David Adams Studios - Professional Graphics and Web Design at Affordable Prices
::: Types of Sites


Types of Sites | [Pricing] | [Hidden Costs] | [Process] | [Development]

You know your prospective clients are on the web and you should be there too! - but before you leap into the on-line fray, you need to be aware of what type of site you need. This is one of the most important (and expensive) decisions you will make so you need to closely define your purpose for venturing into cyberspace. While there are a lot of things you can do with a site, they generally fall into one of three categories:

1. Informational
2. Interactive
3. Commercial

Informational

An informational site is one best suited to businesses just venturing out onto the web and contains the following characteristics:

    promotes existing business
    minimal content changes
    not designed to drum up new business
    provides a point of reference for new or existing clients
    profiles or advertises company
    provides some information about goods or services
    content doesn't change often
    could contain text, photos, a little sound and maybe some downloadable information

Interactive

An interactive site intends to use the web to complement its activities. Typical characteristics include:

    look to the web to expand business prospects
    intended to solicit a response from potential clients (eg; form, requests for info, survey or feedback)
    provides detailed information about goods and services
    requests action or information from the visitor (eg; subscribing to a mailing list)
    content can change frequently

Commercial

A commercial site embraces the web and all it can offer in a big way. Its focus is on the following:

    provides detailed or exhaustive catalog of goods and services
    offers net-based medium for transacting business (on-line orders, credit cards)
    content changes frequently
    frequent maintenance

This can be summarised in the following table:

Site: Informational Interactive Commercial
Purpose to inform to obtain information to sell
Content information about the company information about the company and goods or services extensive information about the company
Content change minimal frequent constant
Upkeep monthly/yearly weekly/monthly daily/weekly
Interactivity virtually nil - maybe an email link medium level, eg: email link, survey, request forms, forums highly interactive with net transactions, shopping carts & databases
Cost $300 - $1,000 $1,000 - $7,000 $7,000 +
 

You can at any point change the type of site you have - it just depends on what you want from the internet - AND what you are getting from it! You might start out with an informational site but may soon find that you want more information from visitors to your site - or maybe you want to take the plunge and conduct on-line transactions!

In any case, this information in no way limits you if, for instance, you want something half-way between an informational and an interactive site then it's no problem at all - all you have to do is ask :)

If you would like more information about the different types of sites available, or have any specific questions, then please email me at adams@rollanet.org .


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