A website (or simply a site) is a collection of pages gathered under one address and opened in a browser. You type the address, for example numune.az, and pages appear with the company's services, prices and contact details. For a business, a website is an office on the internet: it is open day and night, answers questions, and takes enquiries and orders.
Key takeaways:
- A website consists of three things: an address (domain), a server where the files are stored (hosting) and the pages themselves (design, text, code).
- The main types of website are the brochure website, landing page, corporate website, online store, portfolio and web app. The purpose determines the type.
- A social media page is rented, while a website is owned: you control the rules, the design and your customer data yourself.
- People who search on Google are sent to websites; a company without a website does not appear in those searches.
- A website can be built in three ways: with a website builder, with a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, or with custom code.
What is a website?
A website is a collection of pages located at one address on the internet and linked to each other. Each page is called a "web page": home page, services, about us, contact. You do not need to download any separate software to open a site; a browser (Chrome, Safari) on your phone or computer is enough.
The first website in the world went live in December 1990 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and is still open today at info.cern.ch (CERN). According to Netcraft's July 2026 survey, there are now about 1.5 billion websites in the world (Netcraft).
Three concepts are often confused:
| Concept | In plain language | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Web page | A single page of a website | The "Contact" page |
| Website | All the pages under one address | numune.az |
| Web app | A program that runs in the browser: account, personal dashboard, transactions | Internet banking, an online booking system |
Apps downloaded to a phone are a separate topic; we have explained them in the article What is a mobile app.
How does a website work?
When you type an address into the browser and press Enter, four steps take place, and this usually takes less than a second:
- The address is typed. For example, numune.az. This address is called a domain.
- The domain system finds the server. DNS, the "phone book" of the internet, shows which server that address belongs to.
- The server sends the page. The files of the site are stored on a computer that runs around the clock, that is, a server. Space rented on a server is called hosting.
- The browser displays the page. The code is turned into text, images and buttons.
So a website needs three things:
| Part | What it is | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | The address of the website | The address of a building |
| Hosting | The server where the website is stored | The land the building stands on |
| Website | Design, text, code | The building itself |
Domains and hosting are bought separately and renewed every year. We have explained how to choose them separately in the articles What is a domain and how to buy one and What is hosting.
What types of website are there?
The purpose of a website determines its type. These are the types most used for business:
| Type | What it is for | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Brochure website | Short information about the company and contact details, 1–5 pages | A small business just starting out, an individual specialist |
| Landing page | One offer, one goal: an enquiry or a sale | An ad campaign, a single product or event |
| Corporate website | Presents the company, its services and projects in full | Medium-sized and large companies, B2B |
| Online store | Catalogue, cart, online payment and delivery | A business that sells products |
| Portfolio website | Showcases work | Designer, photographer, architect, studio |
| Blog or media website | Publishes articles and news | Publications, experts, a company blog |
| Web app or portal | Accounts, personal dashboards, booking, reports | Companies that provide their service online |
One website can combine several types: for example, a blog and online booking inside a corporate website. We have explained each type in its own guide: landing page, corporate website, online store and portfolio website.
What does a website consist of?
A visitor sees only the visible part of a website, but three more parts work behind it:
- Front end. Design, text, images, buttons and forms: everything the visitor sees on screen.
- Back end. The software that receives the form, calculates the order and checks the payment. The visitor does not see it, but it is what works when they press the "Send" button.
- Database. Products, prices, orders and users are stored here.
- Admin panel. The section where the site owner changes text, images and prices without a programmer. Such a system is called a CMS.
In this respect, websites come in two kinds. A static website shows the same ready-made pages to every visitor: it is fast and simple, and suits a brochure website or a landing page. A dynamic website assembles the page from the database each time: online stores, personal dashboards and booking work this way.
What does a website give a business? Isn't an Instagram page enough?
A social media page is a good start, but it does not replace a website: they do different jobs. Instagram attracts attention, while a website helps people make a decision and place an order.
| Criterion | Social media page | Your own website |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Belongs to the platform; the account can be blocked and the rules can change | Belongs to you |
| Visibility on Google | Limited | Every page can appear for its own query |
| Structure of information | Posts get lost in the feed | Services, prices and questions are all in their place |
| Enquiries and orders | By messaging, manually | Form, online payment, booking, CRM |
| Measurement | The platform's own statistics | Every source and every step is measured separately |
| Trust | Anyone can open a page | A domain, company details and legal pages build trust |
The numbers confirm this. According to DataReportal's report, at the end of 2025 Azerbaijan had 9.27 million internet users, that is, 89% of the population (DataReportal). According to StatCounter's September 2026 data, Google accounts for 97.37% of searches in the country (StatCounter). Your customers are online and they search on Google; the only question is whether they find you or your competitor there.
