Websites have become an essential part of our lives. Regardless of your profession, work, lifestyle, or even where you live, you must deal with websites on a daily or at least semi-daily basis.
However, most users do not know the concept of websites from a technical standpoint well, and that is why we have prepared this article in which we will introduce you to the concept, types, and components of a website. We will also develop a plan for you that includes the basic stages of launching any website.
What is a website?
A website is a group of web pages that are linked to each other and share their links with one domain name , and users can easily access it through the Internet by searching for it in search engines, or entering its domain name. in the browser bar.
Web pages within the site contain many elements such as text, images, media, etc. Web pages are created and linked together to form a website using custom coding and programming languages, including HTML, CSS , PHP , and Javascript .
It must be noted that it is possible to create websites without the need for programming knowledge, by using content management systems such as WordPress , which is considered one of the most important and best of them.
From a non-technical perspective, the website can be considered the means through which the website owner shares his information and ideas, promotes his product or company, creates his online store on it, or seeks to achieve other goals through it.
Website components
There are many components that are linked together in order to create the website, and we will explain to you below the most important of these components:
Databases
It is a storage system in which all website data and settings are stored. Databases are in the form of tables containing information organized into rows and columns.
For example, if your site is a forum, then one database table will contain user account data that includes their names, passwords, and other information, and other tables will contain other information organized in a similar way.
The website’s database is stored on the Internet on web hosting , which provides space on a web server, where all the contents of the website are stored on the hosting, including the database.
Site files
They are the files that make up the site and determine how it works. They include all the programming codes used to create the site and the site cannot work without them. All site files are stored on the site’s web hosting.
The site can be modified by modifying the code contained within these files, adding other codes, creating other files, or other modification methods.
Media
Media includes all the images, videos, and audio files on the site, and is considered one of the basic components of the site, due to the benefits it provides. It contributes to communicating ideas to users easily and improving their experience. It also contributes to improving search engines and increasing the number of visits to your site.
Content Management System (CMS)
It is a tool that enables users to create and manage websites easily and without the need for programming experience.
When you create a website using a content management system, you will be able to control, manage, and adjust its settings through an easy-to-use control panel, instead of modifying the code in the site files.
The content management system is one of the basic components of the websites that you create using it. There are many content management systems, but the most famous and most widely used is WordPress .
other ingredients
In addition to the previous components, there are many secondary components that are created based on the basic components that we mentioned above, the most important of which are:
- Header: It is the upper section of the website, also called the header. The header includes the site logo and the site menu that makes it easier for the user to navigate the site.
- Web page: Web pages contain the basic content, and are located between the header and footer, and next to them is the sidebar.
- Footer: Also called the footer, it is the section at the bottom of the website. It usually includes links to some important website pages, and contact information that allows users to communicate with you through it. It may also include other things.
- Sidebar : It is the bar that appears on the right or left side of many websites, and it may include suggestions for some pages of the site similar to the page you are visiting, or something else.
- Search box: It is a feature that enables the user to search for anything he wants within the site. This is done by writing the keyword of the topic he wants to search for inside the search box.
It must be noted that it is possible for a single web page to be a website, but its purpose is simple, such as promoting a product, company, or service and subscribing to it, as is the case on some landing pages .
Read also: How to create a one-page website and its benefits for your business .
Important elements related to the website
The following elements are not considered components of the website, but they are important elements associated with the website and without which the website would not function.
Web Hosting
Hosting is defined as a space on one of the servers on which all the site content is stored. When a user accesses your site, the data is called from the server so that the site is displayed in the browser.
Domain
It is a service that enables the user to access the website by entering a name specified by the website owner instead of entering the IP address of the website to facilitate access to it, because saving the domain or name is easier than saving the IP address.
Types of websites
Technically, there are two basic types of websites. In other respects, websites can be divided into many types according to many classifications, and the most important classification of websites is the one that classifies them according to the goal for which they were created. Below we will introduce you to the types of websites from a technical standpoint and according to the goals that the websites are created to achieve.
Types of websites from a technical standpoint
- Static websites: These are sites made up of static web pages, meaning they are displayed as they are on the server and the visitor cannot interact with them. These pages are usually created in simple languages such as HTML and CSS, and other more advanced languages may sometimes be used, such as JavaScript.
- Dynamic websites: These are websites made up of dynamic web pages that are created by the server when the user requests them, and based on his request. That is, they are not previously created static pages. These websites are created using programming languages such as (PHP – Node.js – ASP.NET). ), or through content management systems that make this task much easier, and do not require any programming experience.
The most important types of websites according to their purpose
- Blog sites: These are sites used primarily to publish information, articles, product promotion, and other text or visual information, and can be managed by an individual or a small group of individuals.
- E-commerce sites: They are electronic stores through which products are bought and sold on the Internet, and the site owner may be the only seller, or the store may be multi-sellers, where other people can display their products in the store as well and sell them.
- Educational sites: These sites are designed to teach the user something, such as teaching programming languages, and this is done through images, videos, and texts, that is, they are sites that include electronic educational courses.
- Social networking sites: These sites are created to allow people to share their ideas, photos, videos, and other data with other people and enable them to communicate with them. The most famous social networking sites are (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
Read also: Types of websites that can be created with WordPress .
Website launch stages
When you want to create a website, you must develop an appropriate plan that organizes the stages of creating and launching the website, in order for the matter to be done correctly, and below we will set out reliable steps for you to launch your website.
Develop an appropriate plan and define the goal and audience
Before you begin any stage of the process of creating a website, you must develop a comprehensive plan that specifies the following:
- Type of site and its purpose: Is it an online store, a blog for disseminating information, or something else?
- Target audience: You must determine the category of people you target on your site.
- Marketing plan for the site: Determine the method in which you will market your site, advertising campaigns, etc.
- Estimate the return on investment: Estimate the profits and returns you will get by investing in the site and identify ways that can help increase them.
Obtain website requirements
At this stage, the practical steps for creating the site begin. You must purchase a hosting plan according to the site’s need, reserve a suitable domain name , link the hosting to the domain , obtain a content management system, and an SSL certificate .
Preparing and designing the website
After preparing all the site requirements, you must determine the method you will rely on to create the site. There are many methods, including creating the site using WordPress or other content management systems (the best method), or programming it from scratch using programming languages.
If you want to know more about how to implement this step, you can review our article ( Steps for creating a professional website in detail ), in which we explained this in detail.
Website launch
After completing the previous stages, there remains one stage, which is launching the site. This is done by publishing some articles or products on the site, and promoting it to obtain visits and benefit from them. However, before doing this, it is preferable to link the site to Google Search Console so that the search engine Google can Your site will be found and shown in search results.
Thus, dear reader, we have introduced you to the concept of websites, their components and types, and we have briefly explained the steps that are relied upon in order to launch a successful website. We would like to point out in conclusion that getting to know the website and creating it is just the beginning, as care must be taken to keep the website up and running. On the path to success.
