What is the best website to create for business?

These days, it's hard to imagine a successful business without its own website. An online presence opens up a lot of opportunities, such as attracting new customers, selling online, and increasing brand awareness. According to Factum Group Ukraine, in 2021, the Ukrainian Internet audience reached 30.5 million users, covering more than 67% of the Ukrainian population. It is simply unacceptable to ignore such a powerful platform for business development.

However, it is not enough to just create a website - it is important to choose the best format for your business objectives. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe, and much depends on the specifics of the company, its target audience, and the range of goods or services. Let's analyze the main types of websites that are suitable for most businesses:

• Corporate business card website - represents the company, its team, and services. Suitable for the b2b segment, local business.
• Online store - sells goods or services online. It is indispensable for retailers, manufacturers, and distributors.
• Landing page (landing page) - presents a specific offer, encourages a targeted action. It is effective for lead generation and advertising campaigns.
• Corporate blog - informs and educates the audience, increases expertise. It works in conjunction with the company's main website.
• Catalog site - presents the entire assortment and helps with the choice. It is relevant for manufacturers and wholesale companies.
• Portfolio site - demonstrates cases, projects, achievements. It is a must for b2b services and creative industries.

Let's take a closer look at the features of each format and when it will be most effective for business.

Defining goals and objectives of a business website

Before choosing a specific type of website, it is important to clearly formulate what results you want to achieve with it. What business tasks should the future web resource solve? Here are the main goals that most companies set for their websites.

1. Presentation of the company and its offers. A website serves as a kind of showcase that tells visitors what the company does, what its advantages are, and what it offers. A high-quality presentation helps establish trust and convince potential clients to work with you. According to Hubspot, 56% of visitors want to see a detailed description of goods/services on the website, and 52% pay attention to the "About Us" section.

2. Attracting new customers and partners. A business website is an effective lead generation tool. You can use it to attract targeted traffic from search engines, advertising, social networks, and other sources. And then convert visitors into leads and real customers. For example, Unbounce's statistics show that selling landing pages provide up to 20% conversion rate.

3. Increase brand awareness and status. A professional, informative, user-friendly website works for the company's image. It conveys corporate identity, corporate values, and forms the necessary associations with the brand. As the website develops and is promoted, the company's authority in the market grows. For example, branded traffic accounts for 59.5% of all visits for companies on the Alexa 100 list.

4. customer information support. It is convenient to post instructions, process descriptions, and answers to frequently asked questions on the website. This relieves some of the workload from the customer support team and increases audience loyalty. According to Forrester, 57% of customers prefer to look for answers on a company's website before contacting its representatives. High-quality customer service on the website has a positive impact on the willingness to buy for 73% of users.

5. Online sales of goods and services. For most businesses, a website opens up the opportunity to sell directly to end consumers, bypassing retail outlets and intermediaries. This expands the reach, reduces costs, and increases business margins. According to eMarketer, the e-commerce market in Ukraine will reach $5.4 billion in 2023, with online commerce penetration reaching 42% of Internet users.

A well-designed and implemented business website can effectively solve the whole range of these tasks. The main thing is to clearly define your priorities and reflect them in the structure, content, and functionality of the future web resource. To do this, you need to choose the optimal website format that meets your business goals.

Corporate business card website

This format is ideal for b2b companies, service providers, and local businesses. A corporate business card website represents a company, introduces its activities, builds trust and image. Its main tasks are to present the brand, attract potential customers, and motivate them to contact you.

Features and benefits of a corporate website:

• Fully represents the company, its team, services, and benefits
• Focused on informing and engaging the audience
• Provides visitors with different ways of communication - phone, email, chat, forms
• Supports corporate identity and brand image
• Inspires trust due to its solid appearance and high-quality content

The main sections of the corporate website:

• About the company - history, mission, values, achievements
• Services/products - detailed description, benefits, prices
• Portfolio/cases - examples of successfully implemented projects
• Blog/news - expert articles, company and industry news
• Contacts - office address, phone numbers, email, map, contact form

64% of visitors expect a corporate website to offer convenient navigation through services and products, 44% want to see an easy-to-use home page, and 31% pay attention to responsive design.

To create a corporate website, you can use popular CMS such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, as well as website builders such as Wix, Tilda, Jimdo. The main thing is to think carefully about the structure and content to use the site as an effective business tool.

Online store for online sales

Opening your own online trading platform is a mandatory step for retailers, manufacturers, and distributors. Online sales make it possible to significantly expand the geography of presence, increase the range of products, and optimize business processes. But at the same time, creating an online store requires a comprehensive approach and consideration of many nuances.

Advantages of launching an online store:

• Ability to sell goods 24/7, without days off or breaks
• Access to a huge online audience not limited by location
• The potential for scaling and sales growth with competent marketing
• Wide coverage of target groups by personalizing offers
• Reducing the cost of renting retail space and staff

Cons and risks of e-commerce:

• High competition for customers' attention online
• The need to build logistics, work with returns and complaints
• Difficulties with visual presentation and product selection
• Risks related to cybersecurity and online payments
• Expenses for the development, technical support, and promotion of the store

In 2022, the e-commerce market in Ukraine amounted to $4.2 billion. At the same time, the average online purchase receipt is UAH 1500 ($40), and the conversion rate of online stores is 1-2% on average.

