If earlier Internet portals could be counted on one hand, now they are found in almost every area. They are distinguished from ordinary sites by a number of features that, although not officially recognized, still find application in the web space.
One of the main differences between a portal and a regular site is its broader subject matter. It is simply unprofitable to create a large resource on a narrow topic, since the costs may not pay off. Portals are made only when it is necessary to touch several directions at once. For example, you can make a website about porridge recipes, or you can create a portal that will collect methods of cooking all possible dishes.
Content
The second point follows from the first point - the amount of content. Regular sites usually don't have that many articles. In portals, the number of pages can amount to several thousand. Moreover, the broader and more complex the subject matter, the more content you can get as a result. For example, resources that collect tips for women may run several articles a day for several years and still do not cover all possible issues.
Also, in portals, unlike regular sites, the content is diverse. For example, videos, infographics, user posts, etc. can be used there. Regular sites, as a rule, publish only articles, since there is simply no need for other materials.
In addition, the portals are distinguished by a large number of authors. Often, each of them has a section on the portal. Since the resource is large, it needs constant updating. One person can hardly cope with such a volume of work (unlike the same regular site).
Additional modules, attendance
In portals, you can often find additional modules: forums, photo galleries, blogs, reviews, etc. In ordinary sites, most often there are only a couple of them (or none at all). This is due to the fact that it is very important for the portal to have a sustainable community, and for this it is necessary to activate the audience.
Portals are easier to promote (especially if all pages are interconnected). This type of Internet resources will most often be in the leading positions for popular queries. For example, "Wikipedia" takes just a huge layer of first places in the search results only due to the volume.
Attendance is another metric that differentiates portals. A common site of related topics can rarely compete on this criterion. The reasons are the same - the amount of content. Due to the fact that there are more articles on the portal, users are more likely to find the site in search engines.
Although, all these indicators are conditional. There is no clear division between portals and regular sites. At least at the moment.
