registrations or answering surveys. 

Example: medical clinics and dentists often use a booking system that shows real-time doctor availability and allows patients to schedule appointments directly. This is also useful for schools. A good example in the Ninjible portfolio is hip hop and dance school Foundation. They have an integration with a Class booking platform, allowing customers to directly see and book available classes.

4. The Online Shopfront Hub: Basic E-commerce Websites

Typically for: Brick-and-mortar retailers looking to expand their reach with an online presence. Also small to medium online retailers with a niche set of products have these sites in place.

These websites serve as a digital storefront, enabling direct product sales. They often feature an integrated Product Information Management (PIM) system to manage product details, inventory, and pricing. They also incorporate one or more payment solutions. The focus is on ease of use for both the customer and the retailer, allowing for efficient product Browse and purchasing. Especially retailers of niche products, such as vintage records or art, have to manage payments from anywhere in the world. There are a number of payment solution providers catering for this.

Example:  Brewery de Halve Maan in Belgium is an example of a site that presents the brand and its products and has an integrated webshop. https://www.halvemaan.be/en
Local clothing brands or small independent bookstores use this website type too. They are often built using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Kooboo, the Ninjible preferred development environment, also has an e-commerce module. These sites should enable customers to learn more about the business and purchase products or services thanks to clear product images, intuitive navigation, and a quick checkout process.

5. The Strategic Hub: Complex Eco-system integrations

Typically for: Businesses with extensive product catalogs, intricate multi-step customer journeys, or those requiring deep integration with internal and external systems. This includes automotive websites, marketplaces, large retail chains, B2B service brokers, and logistics companies.

This represents the apex of website complexity. These platforms feature sophisticated functionalities like car configurators, "click and collect" retail services with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) integration, or B2B service broker platforms facilitating complex transactions. Logistics companies, for instance, often integrate Track and Trace solutions into their websites. The development here involves significant customisation, robust security measures, and seamless data flow between numerous internal and external systems. There are numerous systems and solutions in the eco-system of the business that require integration. This is often complex because of legacy tech, requiring non-realtime data exchanges or middleware to enable connectivity. 

Example: Automotive websites fall into this category, offering car configurators, dealer locators, and used-car catalogues, including availability and the option for booking a test drive. For B2B services, a platform connecting businesses with a range of legal or financial services in a country requires extensive integration for quotes, service delivery, and client management. Large retailers like Zalando (Germany) or Bol.com (Netherlands) exemplify complex e-commerce, with vast product ranges, personalized recommendations, and sophisticated logistics integrations. Despite their high complexity, they have to be designed for speed and excellent user experience.

Digital Eco-system Evolution

Many businesses begin their digital journey with a website at one level, evolving over time to more complex setups. A website in any form is more than ever a strategic hub. It can attract new customers, facilitate engagement and service delivery. It is in many cases also the complete focus of businesses that operate exclusively online. Wherever your business is and aspires to grow into, a good comprehensive grasp of the website as a strategic hub is important. Starting with the customer, you will have to solve simple to more complex challenges for your website to be ranking at the top of the search lists and to be considered as a reference by AI platforms.

The experts at Ninjible can help you on this journey. Feel free to contact us for a conversation.