Peculiarities of creating online stores in Ukraine:

• The need to connect online payments and official cash registers
• Integration with Ukrainian delivery services - Nova Poshta, UkrPoshta, Justin
• Support for popular payment options - Visa/Mastercard, e-wallets, cash on delivery
• Compliance with the Law of Ukraine "On Protection of Consumer Rights" and the rules for the return of goods
• Ukrainian-language version of the website as a prerequisite

Popular CMS and builders for online stores:

• WordPress + WooCommerce plugin - for small projects
• OpenCart, Prestashop, Magento, Shopify - professional platforms
• Prom.ua, Dobrohop, Vsi.Biz - local SaaS developers

For an online store to sell effectively, it needs a clear structure, well-thought-out navigation, detailed product cards, high-quality photos and descriptions, simple checkout, and various delivery and payment options. Plus, powerful SEO promotion and advertising to drive traffic.

An online store can become both an independent business model and an additional sales channel for offline retail. But in any case, you need to work comprehensively on the functionality, design, assortment, and marketing of your online storefront.

Landing page for lead generation

Creating separate landing pages for specific requests and advertising campaigns is one of the most effective tools for attracting leads and potential customers. Landing pages differ from other types of websites by their narrow specialization, concentration on one product or service, and calls to action.

Features and advantages of landing pages:

• Focused on solving one task - to sell a product, collect applications, subscribers, donations
• Do not contain unnecessary information and distracting elements, except for the targeted action
• Tailored for high traffic conversion due to marketing techniques and USPs
• Allows you to quickly test an idea or offer by launching a minimal version
• Great for advertising and lead generation in highly competitive niches

Up to 52% of traffic from special offers in advertising goes to landing pages. And the average conversion rate of a landing page is 9.7%, which is 3-5 times higher than that of regular websites.

The structure of an effective landing page:

1. Headline and subheading - a clearly formulated, attention-grabbing sentence
2. Image or video of the product/service - for visual demonstration
3. List of benefits and advantages - convey the value of the offer to the client
4. Testimonials and case studies - increase trust and readiness to buy/order
5. Call to action - a motivating button or form to achieve the goal

Important elements of the landing page are USP (unique selling proposition), countdown timers, badges and certificates, facts and figures to support the product.

Recommendations for creating landing pages include focusing on selling headlines and text, using psychological triggers, adding real photos and videos of the product, testing calls to action, and segmenting the audience to personalize offers.

Corporate blog for content marketing

A blog is a useful addition to a company's main website, a channel for distributing expert materials, and a powerful content marketing tool. It helps to build relationships with the audience, increase brand loyalty, and share relevant news and knowledge.

The goals of a corporate blog:

• Inform the target audience on topics and issues of interest to them
• Educate and assist customers in choosing and using a product/service
• Increase the expert status of the company, demonstrate competence
• Increase audience reach, attract relevant traffic from search and social networks
• Receive feedback from readers, find ideas for service improvement

Companies that blog get 67% more leads than those that don't use content marketing. And 80% of blog readers learn about a company from articles rather than ads.

Choosing a platform for a corporate blog:

• Placing a blog in a separate section of the main site based on a common CMS
• Creating a blog on a separate domain and engine - WordPress, Medium, Ghost
• Using blog services with a ready-made audience - Habr, Telegra.ph, LiveJournal

Content strategy for a corporate blog:

1. Analysis of the audience and its preferences - drawing up portraits of typical readers
2. Identification of key topics and issues - semantic core and blog rubric
3. Creating an editorial plan - frequency and schedule of publications, content formats
4. Distribution of tasks and roles - authors, editors, illustrators, SMM, analysts
5. Development of a system of metrics - KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness of the blog

The main formats of content for the blog are expert articles, news, reviews, instructions, interviews, lists and selections, case studies. The frequency of publications is at least 2 posts per week, optimally 3-5. The language and style of the texts should be simple, understandable to the target audience, without complicated terminology and self-aggrandizement.

Mechanisms of corporate blog promotion:

• SEO-optimization of texts for audience search queries
• Publication of announcements and links in the company's social networks
• Sending new materials to the email subscriber base
• Drive traffic through guest posts and link exchange
• Remarketing to blog readers through ads with personalized offers

A corporate blog works for the long term; it doesn't generate instant sales, but it builds trust and loyalty among the audience, and creates an image of an expert. That's why it's important to initially define the goals of the blog, regularly prepare high-quality content, and measure the return in terms of traffic, reposts, and brand mentions.

Website catalog of products or services

A catalog site is a structured showcase of a company's entire product range with detailed descriptions, photos, specifications, and prices. Unlike an online store, it does not provide for online ordering and payment, but serves to present goods or services.

Who can use the catalog website format?

