What is an informational website?

Informational websites have been widely used for a long time. In the very beginning, the development of an informational website was in demand only to fulfill its main function - to convey a specific message to the end reader. However, modern information resources have much more capabilities than their predecessors.

Definition of an informational website

An informational website is a web resource that contains materials of a relevant nature (informational), oriented towards the reader. The function of such a website is to disclose a certain topic/issue or provide answers to questions. An ideal resource should convey information in such a way that after reading it the reader has no additional questions, remains aware of the latest events, etc.

An informational website can be divided into two broad categories:

• Thematic - information resources with a narrow thematic coverage (sports, culinary, Hi-Tech sites, etc.);
• portals - unlike the previous category, they can cover several important topics at once or be built on the principle of "everything in equal amounts", additionally supporting the possibilities of internal communication between users.

Information portals usually have a complex structure, which makes it easy to see the developer's skills. If the website is visually overloaded and it is difficult to navigate through the topics, such a resource clearly needs to be properly updated.

Classifying these resources into specific types will help you understand what an information website is:

• news resources;
• local: city, district, regional;
• state;
• libraries;
• internet forums;
• reference books;
• web encyclopedias;
• review sites;
• resources in the question-and-answer format.

Personal blogs are also informational websites, but they are more focused on feedback from the reader.

Differences between an informational website and others

An informational website is a place where users find answers to their questions. This principle underlies the entire process of their creation, so it is important to build in opportunities for user engagement at the stage of website development.

If the website does not appear in search results, news feeds (such as Google Discover), and other possible channels of user engagement, such a resource will not fulfill its main function, despite the fact that the cost of developing this type of website is relatively high.

Main differences from other resources:

1. A large amount of content. Today it is almost impossible to find an informational website that consists of only a few pages. The resource should cover various topics, and if it is highly specialized, it should reveal it in the best possible way.
2. Multi-level optimization. For other types of websites, you can reasonably mitigate the requirements, but you need to devote time and attention to such resources.
3. Content structuring. An information resource that does not have a clear division of data is a big garbage can. It is hard to read, and finding the necessary data on such a website is very difficult.
4. The truthfulness of the data comes first. If an informational website misleads readers with unverified information, it will pose a problem for its credibility and development.
5. The speed of information updating. Every type of website needs to update its content promptly, but for informational websites it is critically important. If the user can view the latest, relevant data on another resource, he or she will not need your website. This affects traffic and monetization (if it is provided for in the project).
6. Strict requirements for following the topic. Despite the fact that information resources can cover several areas of life, they must follow a clear thematic line. Resources that are oversaturated with information of different genres are not taken seriously by users.

The key difference between informational web resources is their purpose. While commercial sites are focused on sales, informational websites are focused on presenting content - this is the primary task.

Examples of informational websites

Typical examples of such websites:

Wikipedia is a standard example of a public encyclopedia;

• any online media resource;
• thematic blogs;
• online magazines.

In fact, the examples of informational websites are far from being limited to those described above. Any place where a reader can get useful information on a given topic and get an answer can be considered an informational one.

The use of a website in the modern world

We have considered one side, namely, providing users with the necessary content. However, a modern informational website can also combine a commercial component.

The main source of monetization is advertising. This is the content of third-party advertisers who have chosen this website as a platform for their offer. For a resource to be profitable, the following conditions must be met:

• audience interest in the website;
• a constant flow of users;
• regular content updates, which will make it possible to implement the previous two points.

An informational website can generate relatively large profits, the main thing is to properly implement the development and promotion of such a product.