Landing page or business card site: which to choose
A small business usually chooses between two formats: a one-page site and a site with several sections. The difference is not the price but how much you have to show and what the client expects. Below is how to decide, and what to do if you got it wrong.
What a landing page is
One long page with one job: to make the visitor call, book or leave a request. Everything is on it in order: what you offer, what it costs, why to trust you, how to get in touch. The menu at the top jumps to the sections of the same page.
What a business card site is
Several pages: home, services or catalogue, about us, contacts. Each answers its own question and can show up in search for a query of its own. The word "card" means that the site represents the business rather than selling through a basket.
When one page is enough
There are few services, and they fit on one screen.
Clients come from ads or social networks and already know what they want.
You need one action: a call, a booking or a request.
The catalogue does not change every week.
Typical examples: a barbershop, a manicure master, a small repair service, a café in one location. Such a page opens fast and is easy to maintain: all the information is in one place.
When you need several pages
Many services or products that people search for separately.
A wish to appear in search for different queries.
Material for separate sections: the team, case studies, articles.
A blog or news.
Typical examples: a clinic with many departments, a studio with several kinds of projects, a shop with a catalogue. Here a single page becomes long and heavy, and the visitor gets lost.
What about search
One page can compete for only a few queries. If you want to be found for "manicure in Lviv", "pedicure in Lviv" and "nail extensions in Lviv", each query is better served by its own page. If clients already come from ads or by recommendation, search matters less to you.
A blog also gives separate pages that can collect queries: "how much does it cost", "how to choose", "what to do if". One or two articles a month on the questions clients ask you is enough.
Speed and the mobile version
Most visitors come from a phone. One page with a few photos opens faster than a site with a dozen sections. But what matters is not the number of pages but the size of the images and whether the text is readable without zooming. Check the site on your own phone, not only on a computer.
A comparison on five points
Purpose. A landing page leads to one action, a business card site describes the business.
Amount of text. A landing page keeps it short, a business card site has room to expand.
Search. A landing page catches a few queries, a business card site with a blog catches many more.
Upkeep. A landing page is easier to update because everything is on one screen.
Growth. A business card site suits you better if you plan to add sections.
Common mistakes when choosing
Taking a complex site "to grow into" when clients only need a phone number and a price list.
Building a landing page of twenty blocks when there are only two services.
Leaving out prices because "it is better if they call".
Forgetting the action button at the top of the page.
You can start small
A landing page does not close the way to a bigger site. Launch the page, see what clients ask, and add sections when it makes sense. FastSite has a starter and an extended landing page, and a corporate blog for a site that grows. You can look at the ready templates for free.
What each option costs is in the article on the price of a website, and what to prepare before launch is in a separate checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What should a barbershop or a café choose?
One page is usually enough: there are few services, and clients need a phone number, a price list and an address. You will need several pages when separate directions or material for a blog appear.
Can I start with a landing page and expand the site later?
Yes. A landing page does not close the way to a bigger site: launch a page, see what clients ask for and add sections when it makes sense.
Is a landing page found in search?
For a few queries, yes, but not for many. If you want to appear for different queries, give each its own page or write articles in a blog.
Which of them is cheaper?
The difference is not in the price but in how much you have to show. How to break the cost into parts is covered in “How much does a small business website cost”, and ready templates for your trade can be viewed for free.