If you’re in business, you need a website. Beyond letting people know what you do and how great your product/service is, your business simply is not credible without one. In order to stay competitive in business, your website also needs to be kept current. So, what does that mean for you? As importantly, how much do you need to spend?
Website costs can range from a few hundred dollars for a do-it-yourself version, to 6-figure budgets for a complex international ecommerce site. Also, costs vary based on the website’s intended purpose, such as community building, fundraising, writer’s opinions, and more.
For business, there are several basic types:
Single Page or Landing Page
This type of website is usually one long page with several different sections that can include company description, product or service, and contact information. It is the best option for a company website when you only have a simple, single product or service, and want a direct response. It’s also for use as a follow through to an online advertisement. A good example is Marketing Influence’s Landing Page.
Brochure
A brochure type website is more extensive and typically has four to six pages with the basics being:
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Home Page
- Your opportunity to quickly and clearly outline what you do and what your value proposition is, and why you are better than the competition. Use powerful key words and visuals that make the connection with what you are trying to communicate.
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About Us Page
- This page typically has your story, why you started the company and why you’re good at what you do, the company values, and the management team bios.
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Services or Products Page
- Just like the title suggests, this page outlines the services and/or products your company offers, and how they fit your customer’s needs. It may also include pricing or a pricing range, however that is not typical.
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Contact Page
- This is your chance to give one final message to your customer or potential customer right before they reach out to you. The contact page should also include addresses(es), phone numbers, and a form where they can submit their information to receive a call or for more information.
Add-ons can include testimonial, blog and/or portfolio pages. An example is Solutio Design’s website:
Corporate
A corporate website has all of the same basic elements as a brochure website plus additional information that is of importance to customers or potential customers. This can include a log-on customer portal, educational information, careers page, and resource links. A couple of examples are Ingenium’s website and Blankinship & Foster’s website.
International
Large multi-national corporations are faced with additional website organizational issues. They usually have multiple divisions that need to be addressed. They also need to have the website available in multiple languages and they face more stringent internet restrictions. These types of websites start in the six figures and require constant maintenance and upgrading. An excellent example is Siemens International Website:
Ecommerce
These sites are largely dedicated to selling and shipping multiple products. They have shopping carts, registrations for customers, account management, shipping and product information, reviews, recommendations, and more. In larger companies with more than 100 products, the sites also typically interface with the company ERP system. This is so that inventory and warehouse communication is more efficient. A good example is Azteca Soccer’s Ecommerce Website:
Whichever type of website you decide upon, be sure to get one that is responsive. A responsive website changes format to fit whatever device it is seen on; laptop, phone, or tablet. Make sure it speaks to your customer’s needs in the language they are comfortable with, while demonstrating why your services/products are the very best solution.
If you would like help to figure out which kind of website best works for your company, Marketing Influence can walk you through some simple questions to find the answer. Connect with us now to learn more about how we can help you with your website needs.
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