How to choose a website for business: landing page, corporate, or online store

What type of website suits your business

Let’s start with a simple but painful question: what happens if you choose the wrong type of website? Best case scenario — the site simply won’t “take off.” Worst case — it will drain your budget, devalue your brand, and kill faith in online promotion. Many follow the trend: “Everyone has a landing page — I’ll get a landing page too!”, and then wonder why responses don’t come, or why a store with 200 items loads as slow as a tortoise in the cold.

Choosing the format is a strategic decision. It’s like selecting premises for a store: do you need a market stall, a showroom downtown, or a logistics center on the outskirts? The same goes for the website.

You need to look not at what’s trendy, but at what function the site should perform in your business model. For some, it must sell, for others — build trust, and for others — simply collect contacts.

What influences the choice of website format? There are several key factors to consider when choosing:

• Business model (B2B, B2C, information business, services, retail).
• Website goals (sales, leads, image, support, presentation).
• Number of products or services.
• Need for integrations (CRM, payment systems, logistics).
• Level of competition in the niche.
• Budget and resources for launch and support.

It’s these parameters that form the “architectural plan” of your online space.

There’s no need to rush into an expensive online store if you have only three handmade items. But it’s also not advisable to launch a landing page for B2B consulting with a $5,000 check—it looks like wearing pajamas to a business meeting.

And now—the most interesting part.

So the first step is not coding, designing, or even choosing a platform. The first step is to understand your goal. And from that, guide the choice of the type of site.

Landing Page — when one page is enough

There are businesses that live by the principle: ‘We don’t need a high-rise, just give us a comfortable studio with a nice view.’ In the web world, this is a landing page. A one-page site that needs to do one thing only: convert a visitor into a lead or buyer. Without unnecessary transitions, extra buttons, or ‘we’ll tell you everything about everything.’

Often, a landing page is the first step into the digital world. It’s cheaper, faster to develop, doesn’t require tons of content, and can sell if done wisely. But—and here lies the ‘but’—it’s not suitable for every business.

What is a landing page and how does it work

It’s a concentration of meaning. A page focused on one goal: to collect an application, register a user, sell a product, or attract to a course. Ideally—one page, one message, one call to action.

A landing page is not just a pretty picture. It’s a scenario. The user scrolls down the page like sliding down a slope: from the headline → to the benefit → to the social proof → to the button. It doesn’t ‘inform,’ it leads by the hand to action. And if you want someone to take this specific action — a landing page will be your ally.

For which businesses a landing page is gold, not a headache

There are several typical scenarios when a single-page site is the ideal option. And if you are now at the stage of testing a hypothesis, launching a service, or new advertisement — read on carefully.

A landing page works great when:

• You are selling one product or one service that can be explained in 30 seconds.
• You need to quickly launch an advertising campaign and see if it ‘takes off.’
• You are hosting an event, webinar, or short-term promotion with limited time.
• Your business is just starting, and you want to gather the first leads without large investments.
• You are selling an info product — a course, consultation, online training, subscription.

However, if you have 50+ products, several directions, or a complex structure of services — a landing page can be too cramped a format. Its strength is in focus. But if the focus becomes blurred — effectiveness decreases.

What to pay attention to when ordering a landing page

If you’ve decided that a landing page is the right choice for you, don’t rush to “just order a design.” It’s not about visuals, but about interaction logic. Here are the key points to consider:

• Storytelling: the structure should guide the user to action, like a script.
• Sales blocks: USP, testimonials, guarantees, advantages, social proof.
• One clear call to action — without “write to us” + “subscribe” + “call us”.
• Adaptability: 80% of traffic is mobile. If it doesn’t load on a phone, it’s money down the drain.
• Speed: loading time should be no more than 3 seconds, otherwise 40% of people will just leave.
• Analytics: connecting goals, conversions, heat maps is essential for optimization.

A landing page is not meant to “live” forever. It’s a working tool you need to update, test, and adapt. If you see it’s no longer effective, don’t “treat” the old version. Create a new one.

A corporate website — the digital showcase of a company

Remember how you choose a new dentist or repair contractor. The first thing you do is look for a website. If instead of a clear company presentation you find a clumsy landing page with blurry photos and a headline like “We are the best in our field” — you close the tab without even reading further. Because if they can’t take care of their website, who will take care of your business or teeth?

That’s exactly why a corporate website is needed — not just ‘for the sake of it’, but for trust, reputation, and a structured presentation of your business. It’s your online showcase, an office in the digital world. Not just a showroom, but an entire office floor with a meeting room, company history, case studies, and a manager who’s always in touch.

