Business website or online store: how to choose?
Showcase website or e-commerce? The questions to ask yourself to choose the right type of website for your business, budget and goals.
Published on · Web design, E-commerce
Before starting a website project, one question comes up again and again: do you need a business website or an online store? The answer depends less on your industry than on what you concretely expect from the site.
The business website: present and convince
A showcase website presents your business, your services, your past work and your contact details. Its goal is to generate a contact: a call, a quote request, a booking or a visit to your shop.
It is a good fit for service providers, craftspeople, independent professionals, nonprofits and shops whose sales mostly happen in person.
The online store: sell directly
An online store lets customers pay directly on the website. It requires more work: product pages, photos, stock management, shipping, terms of sale and customer service.
It makes sense if your products can be shipped or picked up easily, if there is already demand outside your local area, or if you sell gift cards and services that can be booked in advance.
Questions to ask yourself
- Can your customers buy without talking to you? If every sale requires a conversation or a quote, a business website with a well-designed contact form is often more effective.
- How many products do you want to sell? A few products or gift cards can be added to a business website without building a full store.
- Do you have time to handle orders? An online store requires regular follow-up: packing, shipping, returns.
- What is your budget? A store requires a larger initial investment and more upkeep than a business website.
A middle-ground option
You can perfectly well start with a business website, then add a small shop or a booking page once your online presence is up and running. A website that is well built from the start can evolve without starting over.
Topic: UI/UX design