Choosing a site type does not start with the number of pages or the template you like. First you need to understand where visitors will come from, what decision they need to make, and what will happen after an application or order.
Landing page, corporate website, catalog and web service solve different problems. An inappropriate format will either limit promotion or force the business to pay for functionality that is not used.
When a landing page is enough
Landing page is suitable for one service, product, promotion or hypothesis testing. It is convenient to use with contextual and targeted advertising when the audience comes for a specific offer.
On one page you can consistently reveal the problem, solution, advantages, conditions and lead the visitor to the application. But landing is limited if the company offers many different services or plans to cover a wide search demand.
Choose a landing page if:
- launch a new offer;
- you need to quickly check the demand;
- main source of traffic is advertising;
- the product has one clear user scenario;
- Content can be convincingly developed on a single page.
When you need a corporate website
A multi-page website is suitable for a company with several services, areas or audiences. Each significant offer gets its own landing page, so it’s easier for visitors to find what they need, and for search engines to understand the structure of the business.
This format scales better for SEO. You can develop service pages, industry solutions, cases and useful articles. It is important to think through the architecture in advance so that new sections do not turn navigation into chaos.
Catalog without online store
A catalog is needed when it is important for the buyer to study the range, characteristics and options, but the transaction is completed through the manager. Cards can include specifications, documents, application options, and a quote request form.
Consider filters, search, category structure and data updating. If the assortment is stored in 1C or another accounting system, manual duplication of information will quickly become a source of errors.
When a business needs a web service
A web service not only tells about the company, but also performs an operation: calculates the cost, accepts an order, displays personal data or automates the process.
Examples:
- personal account of a client or dealer;
- booking system;
- calculator with complex logic;
- marketplace or closed catalogue;
- employee’s workplace;
- data exchange with CRM and 1C.
For wholesale sales, it becomes a separate option B2B portal with 1C integration, where dealers see their prices, balances, orders and documents.
What questions to ask before development
Make a short list of responses before discussing the design:
- Who is the main user of the site?
- What problem should he solve?
- Where will the traffic come from: search, advertising, recommendations or an existing database?
- What data should the manager receive after contacting him?
- Do you need personal accounts, payment, catalog or integrations?
- Who will update the content after launch?
- Which features are required in the first version, and which can be added later?
Answers allow you to separate critical functionality from wishes and more accurately evaluate the project.
What should be included in a modern website
Regardless of the format, the site must work correctly on a phone, load quickly, have clear navigation and measurable target actions. Forms must be checked from the interface before the manager receives the application.
For subsequent promotion, semantic HTML markup, managed title and description, sitemap.xml, canonical, correct server responses and the ability to create new landing pages are important. These tasks are discussed in more detail in the material about SEO optimization of the site.
How not to overpay at the start
Start with a minimal version that completely solves the main user scenario. The architecture must take into account development, but does not necessarily implement all future functions at once.
A good contractor explains what the cost consists of, fixes the boundaries of the stage and shows the intermediate result. Detailed guidelines and scope of work are collected in the article about website development costs.
If you need to choose a format and get a grade, talk about the problem on the page turnkey website development.