What a corporate website includes

A corporate site is a multi-page website that provides a complete understanding of your business. It doesn’t sell here and now, like a landing page. It acquaints, tells, persuades, and maintains the image. It has less pressure, but more depth.

Usually, a corporate website includes:

• A main page with a value proposition and visual emphasis.
• An ‘About Us’ section with history, values, and team.
• Pages describing services or areas of work.
• Portfolio, case studies, examples of completed projects.
• Client testimonials or partners.
• News, blog, or articles.
• Contacts, feedback form.
• Often — a separate section for vacancies, document flow, legal information.

This is no longer just a ‘landing page’. This is a documentary platform that provides answers even before the user clicks the ‘Request a Call’ button.

Who needs a corporate website

This is not a one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are categories of businesses where without such a site — it’s like having no office with a sign. You can be a pro at what you do, but without structure and confident presentation, you just won’t be taken seriously.

A corporate website is needed if you:

• Work in B2B and your clients are other companies.
• Provide professional or complex services: legal, IT, logistics, finance.
• Have multiple directions or departments.
• Want to build long-term relationships with clients.
• Deal with large transactions — where decisions are made based on logic rather than emotions.
• Plan to participate in tenders, grants, or public projects.

People buy from those they trust. Trust is built from a clear structure, case studies, visual consistency — things that a well-thought-out corporate website creates.

What to pay attention to when developing a corporate website

If you want a website that actually works, you’ll have to make an effort. Don’t copy competitors, don’t take a template, but build it for yourself. And here’s what to pay attention to:

• Strategy: who your target audience is, what they are looking for, what their requests are.
• Website architecture: page logic, navigation convenience.
• Visual communication: brand, colors, fonts — everything should match the company’s voice.
• Content: not “we are market leaders,” but clearly — what you do, how, and what sets you apart.
• Social proof: case studies, certificates, partners.
• SEO optimization: because a beautiful site without traffic is, sorry, an exhibition without viewers.

Fact in figures

According to a Blue Corona study, 48% of people consider website design as the main factor in assessing trust in a business. Additionally, 38% leave a website if its content or navigation is confusing or poorly designed.

So your corporate website is not ‘just a site’. It answers the question: ‘Can you be trusted?’

An online store is more than just a site with products

Imagine a situation. You sell a cool product. Nice packaging, loyal customers, and word of mouth is working. But you constantly receive direct messages or calls in the middle of the night with questions like, ‘Is this in stock?’, ‘Can I order size 42?’, or ‘Send the card number’. And then comes the revelation: an online store is needed.

But it’s not just a site with products and prices. A real online store is a mechanism. An automated salesperson, cashier, logistician, and analyst that work 24/7, don’t take vacations, and don’t get sick. But to make this truly work, every detail must be well thought out. Otherwise, you’ll get a digital headache instead of profit.

Key features of an online store: without these, you won’t get far

Many entrepreneurs think: “I’ll add products, and it will somehow work.” But today’s customer is discerning. If the site loads slowly or there’s no way to pay with Apple Pay, the client leaves. They have 10 more tabs open, believe me.

Real eCommerce must be convenient, intuitive, and functional. Minimum set:

• Product catalog with filters, sorting, and categories.
• Shopping cart with cost calculation, delivery options, and promo codes.
• Online payment system: bank cards, Apple/Google Pay, LiqPay, PayPal.
• Personal user account with order history and repeat ordering.
• Integration with CRM or at least an order table for the manager.
• Order statuses, SMS/email notifications for the client.
• SEO optimization: product pages should work not only for people but also for Google.
• Adaptation for mobile devices — 75% of buyers access via smartphone.

If any of this is lacking, you risk losing customers even before they place anything in the cart.

When the business is truly ready to launch an online store

Yes, an online store is not for everyone. If you have one product and customers order once a month, then a quality landing page with LiqPay payment might be enough. But there are situations where eCommerce is not just a desire, but a necessity for survival.

Launching a store is justified if:

• You have more than 20 products and constant assortment updates.
• You work with regions or international delivery.
• Some processes are already automated – there is a warehouse, logistics, CRM.
• You have active traffic from advertising or social media, and you need to scale up.
• Customers often make repeat purchases, and a convenient cabinet will increase loyalty.

And most importantly, you are ready to invest not only in creation but also in promotion, support, UX, and analytics. Because simply creating an online store and waiting for a miracle is like opening a restaurant in the forest without a road. Someone might find it, but definitely not through Google.

