With rapid advancements being made in technology, websites have become integral to the functioning of businesses. Both websites and web portals are a way of increasing the online presence of a company. However, there is still some confusion between the uses of a website and a web portal amongst people.
While they both exist online and need an internet connection to be accessed, they have some very different uses. In this article, we will discuss the key differences between a website and a web portal, and how to go about utilizing website and web portal development services.
A website can be defined as a collection of web pages that showcase various services that a company provides. In this sense, it is an online representation of what a company is all about. Companies can hire a web development company when they need a place that will advertise their services to people who have internet access, no matter where they are located. Websites are often used to drive up the traffic that comes to the page so that it is ranked high by search engines and made more discoverable.
A static website has fixed content on its web pages. Its content is not meant to be changed regularly. Rather, it is only there to provide information about a company or a service to users. When a web development company creates a static website, it is usually made with plain text or some static media, for information purposes only.
Dynamic websites are different from static websites in how they display the content they host. The content on a dynamic website is automatically updated between one visit to another, depending on the context and templates. To create such websites, website development services use technological tools like PHP, Python, JavaScript, and so on.
Interactive websites can actually communicate and interact with their users. They have rich graphics, allow users to post, comment, share, or subscribe to content, and so on. Interactive websites are a great choice for company blogs or other services that are not solely meant to impart information.
Unlike websites, web portals are not made with the intention of driving up traffic. Rather, a web portal is meant to be more user-specific and available only to those with specific interests that the portal caters to. A web portal development service will put in login or sign-up page for users to access it because it is meant to restrict access to only targeted users.
There are two types of web portals that are in use today:
Horizontal web portals are also known as Horizontal Enterprise Portals. These portals are used by companies or organizations to give out information to their users. For instance, government portals that give out information about various issues are horizontal web portals. If there is a similar need to showcase lots of information, after evaluating the web portal development cost, companies can hire developers to create horizontal portals.
Vertical web portals or Vertical Enterprise Portals are more user-centric in nature. They provide information to users about specific issues or interests only. For instance, a company can host its own portal where it allows users to access information about their user-centric services. College portals, bidding portals and so on are some common examples of vertical web portals.
There are some major differences in the way a website and web portal works. Some of these are listed below:
A website is generally open to all users on the internet. It exists to attract as many users as possible, with the use of SEO keywords and other such techniques. A web portal, on the other hand, is created by website development services with the intention of restricting the users who access the information that is hosted on the portal.
A website is generally open to all, but a web portal may need a user to sign in and sign up for their services before accessing the portal. Every user who tries to access a portal is given a unique set of login credentials.
A website can be static or interactive, depending on its purpose. However, a web portal is almost always interactive with its users and the content changes every time a user visits it.
While websites have been really popular and in use for a long time, web portals are also increasing in popularity. There are a number of reasons why web portals need to be understood in more depth. Here are some of those reasons:
Web portals can be used to give out personalized information like employee training, safety instructions, and so on for various services that a company hosts. For this reason, many businesses hire dedicated developers to make user-centric web portals.
A web portal allows a company to provide great control over the kind of information that users see on it. This is especially useful if there is a need to impart technical knowledge such as training manuals. For such requirements, companies can choose a web portal over a website, after considering the web portal development cost.
A web portal allows businesses to interact more closely with users, almost as social media pages do. This way, users feel acknowledged and heard directly by the company or organization.
Although websites are very useful, web portals allow users to gain an interest-specific experience. Many companies now hire dedicated developers to create their own portals. However, based on the type of content hosted, the choice between a website and a web portal can vary. Therefore, companies must evaluate their needs before choosing between a website and a web portal.
Tarun Nagar is the Founder & CEO of Dev Technosys, a global ranking Web and Mobile App Development Company. With 10+ years of experience of enabling then Startups which are now global leaders with creative solutions, he is differentiated by out-of-the-box IT solutions throughout the domain. He is known for his visionary qualities and adaptability for technology and trends, passionate as he is in every aspect dedicated to making IT simple, accessible and approachable for business enterprise