One of the first parts of the design process is figuring out what kind of site you want. Once you know what you want in a website, you can make further plans from there. Sites fall into a number of categories depending on what the objective of your site will be.
Personal Sites
This kind of site may be something like an online journal or a hub for your interests and hobbies. It can be a way to connect with people with similar interests or share with friends. (This does not mean that you should feel free to ignore rules of design however. Try to keep in mind that things like music you can’t turn off, text you can’t read and other annoyances will cause even your close friends to avoid your site, which is the opposite of what you want.)
Resume or Portfolio Sites
This is a very specific kind of personal site that is intended to showcase your skills and abilities. (What I mentioned about personal sites goes double here. A good portfolio is professional in appearance while being eye-catching and engaging to the person visiting the site.)
Topical Sites
These focus on a specific topic. It might be anything from books to bird watching. If you create a site for a specific topic, you should check out other sites covering the same topic and consider what you might do differently. It is important to bring your own, unique voice to whatever topic you want to cover.
Event Sites
Event sites cover a specific event, such as a wedding or a marathon. The purpose of this kind of site is to offer information about the event, when it is and where it will take place.
Promotional Sites
This site is designed to promote and give specific information about an item, product or business.
E-commerce Sites
This kind of site is an online store or other business.
With any of these site categories, it is a good idea to take a look at sites similar to the one you are thinking of building. This will enable you to come up with ideas for how you want your own site to look. It will also give you a feel for what your page will need.
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