Your website is the online equivalent of your physical store – it is a 24/7 gateway to your business and its products and services to people around the globe. The more people that can see your brand online, the more leads you stand to gain. Therefore, if you have a website and can find a way to grow the amount of traffic your website gets, you’ll enjoy a greater number of customers and transactions.
So, are you on the lookout for the type of website your business needs before committing to a hosting provider and website builder? Read on to find out the type of website you need to consider as you choose one that best suits your small, growing business.
E-commerce website. The top choice for startup businesses who are looking to sell a product or service in a specific amount and at a continuous pace. In a nutshell, this type of website is primarily used to sell products and services. It is typically used both by physical stores and companies that want to focus on online sales. It’s basically an online store that guides shoppers to different categories and/or departments where they choose item/s or service/s they want, and then add it to a virtual cart. The site offers users several convenient options to pay, which includes check, credit card, or payment systems like PayPal, Google Wallet, and Apple Pay.
Brochure websites. Brochure websites are digital versions of a printed brochure. Think of it as a simpler and less expensive way to create most online business marketing and advertisements compared to an e-commerce, primarily because it’s small, and its format is usually fixed. Smaller physical stores like restaurants, bakeries, salons, auto repair shops, veterinarian, and other speciality services use this option.
Do take note that generally, brochure websites don’t have shopping features that e-commerce websites have, therefore it’s not a wise choice if you will sell product and services.
Magazine style website. This website type is similar to the brochure website but is deemed more advanced because its primary use is both to inform and entertain. Regardless, this type of website normally includes ads related to the site’s focus and content. It is a good type and beneficial to companies that use affiliate marketing and blogs. Businesses that sell products by various manufacturers regularly use this type of website.
Lead Generation Website. The goal of a lead generation website is to create more business by building an online presence. It is also considered more advanced than a brochure website since it is specially designed to entice people and build trust – enough that they’ll be willing to come back. There are different ways to create leads, which includes demos and webinars, resource guides, networking, white papers, email marketing and pay-per-click advertising, where advertisers need to pay every time a site user clicks on one of their ads.
Despite the popular and growing demand for technology in our society, many small businesses still are either using the wrong website type or worse, don’t have a website to begin with. Make use of the internet! Don’t be that manager/business owner. Decide today and consult with a web hosting company for your business website needs. Best of luck!