• Manufacturers with a wide range of products
• Wholesale companies and distributors
• Service centers and companies providing a range of services
• Restaurants, cafes, food delivery services

Advantages of an online catalog on a website:

• Helps the customer to navigate through the diversity of the company's offerings
• Saves time on providing basic information about products/services
• Simplifies customer service by providing quick answers to common questions
• Increases the average check by offering related products and services
• Works as a factor of trust, an element of company prestige

87% of buyers consider it important to have a detailed description and images of a product to make a purchase decision. And 66% expect at least 3 product photos on a company's website.

Key elements of an effective catalog site:

1. Logical structure of sections and categories of goods/services
2. Filters, sorting and search by name, price, parameters
3. Detailed cards with descriptions, photos, properties, and product availability
4. Ability to compare multiple products or models
5. Shopping cart for selecting and saving items of interest
6. Online calculator for preliminary cost calculation
7. Forms or online consultants for quick communication with the manager

It is also important to think about convenient catalog navigation - category tree, tags, tag cloud, "breadcrumbs". And product cards should be optimized not only for people but also for search engines using meta tags, titles, descriptions, and alt tags for images.

Website portfolio for a company

A website portfolio is a kind of "business card" of a company operating in the field of b2b services, creative industries, and consulting. Its main task is to demonstrate experience and competencies through completed projects, achievements, and case studies. It helps potential clients assess the professionalism of the team and make a decision about cooperation.

Who needs a portfolio site:

• Web studios and digital agencies
• Design and creative bureaus
• Architectural and construction companies
• Consulting and marketing agencies
• Photographers, videographers, production studios

46% of decisions to purchase b2b services are made on the basis of information provided on a company's website. And having a strong portfolio and case studies increases the likelihood of choosing a contractor by 35%.

The main elements of a portfolio website:

1. Project showcase with a brief description, visuals, and results
2. Detailed cases in the "problem-solution-result" format
3. Description of competencies and technologies and programs used
4. Introduction of the team and key specialists
5. Block with customer reviews and recommendations
6. Awards, certificates, publications in the media
7. Clear contact information and calls to action

The style and design of a portfolio website should reflect the company's corporate identity, visual identity, level of aesthetics, and quality of its work. It is important to adhere to a single style in the presentation of cases and complement them with high-quality copywriting.

When developing a portfolio, you need to focus on your target audience - show the most representative works for specific tasks and budgets of potential clients. And do not forget about SEO optimization so that the portfolio can be found in search engines.

Choosing the best website format for your business

So, we have analyzed in detail the main types of websites that a business can create to accomplish its tasks on the Internet. Each format has its own features, advantages, and disadvantages. Which website should you choose for the specifics of your company?

Identify priority goals and target audience:

• If the main goal is to present the company and its services, build trust and an expert image, then a corporate website is the best choice.
• If the priority is online sales of goods, expansion of sales markets and customer base, then you need a full-fledged online store.
• If the company wants to receive leads and applications for a particular service or product, it is more efficient to direct traffic to a separate landing page.
• If it is important for a business to build long-term relationships with the audience, increase brand loyalty and trust, then a corporate blog is necessary.
• If the main task is to present the assortment and help the client with the choice without selling online, then it is enough to create a catalog site.
• If the company operates in the b2b sphere and needs to clearly demonstrate its experience and portfolio, then a portfolio website is needed.

The choice will depend on the business area, its size, budget, competitive environment, and digital marketing priorities.

In practice, many businesses use not one but several types of websites to achieve different goals. For example, a company may have a main corporate website, a separate online store, a blog, landing pages for advertising, and business card sites for branches.

If resources allow, this approach can be very effective. The main thing is to clearly distinguish between the audiences and goals of each site, to link sites correctly, and to use a single analytics system to measure overall results.

Recommendations for choosing a website format for different niches:

• For local business (beauty salons, clinics, restaurants) - a business card site, landing page, service catalog
• For online and offline retail - an online store, landing pages for promotions, a corporate blog
• For manufacturing companies - corporate website, product catalog, portfolio of completed projects
• For b2b services (consulting, audit, advertising) - a portfolio website, a corporate blog, landing pages for individual services
• For startups and new product launches - landing page, promo site, targeted pages on social networks
• For personal brands and info businesses - a personal blog, landing pages for info products, subscriber capture pages

Different business tasks may require different tools. There is no universal recipe - you need to choose the optimal format or set of website formats for the goals and budget of a particular company.

Prospects for the development of business websites:

• Adapting to mobile devices, prioritizing mobile-first
• Speed up loading and improve Core Web Vitals
• Personalized content and offers based on user data
• Omnichannel - integration of online and offline brand experience
• Using video, 3D, AR, VR to present products and services
• Voice search and voice interfaces, chatbots
• Gamification, embedding interactive elements to engage the audience

Whatever website format you choose, keep an eye on web development trends and user behavior. Experiment, adapt, develop functionality and content. A website is not a static page created once, but a dynamic tool that should constantly work for your business goals.