Corporate website, online store or web app: what does your business need?
Three kinds of project, three budgets and three different goals. How to pick the right one before you ask for a quote.
Almost every first conversation with a client starts with the same question: “What kind of website do I need?” The answer isn’t about technology. It’s about what you want to achieve online. Here are the three kinds of project we build most often and when each one makes sense.
1. Corporate website: when you want to be found and contacted
A corporate website explains who you are, what you do and how to reach you. It suits service companies, tradespeople, clinics, consultants and manufacturers who sell through quotes rather than directly online.
- clear service, portfolio and contact pages;
- a quote request form with email notifications;
- local SEO, so you show up when people search for your service in your area;
- light upkeep: security updates and the occasional new text.
2. Online store: when customers buy directly on the site
If your products can be ordered and paid for online, you need a store: catalogue, basket, card payments, shipping rates, invoicing and stock. The big difference from a corporate site isn’t the design, it’s the day-to-day running: orders, returns, and keeping stock and invoicing in sync.
3. Web app or SaaS platform: when the site becomes a work tool
When people don’t just read but work in it (time tracking, bookings, inventory, reports, client accounts), you’re building a web app. When the same app is sold to many companies on a subscription, it becomes a SaaS platform. What matters here are the processes: who does what, which data is kept and which reports come out at the end.
Four questions that settle the choice
- Do your customers buy online, or contact you for a quote?
- How many people on your side will use the site every day, and for what?
- Does it need to connect to other software (invoicing, stock, CRM)?
- Who will update the content after launch?
You don’t need every answer on day one. A good project can start as a corporate website and grow, step by step, into a store or an app. What matters is choosing technology that allows that without starting over.
Not sure which option fits? Drop us a few lines about your business and we’ll suggest the simplest solution that does the job.