Website

A website, or web site, is any web page that shares the same domain name and is stored on a web server. Websites usually focus on one topic or purpose, like sharing news, teaching, selling things, entertaining, or connecting people on social media. You can move between different pages on a website using links. It often starts with a main page called a home page. Some of the most visited websites are Google, YouTube, and Facebook.

All websites that anyone can see together make up the World Wide Web, which we use by connecting to the Internet. There are also private websites that only people on a special network, like inside a company, can see. People can look at websites using many kinds of devices, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The program they use on these devices is called a web browser.

Background

Further information: History of the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web was created in 1989 by a scientist named Tim Berners-Lee. In 1993, it became free for everyone to use, which helped it grow fast. Before this, people used other ways to get files from computers, but these were simpler and not as easy as the Web we have today. Documents were often just plain text without any special formatting.

History

The word "web site" used to be the common way to spell it, but now we usually say "website." Big style guides like The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook use this newer spelling.

In 2009, a company called Netcraft said there were over 200 million websites. By 2014, the number reached 1 billion, but it went down a bit because some websites stopped working. Since then, the number of websites has kept growing. By 2020, there were over 1.2 billion websites.

Static website

Main article: Static web page

A static website is a type of website where the pages look exactly the same for everyone who visits. These pages are made using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to control their appearance. Pictures are often added to make the site more attractive. Sometimes, audio or video can also be included.

This kind of website shows the same information to every visitor. It’s like a printed brochure — the information doesn’t change unless someone updates it. Updating a static website can take some work and special skills. Simple websites, like those with just a few pages or ones that share basic information about a company, are often static websites. They provide fixed information through text, pictures, and menus for moving between pages.

Static websites can sometimes use server side includes (SSI) to make editing easier, like using the same menu on many pages. But because the website looks the same for every visitor, it is still considered a static site.

Dynamic website

Main articles: Dynamic web page, Web application, and Progressive web app

A dynamic website changes and updates itself often. It uses computer code to make new pages when needed, instead of having all pages ready ahead of time. This lets a website show different information to each user or update its content regularly.

For example, a news website can show the latest stories by using stored text and new information from a database. A store website might let users search for products, and the page will change to show the search results. These changes happen quickly and can make the website feel interactive and personal for each visitor.

Multimedia and interactive content

Early websites only had text. Later, they added images. Special programs called plug-ins let websites include audio, video, and interactive features. Examples of these plug-ins include Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Shockwave Player, and Java SE. Now, HTML 5 lets websites include audio and video without extra plug-ins. Most modern web browsers have JavaScript. This helps website creators change page content and talk to the server.

WebGL is a tool that lets websites show interactive 3D graphics without plug-ins. This makes fun features like 3D animations and videos possible. A trend from around 2010 called "responsive design" makes websites look good on all devices. It changes how they look depending on whether you’re using a phone, tablet, or computer.

Types

Websites come in two main types: static and interactive. Interactive sites let visitors and the site owner talk to each other. Static sites share information but do not let visitors interact directly.

Many websites are made to earn money in different ways. They might post fun content and show ads, let people buy things directly like in e-commerce, show ads for real stores called brick-and-mortar business, or offer basic content for free but charge for special content, like WordPress. Some sites need you to sign up or pay to see their content, such as news sites, academic journal websites, gaming sites, or social networking sites.