When you're building your website, you need to take into account your goal for the site. Are you just looking to convey information about the best way to choose a high dividend stock? Are you intending to create an online store? Is it just a web presence you're after? Do you want to create an online journal? Your goal for your site will determine which of the common site formats is best. If you're not familiar with some of the ways in which websites are formatted, this article can serve as an introduction.

Brochure

The brochure style of website is the simplest type because it contains only a few photos and pages of information regarding a company and their products. It usually consists of a homepage, a page of contact information, and a page of information about their services. If you're just looking for your company name to come up when users search for 'pool opening in London Ontario' in a search engine, this is all you really need from a website. Create it once and it's finished. Very low maintenance.

Store

If you want to maximize the moneymaking potential of your site, turning it into an online store is the way to go. Online stores can sell anything from books to snow tires, but keep in mind that you will need good security, a method of shipping, and a secure way to exchange money with customers. These types of sites need almost constant oversight, as the product catalogue and availability will change.

Blog

Because of platforms like Blogger, Livejournal, and Wordpress, anyone can set up their own free online journal, or incorporate a journal format into another type of website. With a blog, the main page is always the latest articles, with other pages featuring your backlog. Blogging about being a 'deck builder' can increase your web presence and help customers get to know you, but it requires you to create regular content.

Encyclopedia

Websites that only exist to provide information often follow this format. Whether it's a small site that aims to provide advice on buying and furnishing Toronto condos and lofts or a bigger site that encompasses many topics like physics and chemistry, pages need to contain links to relevant topics and be easily searchable. You can create the content all at once or add more piecemeal as you go. You will also need to make sure your information is accurate if you want decent traffic figures.