Website
Definition
A collection of web pages accessible via the internet that contains information, images, videos, or other content, serving diverse purposes.
Use Cases
- Amazon: E-commerce storefront for browsing products, reading reviews, and purchasing items online — A global, highly available web experience delivered through distributed infrastructure, with web front ends, application services, databases, and caching/CDN to handle large traffic spikes (Enables online sales at massive scale with fast page loads and high uptime, supporting millions of customers globally)
- Netflix: Public-facing website for account management, browsing titles, and streaming access entry points — Uses a globally distributed architecture with edge delivery (CDN) and backend services to keep the site responsive under heavy demand (Improves reliability and performance for a large global user base, reducing buffering and improving user experience)
- Airbnb: Marketplace website for searching listings, booking stays, and managing host/guest accounts — Combines a web front end with backend APIs, databases, and security controls to support search, payments, and user profiles (Supports a two-sided marketplace at global scale, enabling online bookings and streamlined customer interactions)
Provider Equivalents
- AWS: AWS Amplify Hosting
- Azure: Azure Static Web Apps
- GCP: Firebase Hosting
- OCI: OCI Object Storage (Static Website Hosting)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between a website and a web application?
- A website is often focused on presenting content (pages, images, videos) to visitors, like a brochure or news site. A web application is more interactive and task-focused, like online banking or a project management tool, where users log in, create data, and perform actions. Many modern sites combine both (content pages plus interactive features).
- When should I use a website instead of a mobile app?
- Use a website when you want the broadest reach (works on any device with a browser), faster updates (no app store approval), and lower initial development effort. Consider a mobile app when you need deep device features (offline-first, push notifications, sensors) or a highly tailored mobile experience. Many businesses start with a website and add an app later.
- How much does a website cost to run in the cloud?
- Costs depend on hosting type and traffic. A small static website can be very low cost because it mainly uses storage and bandwidth. Dynamic websites cost more because they add compute (servers/containers), databases, and possibly caching and load balancing. Key pricing factors include monthly visitors, data transfer (GB), number of requests, compute size and hours, database capacity, and any CDN or security services.
Category: software
Difficulty: basic
Related Terms
See Also