Types of Websites: Landing Page, Corporate Site or Online Store
When a business owner turns to developers, the first question they hear is: "What kind of website do you need?" It isn't easy to answer, and a wrong choice of format leads either to extra costs or to a site that doesn't solve the task. Let's go through the main types of websites, their differences, and a simple way to see which one fits your business.
Main types of websites
Landing page
One page, one offer, one goal - a request or a call. It suits ad campaigns, testing a new service, course enrollment and promotions. Its strength is that nothing distracts the visitor. Its weakness is that it doesn't cover many services or different search queries.
Business card site
A small site of a few pages: about the company, services, prices, contacts. It's a "business card" on the internet for craftsmen, small service companies and independent specialists. A customer who heard about you on Instagram or from friends comes here to make sure you can be trusted.
Corporate website
A full representation of the company: a separate page for each service, a portfolio, the team, news or a blog, vacancies, language versions. A corporate site strengthens trust and brings customers from search, because each page answers its own query.
Catalog site
It shows products, descriptions and specifications, but without a cart and online payment. Orders are taken via a request, a call or Telegram. It is popular in wholesale, manufacturing, building materials and furniture - where the price often depends on volume and delivery terms.
Online store
A cart, checkout, online payment or cash on delivery, order statuses and often a personal account. This is the most complex type, because it is directly tied to warehouse stock, prices, delivery and payments.
Web service and portal
A separate category: the user registers and performs actions inside the site. For example, a student account at a training center, a booking system or an ordering portal for dealers. Such projects are closer to a software product than to an ordinary website and require separate design.
Comparing the types of websites
| Type of site | Who it suits | Main task | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | Ads, one service, a promotion | Collecting leads | Low |
| Business card | Small business, specialist | Trust and contacts | Low |
| Corporate | Company with many services | Trust, customers from search | Medium |
| Catalog | Wholesale, manufacturing | Showing products, price requests | Medium |
| Online store | Retail | Online sales | High |
| Web service | Services with an account | Process automation | High |
Five questions to help you choose
- Do you sell on the site or collect leads? If payment must happen right on the site, you need an online store. If a manager closes the deal, choose a landing page, a corporate site or a catalog.
- How many products or services do you have? One or two services - a landing page is enough. Many services - a corporate site; many products - a catalog or a store.
- How do customers find you? If mostly through ads - a landing page. If through Google and Yandex search - a multi-page site.
- Who updates the information, and how often? If prices and the range change often, you can't do without a convenient admin panel.
- Do you need a connection with other systems? A warehouse program, 1C, a CRM or Telegram - such integrations should be planned from the very beginning.
Write down your answers and discuss them with a website development specialist - choosing a format will become much easier.
Examples by type of business
- A craftsman or service company. Air conditioner installation, plumbing, repairs - a landing page or business card site with call and Telegram buttons.
- A training center. A corporate site with a separate page for each course and a sign-up form. Later you can add a student and parent account.
- Wholesale and manufacturing. A catalog with specifications, documents and a price request form.
- A retail store. An online store, but not on its own: if stock and prices are not synchronized with an inventory and POS system, a sold item will keep showing on the site as "in stock".
- A clinic or beauty salon. A corporate site with pages for services and specialists and online booking.
- A cafe or restaurant. Menu, branches, delivery ordering; the site often works together with a Telegram bot.
Common mistakes when choosing
- Doing everything at once. A big portal is planned, and the first version never launches. It's better to start with a simple format and develop it in stages.
- Thinking Instagram is enough. A social media profile is poorly found in search, and important information gets lost among posts. A website is a permanent address fully under your control.
- Separating the store from accounting. Keeping stock, prices and orders by hand in two places is a sure path to errors.
- Not thinking about growth. A landing page may become a corporate site over time, a catalog may become a store. Choose the technology and structure with room to spare.
- Blindly copying a competitor. Their site solves their tasks, while yours must fit your customers and your sales process.
What to do after choosing a format
Once the type of site is defined, prepare materials to speed up the work:
- a list of pages with a short description of each one's content;
- a logo, brand colors and good-quality photos;
- a list of services or products with prices and descriptions;
- where requests should go: phone, Telegram or CRM;
- which languages the site will be in.
Such a list lets the developer estimate the project accurately and lets you start work without extra approvals.
Frequently asked questions
Which site suits a small business?
Most often a business card site or a landing page is enough. They let the customer quickly understand what you do and get in touch, and later the site is expanded with new sections.
Can a catalog be turned into an online store?
Yes, if the site was designed with that in mind from the start. The cart, payment and order management are added at the next stage.
Can a company have several websites?
It can. For example, a main corporate site and separate landing pages for ad campaigns. It is important that they share one style and that requests end up in one place.
Haven't decided which type of site you need? Leave a request or message UFLEX on Telegram - we'll ask a few questions about your business and suggest a suitable format and a first step.