Why Do People Create Web Portals?

Types of Internet sites may differ in several ways. It is important to choose the web resource format that is right for your business goals. Many people choose to develop web portals and this has its advantages. If you are considering the development of a web portal and are looking for a reliable company that provides portal development services, then this article is for you.

Web Portal For Average Users: What Is It?

Many of us visit news sites to find out the latest events in the region, country, or world. To get weather information, we visit a website with information from weather forecasters. When we want to get acquainted with the poster of cultural events, we open a specialized resource that provides information:

• about concerts;
• about performances;
• about musicians’ performances and so on.

If we want to read about the successes of athletes, we go to a sports website. And this can continue ad infinitum. There will be dozens of tabs open in the browser.

However, everything can be greatly simplified if you use the services of Internet portals. They contain almost all the information needed by average users. There may also be various interactive services.

Types of Web Portals

There are several types of portals. Let’s look at them briefly so that you can form a final concept of what they represent.

Horizontal

Such projects are also usually called universal. The task of horizontal resources is to reach a wide audience and provide them with maximum useful information that is only of interest to the user.

Vertical

The essence of their name is that they cover a specific niche. For example, sports. It is customary for people who are involved in this particular niche to gather on such platforms. Here are the relevant features to engage your audience:

• comments;
• forums;
• blogs;
• ratings;
• assessments;
• personal account or profile;
• the possibility of “friendship” with other users, etc.

All vertical portals are divided into several subtypes depending on the direction and audience.

What Does The Web Portal Consist Of?

A web portal is a full-fledged web resource with a detailed, broad structure. Thanks to well-thought-out navigation, it is easy to get to the desired section or find the necessary information.

Services, sections, and interactive modules may include:

• e-mail – anyone can create an account on the portal;
• news;
• video gallery;
• photo gallery;
• weather forecast;
• exchange rates;
• horoscope;
• moon calendar;
• event posters and more.

There must be a convenient search. Most often, a search system is introduced into portals, allowing users to navigate among many services and sections, and search for the necessary articles, links, and other useful information.

Another important distinguishing characteristic of portals is interactive elements. Their task is not only to provide certain services but also to involve the user in interaction with the site. Thus, captivating him and literally forcing him to stay on the portal longer. These interactive elements include:

• forums;
• comment blocks under news and posts;
• dating services;
• ratings and much more.

Probably, each of you can name at least several portals with which you had to interact.

Why Do People Create a Web Portal?

Are you interested in why such projects are created? It all depends on the goals of the project owner. There may be several reasons motivating you to order the services of developing a web portal:

• brand promotion;
• increase in sales;
• creating your own news resource;
• increasing the number of loyal audiences;
• influence on the audience, etc.

Although the global goal in all cases is always the same – earning money. It can come from advertising or from certain services.

Web Portal And Website: What Are The Differences?

Any site is filled with information. It may also contain certain functional blocks and modules. However, the site is still created for one specific topic:

• blog is an author’s resource on which the owner writes articles on a specific topic;
• business card website – dedicated to a specific enterprise or type of activity;
• a regular online store specializing in selling goods of one group, and so on.

The task of such sites is to provide users with maximum information on the main topic and related topics. Their task is to attract users and make them stay on the site for as long as possible.

The web portal helps users find information on the desired topic – this is its goal and purpose. The user can find the answer to his question on the portal in different forms:

• article;
• video clip;
• functional application;
• link to an external project and so on.

The portal includes many more tasks than a regular website.

Web Portal: Project Development Features

If we talk about how an Internet portal is developed, the number and sequence of stages is similar to the creation of a regular website:

• Setting goals. You need to understand what specific goals the customer is pursuing.
• Determining the type of project that best suits your goals.
• Studying the potential audience and competitors is necessary in order to understand exactly what services need to be implemented, what the structure should be, what competitors are already superior to, and what they have not yet implemented.
• Development of technical specifications. Specialists develop a detailed technical specification, which describes in detail all aspects of development.
• Based on the terms of reference, specialists develop the project. Initially, the designer prepares the design, making the portal not only beautiful and attractive but also convenient for users.
• The finished layout is transferred to the layout designer, and programmers who develop, implement, and configure functional modules are also involved in the work.
• After development is completed, optimizers, marketers, and copywriters prepare the portal for promotion and initially fill it with content.
• Testers test a finished resource. It is necessary to check whether it corresponds to the prepared technical task and whether there are any failures or errors in the operation of modules, blocks, or services. If deficiencies are found, they are corrected by responsible specialists.
• Connecting a domain name and transferring it to hosting – the Internet portal becomes visible to users. It is transferred to the customer.

Of course, this is a simplified algorithm for developing a project such as a web portal. Each of these stages is greater. Creating a resource takes a relatively long time because it is necessary to implement many functions and services.

Wrapping It Up

A web portal is a difficult resource to develop since it involves the implementation of many functional modules. A large number of specialized specialists are involved in the process of creating a project. If you are planning to develop a web portal that includes complex functionality, we recommend contacting Digiteum, which offers high-quality services of portal development.