A web site is a destination in its own right. It is an end point for the visitor. The creators have built the site to keep you there.
A portal on the other hand is not a destination as such. Rather it is more like a bus terminus, signposting users onwards to other places. A portal differs from a web site in that it can be regarded more as a meeting place or gathering point for visitors to commence surfing to a set of pre-determined locations.
An example of a web site could, for example, be beer-widget.com, the company site of a beer widget-making company. A portal is a site like digital-stuff.com, a site that's dedicated to music, movies and online gaming.
A portal finds the information for the user whereas on a website the user has to search for it. A portal displays all the content in one place while information is usually dispersed across a website. A portal uses a consistent framework for presenting the information in a standard way. The services available through the portal are all designed to fit within a standard portal framework. This consistency makes it easier to learn and use these services. On the other hand, there is a learning curve for users of typical website to get familiar with all the browsing capabilities. The information presented in a typical web site is usually general and intended for a wider audience.
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