The concept of a web portal is becoming increasingly popular on the Internet. But despite this, many people still confuse it with an ordinary service site. Nevertheless, these are two completely different resources with different purposes and functionality. Every portal can be called a site, but not every site is a portal.

Before we look for differences between the two concepts, it is necessary to define each of them. Portal is a large site with many contents of different types and interactive services. A resource can be called a true information repository.

A quality web portal provides visitors with a large amount of useful information. This resource has simple and thoughtful navigation so that every user can quickly find the necessary information. If properly designed, the resource becomes a kind of guide, directing users to other sites. It is visited by people who have similar interests, jobs, or hobbies.

A Web site is a resource of several pages united by one domain name. Websites come in different types. Their types depend on the purpose, functionality, and type of content placed. The most common examples of common websites are blogs, corporate sites, online stores, social networks, etc. Every day on the web, people browse thousands of different websites.

Difference between a portal and a website

Speaking about the differences between these two resources, it is worth pointing that the web portal can be found in the network much less often than a regular website. The main reason is that developing the portal is a fairly complex and time-consuming task, the quality of which can only be performed by professionals. The cost of creating such a resource is many times higher than the cost of developing a conventional website. If a free engine makes a website by itself under the force of many, then the situation with the portals is entirely different.

Digital Agency specialists have a large portfolio of web portals of different types. The agency team develops large information portals with unique designs and adaptive mobile versions for different devices.

The web portal has several features that distinguish it from the site and any other resources on the network:

1. The extensiveness of the focus. If the site is focused on a particular topic and audience, the portal, in comparison with it, has wider coverage. The resource is devoted to many topics and covers a much larger audience. Every day it is visited by many thousands of people.
2. The main task of the Internet portal is to help the reader find answers to his questions. To do this, the site has links to external sites, where the user can get the necessary information. Web sites have a certain orientation and are focused only on one subject, product, or service.
3. A key element in the portal is its navigation. The website has a complex structure, without proper navigation visitors will not be able to use all its features. For the work of the site, navigation is important, but not so much. In its creation, the developers often focus on other elements.
4. Websites are designed only for a particular target audience. Portals gather people with different interests.
5. Websites come in different types, but do not have a clear classification. For web portals, classification plays an important role.
6. A website has a simpler structure and functions. An Internet portal is a site with a complex structure and a lot of features.

Comparison of the website and the portal

The uniqueness of the web portal lies in the fact that it provides visitors with a large amount of information and various content, as well as interactive services and links to other Internet resources. On such a site one can simultaneously read news, view mail, and weather forecasts, participate in discussions, etc. This is convenient for the visitor and beneficial for the owner. With such diversity, it is possible to maintain the interest of the audience for a long time.

When placing such a large amount of content and services, it is important not to forget about usability. For a portal with such a large amount of data, it is important to develop competent navigation that is simple and understandable for users. For the reader, it is important to quickly find answers to all questions of interest.

Creating an Internet portal with such a complex structure is more expensive, but its owner receives a unique resource with many functions and services. With its help, the owner will be able to receive a high income.

Portal orientation

Depending on the subject matter, web portals can be horizontal or vertical. Horizontal (universal) websites can cover a wider target audience. On them, one can find news, education, entertainment, game, or any other information. 

Vertical websites have a specific focus. They are focused on a smaller audience. In this case, the resource is more like a regular website, as it provides the maximum amount of information on one subject. This can be entertainment, training, corporate, or any other portals. A separate type among the vertical resources is regional portals of cities, regions, and regions. Today they are present in all, even in the smallest settlements.

Vertical portals are usually visited by groups of regular visitors who communicate with each other in a forum or a chat room.

Conclusion

An Internet portal is a virtual resource with a complex structure, a lot of information, and various services. It attracts thousands of users, providing them with the information they need by redirecting them to third-party resources. At the same time portal is one the types of websites.

The complex structure and large volume of content are the determining factors for the development of thoughtful navigation. Creating a portal is more difficult than any other type of website. For the creation of portals in our digital agency the whole team of professionals consisting of developers, SEO specialists, and bracketologists is responsible. We develop high-quality portals of horizontal and vertical types. The agency has an individual approach for each customer to create a resource, which will present the information, goods, or services of our client to the audience as precisely as possible.

For the development of modern web-portals digital agency team uses tried and tested algorithm of actions, which helps to create resources of any level of complexity quickly and with high quality. All the portals developed by our agency have a complex structure, user-friendly navigation, a bright unique design, and an adaptive mobile version for working with a resource on all popular devices. Despite all the complexity of the resource’s structure, load, and content, the portal, like any other modern virtual site or website, should be adapted for smartphones and tablets.