| WHAT IS A WEBSITE? |
A website is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Notable examples are wikipedia.org, google.com, and amazon.com. All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide
A website is a collection of linked web pages (plus their associated resources) that share a unique domain name. Each web page of a given website provides explicit links—most of the time in the form of clickable portion of text—that allow the user to move from one page of the website to another
TYPES OF WEBSITES
Magazine websites
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A magazine website features articles, photos and videos that are informational and educational. In the last twenty years, the magazine industry has changed from a print-only platform to largely digital format. The magazine website type works well for informational websites, particularly publications from universities and organizations.
As you think about creating a magazine site, start by building a basic framework. Users should see a similar layout no matter what day they land on your homepage, and each article must have a similar layout and navigation. Keep in mind how responsive the overall design is to different screen sizes to make sure your content is easily readable both on desktops and smartphones.
Urban Omnibus is an online magazine website with a fairly traditional magazine layout. The theme of their current issue is highlighted with a hero image and a box describing what’s in the feature article. Under the featured post is a grid layout of each column in the magazine with an image, headline and brief description of what readers find inside each article.
3. E-commerce websites
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An e-commerce website is an online shopping destination where users can purchase products or services from your company.
A robust e-commerce web page makes it easy to browse products, filter by categories, highlight special sales and make purchases.
An easy way to get started is through a full-solution, e-commerce platform like Shopify or Squarespace. Your team can easily update online inventory and list new products. Plus, because the system is interconnected, sales, logistics and marketing are all kept apprised on what’s working well. On the design front, e-commerce platforms offer several templates that match the needs of nearly any business type.
Flipkart sells a wide range of products, which means there are a lot of items featured on their homepage. Note how they break items into specific categories but also offer highlighted deals of the day on their homepage. Each image is professional and shows the product clearly, but descriptions are initially brief, with more detail on the product page.
4. Blogs
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A blog features regularly updated articles, photos and videos. Blogs started with more casual, personal content compared to magazines. But since then, the lines have blurred, and now it’s extremely common for major brands and businesses to have their own blog. Adding expert content improves the overall credibility of a company or an individual. Blogs also provide material for social media posts and email campaigns.
However, a blog can also become cumbersome for smaller companies. Make sure you have a team and strategy in place to keep content fresh before you consider launching one. It’s actually better not to have a blog and instead offer a few videos or guides, than to have a hopelessly outdated blog.
Nourish Eats keeps things simple and focused on the content on its blog. Instead of using a slider at the top of the page, the site integrates a rotating slider to the right, which goes through the different categories on the site. The slider keeps the content fresh and engages users. Users can navigate at any point or use the arrows to go forward or back.
5. Portfolio websites
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A portfolio website allows creative professionals a place for showcasing their best work. This is perfect for artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, furniture builders—you name it.
As you build a portfolio, there’s no need to add every single project you’ve ever worked on. Instead, focus on creating categories of items and highlighting the best work from each category. A portfolio website is a bit more creative by nature, so this is the place to try unique layouts and add in interesting features.
The online portfolio for designer Gautier Maillard is the perfect blend of creativity and best project highlights. As the user scrolls down the page, different images get highlighted. Click on any image, and you see ad campaigns from the project. If you want to know more about the designer, click the about navigation button in the upper right corner and learn that he lives in Paris, where he’s studied and what projects he worked on. This layout and strategy work because the focus is on his actual work and the text is limited. Users process and remember images better than text alone.
6. Landing pages
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A landing page is a specific page type created for a marketing campaign that drives visitors to take a specific action.
The content on a landing page should be limited and point toward the call-to-action (CTA) you’d like the user to take. Allow plenty of white space around your CTA and save elements not related to the purpose of that campaign for other pages.
Shopify’s free trial landing page provides simple headlines and calls to action, such as “Start free trial.” All the elements on the page drive the buyer through a very specific journey meant to have them become a qualified lead. They use relevant, trendy images and add a bit of a 3D effect with the sunglasses in the corner while also showing what one of their shopping sites layouts looks like.
7. Social media websites
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There are approximately 2.77 billion people on social media with dozens of different platforms available. No matter who your target audience is, you’ll probably find them on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat or LinkedIn. Although you can’t redesign the platforms themselves, you do have some control over the look of your page, and you can create content that drives social media shares.
Go for a consistent look across all your social media pages and web pages, so users instantly know your brand is behind the page. Use the same logo and color choices. Choose a specific voice and personality that shines across all content.