A website also changes the result of advertising: a person who arrives from an ad finds the answers to their questions and the enquiry form on one page. We have shown which channel brings more qualified enquiries in the comparison Lead form, WhatsApp or website. The transition plan for stores that sell on Instagram is in the article Moving from an Instagram store to an online store.
How is a website built?
A website is built in three ways, and they differ in price, speed and capabilities:
| Route | How it works | Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website builder (Tilda, Wix, etc.) | A page is assembled from ready-made blocks | Starts quickly and cheaply | Features are limited to what the platform provides |
| Content management system (WordPress, etc.) | Templates and add-ons are plugged into a ready-made system | Many ready-made capabilities | Updates and security require constant maintenance |
| Custom code | Design and functions are written from scratch | Speed, any function and integration | Takes more time and budget |
We have covered the first route in the article Creating a free website, the second in the guide What is WordPress, and a comparison of all three in the article Tilda, WordPress or a custom website.
Whichever route is chosen, the stages are similar: goal and structure, design, coding, placing the content, testing and launch. We have explained the first stage in the article How to structure a website and the whole process, step by step, in the guide Website development: types, stages and prices. What should be agreed in writing when you place an order is covered in the article Ordering a website: technical brief and contract.
What are the signs of a good website?
A good website is not a beautiful one but one that does its job. Seven questions to check it:
- Is it clear within five seconds? A person who opens the home page should understand straight away what the company does and who it suits.
- Is it convenient on a phone? The text can be read without zooming and the buttons are easy to tap with a finger.
- Does it load quickly? People do not wait for a site that loads slowly. We have shown how speed is measured in the article Website loads slowly.
- Is it secure? The address starts with https:// and the browser shows no warning.
- Is contact one click away? Phone, WhatsApp and a form are visible on every page.
- Can it be found on Google? Each service has its own page, its own title and description.
- Is the result measured? It is known how many people visited and how many made an enquiry. Google Analytics 4 shows this.
How much does a website cost?
The price of a website depends on the number of pages, whether the design is custom, the features and the number of languages. According to price lists published openly in the market, the approximate ranges are: template and builder websites 150–500 AZN (manat), custom-design corporate websites usually 1,000–5,000 AZN, online stores and custom platforms over 5,000 AZN. A domain and hosting are a separate cost of roughly 50–150 AZN a year.
We have explained how the price is built up line by line in the article Website development prices, and the hidden costs of very cheap offers in the article Why a cheap website ends up costing more.
What websites does Advertol build?
Advertol builds corporate websites, landing pages, online stores and mobile apps in Baku. The published projects show different types of website:
- Aston Martin. A fast website built with code, in keeping with the brand identity.
- Assistance Group. A bilingual corporate website and a separate website for a tourism brand; both are updated from one admin panel.
- Padel 77. A club website that works in three languages and lets visitors book a court directly on the site.
- Momento Travel. A custom CRM that collects WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook enquiries in one panel: an example of a web app that runs in the browser.
Advertol is an agency based in Baku: website and mobile app development, Meta and Google advertising, SMM, CRM and AI automation are handled by one team. The way of working is described on the website and app development page.
Frequently asked questions
Are a website and a web page the same thing?
No. A web page is a single page of a website, while a website is all the pages gathered under one address. For example, "Contact" is a single page, while numune.az is the whole website. There are also websites that consist of one page: these are called landing pages.
Can I build a website myself?
Yes. For a simple website, builders are enough and you do not need to know programming. If you need online payment, booking, several languages or a CRM connection, the work becomes more complicated and requires a specialist. Before deciding, write down what the website should bring you.
How long does it take to build a website?
The time depends on the type of website: a one-page landing page and a multilingual online store do not take the same time. The most common cause of delay is not the code but text and images being prepared late. That is why the content should be prepared in parallel with the design.
Can I work with Instagram only, without a website?
For a start, yes. But customers who search on Google do not see you, and when the account is blocked, the whole audience is lost. As sales grow, taking orders by messaging also becomes harder. A website reduces these three risks.
What is the difference between a website and a mobile app?
A website opens in a browser and requires no download; an app is downloaded to the phone from the App Store or Google Play. A website is better suited to finding new customers, and an app to working with regular customers.
Who owns the website: the client or the company that built it?
The owner should be the client. The domain and hosting accounts are opened in the client company's name, and the code and design files are handed to it at handover. This condition should be written explicitly in the contract.
Conclusion
A website is pages gathered under one address, and for a business it is a place of its own on the internet. Choose the type by purpose: a brochure or corporate website to introduce the business, a landing page for advertising, an online store for sales. Whichever route is used to build it, a good website should be clear within five seconds, convenient on a phone, fast and measurable.
If you want to find out which type of website suits your business, book a free strategy session or write to the Advertol team.