There are two main types of websites for businesses: brochure and ecommerce. Both of them can showcase and ultimately sell products and services. But while the audience can buy and pay directly through an ecommerce website, they will need to contact you to do so on a brochure website.
Brochure websites are ideal if you sell services or personalised products. Your website visitors will get all the information they need to decide if you are a fit and contact you. That is usually the end goal of a brochure website: getting people to contact you!
We will answer the five most common questions we receive about brochure websites. Not only are we going to chat about what brochure websites are, but we are also going to give you plenty of tips to create yours. Grab a cuppa, settle down, and get ready to be inspired!
What are brochure websites?
Have you ever seen a paper brochure? Maybe you picked one up at a fair or maybe you received one in your postbox from a local restaurant. These are short documents that list the products or services sold, as well as how a purchase can be made.
Brochure websites are very similar to paper brochures! They list useful information for potential buyers. Often times they are only composed of one page, but that is not a rule at all.
When the website has only one page, it usually starts with a statement that catches the attention of the audience, followed by information about the products or services, and then how to proceed with the purchase (e.g. phone, email, address). Businesses who want it to feel more personal will also include a couple of lines about the business itself.
When the website has more than one page, the home page is usually similar to the one-page brochure website we laid out above. You can then add a page for each major product or service with additional information about them, one with information about your business, and one with your contact details.
A brochure website can have more pages than those described above but it is usually fairly short because the goal is to give just enough information so that the person chooses to contact you.
What to include in my brochure website?
Like we mentioned, you can create a shorter or a longer website, depending on how many products or services you offer and how much time and money you are willing to spend on it. But here are a few things that you need to include in your brochure website regardless:
• Information about your products and services
• Contact details
A few additional things that you may include:
• Images of your products and services
• Information and images about you and your business
• Portfolio section
• FAQ section
Pick and choose what suits the brand you are trying to create for your business. For example, if you want to appear trendy and cool, try limiting the amount of text and include a lot of bold images and statements. On the opposite side of the scale, if you want to appeal to a consumer who asks a lot of questions, make sure to provide a lot of answers right off the bat!
You may also throw in a blog section and an automated tool for visitors to book a call. While these are not traditional elements in brochure-style websites, they can make all the difference in yours!
How to optimise my brochure website?
You will have one main goal for your brochure website: get people to contact you. How do you do that? First you will need to optimise your website for search engines so that you can get visitors. Then you will need to put your best foot forward so that those visitors understand your business and want to speak with you!
Whether succinct or comprehensive, keep your website’s text interesting and engaging. You can keep the reader engaged by making them feel like you are writing just for them. Anticipate their problems. Answer their questions. And keep it snappy.
As for images, make sure they are high-quality while still looking authentic. They need to tell the story of who your business is. Stock photos and videos may not be enough to show your personality. Invest in a photographer or videographer if you can.
Finally, work on your calls-to-action. Give the reader what they want when they want it. You want them to contact you, so make sure you add buttons that send your them to your contact section. But only when it makes sense.
How much does a brochure website cost?
The cost for a brochure website varies so much! It can cost anywhere between €500 and €2500 (sometimes even more!) depending on your needs in terms of number of pages, features, copyrighted photographs, videos, and even logo. Third-party costs also need to be considered, including plug-ins, hosting, domain, and maintenance.
Our recommendation is for you to get in touch with your web agency of choice and ask for a quote. Once they understand what you are looking for, they will be able to advise you and provide a quote.
And if you want a quote from us, we are always just a call or email away!
Can you give me some brochure website examples?
We have created many brochure-style websites for our clients since Digitaliser was created. However, we often add an ecommerce element to them to make them more effective, namely easy ways for visitors to book calls with the businesses.
Here are a few examples of brochure-style websites designed and developed by Digitaliser to inspire you:
• Digitaliser – Our website is a brochure website with the addition of a blog section. We provide a lot of information about our services, but we do not sell them through the website directly. To work with us, you will need to contact us!
• Maria Tecce – Maria Tecce is a voice coach and performer. The brochure-style website we created for Maria includes multiple pages, a blog section, and an automated tool for visitors to book free consultations.
• Tusa IT – Tusa IT’s brochure website has multiples pages and a blog section, but no ecommerce elements.
Want more examples? Check out our portfolio!
That was it! A lot of information, which we hope will help you on your journey to create the website your business needs.
If you are still unsure about whether you want a brochure or ecommerce website, either get in touch or keep an eye on our blog. We are working on a post about ecommerce websites. Coming soon!