Case: How a clothing brand grew 4 times after launching eCommerce

By 2021, the Ukrainian Streetwear brand was sold exclusively through Instagram. Orders were made via direct messages, payment on the card, processing manually. It was romantic but not scalable. Traffic grew, questions increased. Delays appeared, confusion with orders, and – as a result – negative reviews.

After launching a simple online store with:

• full automation of orders;
• payment by card and Apple Pay;
• sections ‘size chart’, ‘questions and answers’, and ‘order statuses’.

Profit increased 4 times in 6 months. The number of communication complaints decreased by 80%. And most interestingly, repeat orders began to grow. Because it became convenient.

What to pay attention to when launching an online store

It’s not just about “making a website and uploading photos.” It’s a systematic approach. And if you want it to sell rather than just hang as “dead weight” — remember a few key points:

• The website structure should be logical: don’t hide products in subcategories without a map.
• Site search should work like Google, not like “guess the product name.”
• Photos should be real, with details, textures, video reviews—not stock images.
• Delivery map, FAQ, return policy — these aren’t “for later,” they are must-haves from day one.
• Speed check: 3 seconds is your limit. Anything longer — you lose a client.

And another thing: an online store is like a dog. If you are not ready to feed, walk and take it to the vet — don’t get one. But if you are ready — it will become a loyal friend and a powerful source of income.

How to Avoid Mistakes in Choosing — An Expert Checklist

Okay, you already know what a landing page, corporate website, and online store are. But here’s the trap: after everything you’ve read, you might feel like… everything fits. And it’s easy to fall into the temptation to create “something average” to kill three birds with one stone. The problem is that this “something average” usually doesn’t work at all.

To avoid this, we’ve compiled a short but honest checklist that will help you understand what kind of site you really need. No lyrical digressions, just practice.

Grammarly uses a series of landing pages focused on one action — installing the extension or subscribing to a plan. Separately — a corporate website with sections for “Teams,” “Partnership,” “Blog.”

Five questions to ask yourself before launching a website

These points are not just a technical task for a developer. They are a mirror of your business model. By answering honestly, you will reveal to yourself what is needed:

1. What is the main goal of my site? Sales? Collecting contacts? Brand positioning? Content distribution? If a bit of everything, you won’t truly achieve anything.
2. How many products or services do I have? One flagship product? A series of services? Hundreds of SKUs in stock? This question directly impacts whether you choose a landing page, a corporate site, or eCommerce.
3. Where do I plan to get traffic from? Social media ads? SEO? Email? Referrals? Different sources require different behavior scenarios and, accordingly, different site formats.
4. Will I be able to update the site myself? Sometimes a business hits a wall when the site “lives” only in the developer’s hands. Modern solutions allow the owner to be flexible, and this should also be considered.
5. What is my budget—not just for development but also for maintenance? Development is just the start. You will need hosting, content, SEO, analytics. It’s important to plan realistically from the get-go, or else a ‘great site’ will remain deserted.

Choosing the format is not about what’s ‘trendy now’ but about whether the site aligns with the company’s business logic.

Conclusions — how to choose the optimal type of site for you

So, we went through the entire path — from landing page to online store, analyzed functionality, goals, cases, pitfalls, and budgets. And now a logical question: how do you understand which type of site you need?

Let’s try to answer as simply as possible: choose the site that is not just to your liking, but the one that will be convenient and effective for your client. Because this is not “art for art’s sake”. It is a tool that should work, not just be there “for status”. To reinforce everything said — here are some tips worth considering:

• Do not skimp on preparation — the more clearly you formulate your goals, the higher the likelihood that the result will please you.
• Discuss not only “what will be on the site” but “why all this is needed”.
• Request an example structure of the future site — at least a sketch or map.
• Agree on milestones — design, layout, testing, launch. And demand a demonstration of results at each stage.
• Do not hesitate to ask many questions — good contractors respect this.

Don’t postpone. Don’t wait for the ‘perfect moment’. A website isn’t forever. It’s a platform that evolves with your business. So even if you start with the minimum version, the main thing is for it to work today. Contact the 6Weeks team; we offer both template solutions on WordPress as well as sites on PHP, Vue, and React. Write to us to discuss all the details.

Many think: once a website is created, it’s a done deal. In reality, it’s just a comma. A website ‘lives’ only after launch. Analytics, optimization, updates, A/B tests, new products, structural changes begin. It’s like buying a car—not just spending on the purchase, but also on fuel, maintenance, new tires, insurance. If you don’t take care of it, it’ll break down. It’s the same with a website. Order a full range of services from 6Weeks, and we will not only create a website for your business but also ensure its optimization and promotion.

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