When creating content, focus on things that have a high potential of being shared on social media, such as entertaining videos, infographics, memes, in-depth reports and free offers. Find more tips on how to make your social media pages work for your business here.
WHAT IS WEB PROGRAMMING
What Does Web Programming Mean?
Web programming refers to the writing, markup and coding involved in Web development, which includes Web content, Web client and server scripting and network security. The most common languages used for Web programming are XML, HTML, JavaScript, Perl 5 and PHP. Web programming is different from just programming, which requires interdisciplinary knowledge on the application area, client and server scripting, and database technology.
Web programming can be briefly categorized into client and server coding. The client side needs programming related to accessing data from users and providing information. It also needs to ensure there are enough plug ins to enrich user experience in a graphic user interface, including security measures.
- To improve user experience and related functionalities on the client side, JavaScript is usually used. It is an excellent client-side platform for designing and implementing Web applications.
- HTML5 and CSS3 supports most of the client-side functionality provided by other application frameworks.
The server side needs programming mostly related to data retrieval, security and performance. Some of the tools used here include ASP, Lotus Notes, PHP, Java and MySQL. There are certain tools/platforms that aid in both client- and server-side programming. Some examples of these are Opa and Tersus.
BEST WEBSITES TO LEARN WEB PROGRAMMING
The preferred method for learning coding or a new programming language is with the free content on the internet. It will help you weigh-in on your options and your interests. So, without further ado, let us dive into the best free websites to learn to program.
1. HackerRank
HackerRank is one of the best websites on the internet because it offers a wide variety of resources for beginner developers. It has some quick crash courses, including the 30-day challenge to gain more experience in programming languages.
It offers numerous programming languages for coding enthusiasts to learn more and invest their time. HackerRank is probably the best website for you to get hired by a company. The majority of the coding interviews are conducted successfully on these websites.
HackerRank is a place for both developers and companies. While programmers are trying to improve their coding skills to the next level and increase their proficiency by attempting the numerous challenges available on these websites, the companies are simultaneously recruiting the best candidates that can solve their interview questions and replicate the best possible outcomes and results.
2. freeCodeCamp
Free Code Camp is a non-profit organization with some of the most useful content and beneficial resources for programmers and developers. It provides enormous quality posts, guides, and material for beginner programming enthusiasts to practice and master their coding skills.
To list some of their fabulous content published on the internet would include interactive learning web platforms for practicing web development using programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. There are numerous assignments and practice questions that you can work on alone or in pairs to achieve the desired results.
Some of the free verified certifications on their website include responsive web designing systems, algorithms and data structures for JavaScript, front-end development libraries, data visualizations and data science, data analysis with Python, Information security, APIs and microservices, machine learning with Python, and so much more.
3. GeeksforGeeks
Geek For Geeks is one of my favorite platforms for free content on learning more about numerous programming languages and other coding-related topics. It contains well-written, well thought and well-explained computer science and programming articles, quizzes, and so much more to enable the user to gain further experience and enhance their coding skills.
The best part about Geek For Geeks is that you can find useful content on the specific topics and concepts that you are looking for, and they usually never disappoint. If you search for a particular programming topic, there is a high chance that you will receive updated, high-quality posts with codes.
These codes obtained are available in numerous programming languages, including C, C++, Java, Python, and other similar coding languages. You can also refer to this website for learning a more intuitive understanding of competitive programming and participating in various events. It also covers most of the basics required for beginner-level developer enthusiasts.
4. Codecademy
Codecademy is a brilliant place for beginner developers and programming enthusiasts to invest their time and effort to enhance their coding skills. Codecademy offers free interactive sessions online in 12 different programming languages, including Python, Java, Go, JavaScript, Ruby, SQL, C++, C#, Swift, and Sass, as well as markup languages HTML and CSS.
It also has one of the best platforms for learning to code with a set of tasks that you have to complete to progress to the next stage. This level system of coding and the continuous progression system of programming will help the users and developers to create further engagement and learn more.
You can pick the programming language of your choice and work on it until you produce the most effective results. You learn through code snippets and executing these code blocks on your own. It offers high interactivity to every enthusiast for exploration and practice purposes. You will receive instant feedback that will help you to correct yourself and learn more appropriately.
5. Codementor
DevProjects is a free community where people can learn programming by working on curated projects. Each project is specifically designed by senior developers and mentors to bridge the learning gap between theory and real-world code. Users can discuss project details with peers and mentors and share their code to receive feedback.
