Just like every business has a purpose, there are different types of business websites that carry out different goals. Depending on your type of business, you will need the right type of website to align with your business goals. When starting to design your website, you should take a moment to think about the purpose of creating your site. What do you want your webpage to accomplish? Hopefully, by the end of this article you will have a better idea of what website category will suit your business best and how to capitalize on it.
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Informational Websites – Brand Awareness
An informational website is like a brochure. These so called “brochure websites” are the simplest website category. Similar to a brochure, they digitally inform about your business. They provide visitors with information about your products or services, your hours and location, and how to contact you. They can also include product or client reviews.
An informational website is perfect for small businesses, especially for startups and contractors. Because of their simplicity, brochure websites are very easy to maintain and present a minimal cost for investment and website maintenance. Many business owners opt for these pages because they want some kind of online presence.
Having a website not only establishes trust and credibility in your customers, it also opens your business to a broader audience accessible via the internet. It is a great way users can know more about your business any time of the day. A brochure website is an excellent option for business startups and contractors.
E-commerce Websites
E-commerce websites are those that sell or buy products. They are meant for businesses that need their website to do a little more than simply inform. These websites are designed to facilitate and encourage transactions. Examples of e-commerce websites are Amazon and E-bay.
An e-commerce website can be B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer). Regardless of the type of client, a great e-commerce website will encourage a user to buy or sell something. Due to the nature of this website, one of its main features is online security. Since customers will be inputting their personal details and payment information, privacy and security are at the very top of the list. Just as important is user-friendliness and design. Your website layout should be appealing and straightforward to ensure most customer visits end with a transaction.
Let’s use Amazon as a quick example. Amazon boasts a complete, yet simple page where it is easy for you to search and find what you are looking for. Once you find a product you are interested in, you have a product page that gives a description of the product. It also includes product reviews to help you decide on your purchase. If you decide to make a purchase, checkout is clear, safe, and straightforward. Once your transaction is finalized, you are sent an email with your purchase details.
You also have the option of signing up for an Amazon account. This way, the website saves your information and future purchases are easier and quicker.
A successful e-commerce website showcases your products and encourages completion of transactions. A client focused layout can showcase the main features of what you are selling and easily demonstrate why a customer should trust you. Great e-commerce websites like Amazon have made their websites user friendly and easy to understand by staying up to date with the latest website design trends. It is truly impressive how you can complete a transaction in minutes! Once you have your customers’ attention, you want to make sure you keep it.
Because these websites are more complex in their structure and their function, they require constant website maintenance. They also require constant updating of information and products. A well made e-commerce website will be a larger investment, but if done correctly will bring in more profit and sales to your small business. If you want to use your website to sell your products, an e-commerce website design will be the best option for you!.
Lead Generation Websites
Lead generation websites are a category of business websites that are meant to bring interested customers to your website. In contrast to informational websites, lead generation websites are built to acquire customer information. Websites within this category inform users and also provide value. Regular website maintenance focused on SEO strategies are required for success.
A lead generation website works by including multiple CTA (Call to action) buttons. An interested visitor clicks on it and is redirected to a landing page. This page would include a form to gather the visitor’s contact information. Once submitted, the visitor is redirected to a thank you page. Simple and user- friendly, yet the process is a well thought out plan to entice a customer to share with you his/her valuable contact details.
A perfect example of a lead generation website is a blog. You can include CTA buttons in your homepage or most trafficked pages to really reach the most people. Collecting user information is very useful for a small business. By choosing this type of website, you can really incorporate your marketing strategy with your online platform.
Customer Support Websites
Customer support websites are built to help customers with your products or services. This category includes troubleshooting, maintenance, disposal of a device, frequently asked questions, etc. Common users of this website include service and technology businesses.
Customer support websites are constantly updated and checked. Not only will you be informing customers constantly about updates. You will also be answering questions and responding to new inquiries. Proper website maintenance is advised and recommended so optimal customer experience is always achieved. You want to build a reliable and efficient solution for your customers.
We hope you have a better idea of how different types of websites can help your small business thrive and be more successful The correct website layout, design, and use will impact directly how well your website performs. Invest in quality website maintenance to fully optimize your online presence.
