Showcase site, e-commerce, landing page: what are the differences?
“I want a website. » This seemingly simple sentence hides three very different projects. Depending on your objective, you will not need the same type of site, nor the same budget, nor the same service provider. Here are the three main families, explained without jargon.
The showcase site
It’s the online business card of your business. Its role: to present who you are, what you offer, and to allow you to be contacted. There is generally a home page, an “about” page, a presentation of the services and a contact form.
The showcase site is aimed at artisans, independents, liberal professions, restaurants, local SMEs... In short, all those who need to exist on the internet and inspire confidence, without selling directly online. This is the most common and affordable project.
The e-commerce site
Here, we sell products (or services) directly on the site, with a shopping cart, online payment and order management. It's much more than a showcase: you have to manage a catalog, stocks, delivery, sometimes VAT and returns.
E-commerce therefore requires more work and a higher budget. It is justified as soon as online sales are at the heart of your model. Platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce are designed specifically for this.
The landing page
The landing page (or “landing page”) is a unique page, designed for a single objective: to get the visitor to take action. Register, book a call, download a document, purchase a specific product. No distracting menu, no dozens of pages: everything is focused on conversion.
It is often used in addition to a campaign (advertising, social networks, emailing). It is the ideal tool for launching an offer or testing an idea quickly.
How to choose?
- You wantbe visible and crediblewithout selling online → showcase site.
- You wantsell productsdirectly → e-commerce site.
- You wantconvert on a specific offeror launch a campaign → landing page.
Many projects combine the three: a showcase site with a small store, or a main site accompanied by landing pages dedicated to each offer. The important thing is to start from your objective, not from the tool.
In summary
The right type of site is the one that serves your real purpose. Once you know what you want the visitor to do, the choice becomes obvious — and you can brief the person who will build it much more precisely.
To go further
Which tool for which project? · How much does a website cost? · Which freelancer should you entrust your site to?