If you are looking for more specific projects related to Python, you can check out the following link. You can build a wide array of quality Python projects which have numerous applications in the real world. Developers can make the best use of these projects for practicing purposes, developing their programming skills, and ultimately add these projects to their portfolio or resume.
I would highly recommend checking out the following website as it provides you with the opportunity to build Python projects. And the best part is, if you are stuck on a particular issue, you will receive help from the available mentors who will guide you to fix your problems and achieve the best possible results.
6. HackerEarth
Similar to HackerRank, HackerEarth provides a platform for both developers and companies. While programmers can choose to practice, learn, and develop a variety of projects while partaking in numerous competitions and challenges, the companies usually utilize this website for technical skill assessment and remote video interviewing.
There is also a bunch of interview questions and other ways to level up your coding skills via practice quizzes and hackathon that you can participate and win exciting prizes. You can test out your overall coding skills and improve your programming accomplishments to the next level. If you are interested, you could even get hired by one of the recruiting companies.
7. W3Schools
W3Schools is a training website for learning web technologies online. Content includes tutorials and references relating to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, PHP, Python, AngularJS, React.js, SQL, Bootstrap, Sass, Node.js, jQuery, XQuery, AJAX, XML, Raspberry Pi, C++, C# and Java.
W3Schools offers some of the best resources for developers to learn content for free. It has a documentation-style approach for providing information along with useful interactive code blocks, which you can click the “try it yourself” button and explore these options.
W3Schools offers some of the best programming tutorials online as well as great examples for conducting experimentations with code blocks. It also provides you with some of the best references, exercises, and courses the developers and other users to participate, involve, and utilize for improving their productivity.
8. Programming Medium Platforms
The other websites discussed in this article are helpful in improving your programming and coding skills with actual practice questions and other beneficial resources for different types of users. While that might be suitable for most scenarios, you also need to look into other options that provide you with guidance, advanced tutorials, and other helpful tools.
Medium publications like Towards Data Science and Better Programming are some of the best platforms for users to learn more about programming and also receive assistance on other practices related to coding. The blog posts and articles on these websites are extremely useful for beginner programmers and developers.
9. YouTube
While all the other resources mentioned in this article contain mostly theoretical articles and practical guides, it is always a good idea to explore your thoughts and learn more through visuals and images, especially in the form of videos. YouTube is one such platform that is home to tons of free programming and coding content that will allow its viewers to learn and intuitively code alongside the runtime of the video.
My personal recommendation for some of the best YouTube videos to learn to program and improve your coding skills would include channels like Sentdex and Corey Schafer for learning specific advanced programming tutorials. There are tons of amazing YouTube channels for learning programming content, and we will discuss more this topic in another article where we will list some of the best channels that you should subscribe to.
10. GitHub and Stack Overflow
GitHub is one of the best websites for any type of coding-related project. It provides you with multiple options. If you want to share your codes or use other codes after forking them, this is perhaps the choice of the website you should look forward to. It is undoubtedly one of the best options that every developer and programmer must consider.
It is easy to get stuck while programming a specific code block. In coding, errors are bound to occur, and when you are unable to fix them by yourself, it is often a good idea to approach experts or other programming enthusiasts. One such website that provides you with an opportunity to get solutions to your queries, doubts, and questions is the Stack Overflow community.
Both GitHub and Stack Overflow are amazing websites that will allow you to engage in conversations with other experts in this field of programming and receive the appropriate solutions to your doubts and queries. The community is extremely helpful, and they will often engage in providing answers as long as you show your effort in framing the question from your perspective.
As a side note, I would also highly recommend checking out discord and slack channels for programming. Finding an interactive community is useful because you have coding enthusiasts who share similar interests, and you can learn more by sharing codes. You can also perform and work on complex projects together or in a group to create effective projects.
Conclusion:
Most of the resources and websites mentioned in this article are trustworthy, with some of the best content out there on the internet. Personally, I have either used most of these resources extensively or have visited these websites while researching for the purpose of this article. I hope they will be able to benefit the viewers as much as they did while I started my programming journey.
I am sure there are tons more amazing free resources online that I have probably missed out on in this article. If you feel I missed out on something that you would have liked to see in this post, feel free to comment down below and let everyone know about the numerous other free websites that are online for every enthusiast to benefit from and utilize.
I would be very much interested in knowing more about other such similar free websites and resources for beginners to dwell in the world of programming. I will make sure to write another article in the future covering other essential websites that enthusiasts, aspirants, and hobbyists of programming can check out for free and make the best use of these resources for improving their overall coding skills.
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