An Introduction to What a Website is and Its Functions, Benefits and How to Make It

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BusinessNewsDay – The development of the internet from year to year has increased in terms of active users. Everyone certainly accesses the internet using various devices, ranging from desktops, mobiles, to tablets. And the website is one of the most frequent media to be accessed and used in finding various information and means of communication

Examples of websites that are often used in everyday life, namely Google, Twitter, Facebook, Seconds, CNN, and so on. Of course, from the various websites available, they have different functions and features, some are engaged in e-commerce, social media, business, information media, and others.

Read Also: What Is The Easiest Method Of Website Design?

In this article, we will discuss everything about what a website is, its history, functions, and how to create an easy website. So, it can increase your insight and knowledge about the website to how to make it.

Understanding Websites

Website is a collection of pages in a domain that contains various information so that it can be read and viewed by internet users through a search engine. Information that can be contained on a website generally contains image, illustration, video, and text content for various purposes.

Usually for the initial appearance of a website can be accessed through the main page (homepage) using a browser by writing the right URL. In a homepage, it also contains several derivative web pages that are linked to one another.

Website History

The history of the website first started with a scientist from England, named Tim Berners-Lee. Berners parents are also computer scientists in the early era of computing.

The initial goal of Tim Berners to create a website was to make it easier for researchers in the workplace to obtain and exchange information. Then, on April 30, 1993, CERN, which is a physics laboratory in Switzerland, officially announced the release of the website for free.

Prior to that in 1990, Tim Berners-Lee also wrote about three basic web technologies, including:

  • HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

Is a markup language or format for web pages.

  • URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)

Is a unique address to open the web page. Its function is to identify every resource on the web. Currently it is often referred to as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

  • HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

This technology allows one to retrieve the resources connected to all websites.

Website Function

There are several website functions that have different advantages and qualities according to marketing and business targets. The following are some of the functions categorized according to business objectives.

1. Information Facilities

First, the function of the website is as a means to convey the latest and interesting information to be read by your customers or customers. Basically, the website can also be used as a means of education, learning, tutorials, tips & tricks, and much more.

Examples of websites as a means of information are news search sites, company profile websites, and others. For the type of content, it can be in the form of video, text, and images.

2. As a Blog

Have you ever read or opened a site that displays pages containing articles or reading material? If so, then that’s what is called a blog. People who often create blogs are called bloggers.

So the function of this second website is to create a blog, so the main goal is to get visitor traffic. And, optimizing blogs that have been published. In addition, it can also function as a means to improve the company’s brand in order to bring in more customers.

3. Means of Buying and Selling Online Shops / e-Commerce

And the last function is as a medium to accommodate the process of buying and selling online or often referred to as e-commerce. By using an e-commerce website, you are able to bring in more consumers to buy goods or services through the website that has been provided.

So basically, e-commerce here is just an intermediary. Examples of websites that implement this function are Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Amazon, Shopee, and other websites.

Read Also: 15 Steps to Develop a Successful Ecommerce Website in 10 Days

Website Elements

After knowing the meaning, history and function of the website, then enter the discussion about the elements of the website itself. Here is some information related to the elements that make up a web.

1. Domain

The first component is the domain, where the website can be analogized as a product. Then the website is the brand or the brand. Writing an attractive domain can get someone to enter your site.

In addition, you must create a domain that is not too long and easy to remember. A good domain will also have an effect on increasing the ranking of the search engine system. Also make sure to do SEO optimization and check the domain regularly.

2. Hosting

The second component or element is hosting, which has an important role in storing all databases (data storage). Information in the database can be in the form of text, images, illustrations, videos, and scripts). Currently, there are many services related to hosting package services according to your business and product needs.

3. Content

And the last is content, where the function of content is crucial. Because if the website does not have content, it can be said that the site does not have a clear purpose. Examples of websites that implement content are social media, company profiles, online buying and selling sites, and many others.

Website Type

In this discussion, we will provide some information and explanations about the types of websites. Here are three types of websites based on their development.

1. Static Website

A static website is a website that has a fixed appearance and does not change much. Usually, the changes themselves are only in the appearance of the web page design, related to content, there are no major changes. An example of a static website is a website that displays a company or organization profile.

2. Dynamic Website

A dynamic website is a website that changes continuously according to the needs and relevance of business and the times. Dynamic websites have a more interactive appearance, and provide comments, and chat features. Examples of these websites are blogs, online news sites, e-commerce, information systems, and so on.

3. Interactive Websites

An interactive website is a website that is designed to be able to interact with each other between users. This type of site is usually classified into social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms.

How to Create Websites

After knowing a few things about web pages, it’s time to get into the discussion about how to create an easy website for beginners. Here are some explanations.

1. Choosing the Right CMS or Platform

There are many ways to easily create a website without having to know a programming language thoroughly. You can take advantage of the CMS or Content Management System features that can create websites quickly and effectively.

CMS that are popular today, including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. Each type of CMS has its own advantages and disadvantages. Make sure you choose according to the needs of your project. However, we recommend using WordPress which is simpler and very suitable for creating a website display in the form of a blog or company profile website.

2. Determine a Trusted Domain Name and Hosting

After choosing a CMS, then you can determine a domain name and buy a hosting package according to your budget and business needs. The name of the hosting that you will create, be sure to match the content to be developed.

3. Carry Out The Website Installation and CONFIGURATION process

The last step after buying a hosting package, then install the CMS package and start to make the main web page display. If you have difficulty in the site development stage, you can look for various tutorials, or follow several forums to get the best solution for using a CMS from several experts and programmers.

Website Benefits

The following are some of the benefits that you can get when you have a website of your own.

1. To Build Personal Branding

By managing and optimizing your website pages, you also indirectly build personal branding. Most importantly, don’t forget to always update the content every day on a regular basis to be able to increase your website traffic and ranking.

By building good branding, it will also have a good impact on the business products that are developed. So, when your personal branding begins to take shape, it will be easier for consumers to recognize and use your product.

2. To Introduce a Product or Service

The second benefit of a website is to introduce a product or service. With the web, it can reduce costs for advertising and you can focus more on improving and optimizing your site. With the help of SEO, it will be easier to increase your site’s ranking in search engines.

3. As a Forum for Sharing Information Sources

The third benefit is as a medium to inform related news, articles, readings, and others. Simply by reading articles or news through the site, you can get the latest information from all over the world. So, currently the position of the website has been able to shift the use of TV and radio media.

4. Get Traffic and Make Money

The last benefit is that having a website is able to bring in more visitor traffic. This can happen if you have applied the correct optimization. Starting from things that are technical in nature, to doing On Page and Off Page optimization with SEO. So it can increase profits in the longer term.

Read Also: Create Your Own Blog Website for Google AdSense

Conclusion

  • Website is a collection of pages in a domain that contains various types of information on the internet by using a browser and entering the right URL.
  • The function of the website is as a means of information, blog creation, and online buying and selling transactions. There are three types of websites, namely static, dynamic, and interactive.
  • The components of the website include the domain, hosting, and content. How to create a website is very easy, make sure to choose a CMS first, create a domain and choose a hosting package as needed. Next, you can carry out the installation process and develop your website pages.