When you’re starting out in business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tech you think you need. A website is often high on the list but is it really something you need right now? Or could a simple landing page do the job?
Let’s break down the difference between the two, when you’d use each, and how to decide what’s right for your business (especially if you’ve got a limited time and budget).
What is the difference between a website and a landing page?
Before you spend hours Googling let’s clear up what the difference between a website and a landing page actually is.
What is a website?
A website is your business’s online home. It usually has multiple pages, such as homepage, about, services, contact, blog and gives your audience a full picture of who you are and what you offer.
Websites are great for:
- Showcasing a range of products or services
- Building your authority with regular blog posts or content
- Helping potential customers find you through search engines
- Giving people multiple ways to engage with you and your brand
What is a landing page?
A landing page is a single, standalone web page without a menu along the top that’s designed with one clear goal. That might be getting someone to:
- Download a freebie/lead magnet
- Register for a webinar or challenge
- Sign up for a waitlist
- Sales page for your courses, memberships or products
It’s focused, distraction-free, and super effective when you want someone to take one action.
When should you use a website?
A full website is ideal when your business has multiple services or products and you want to showcase them clearly in one place. It gives you the space to go deeper sharing more about who you are, how you can help, and building trust with potential clients before they buy.
With a website, you can also add a blog, which gives you the opportunity to publish regular content that search engines love. The more SEO-optimised pages you have, the better your chances of showing up when someone searches for help to a problem that your products or services solve. And because websites include menus and navigation, visitors are more likely to explore beyond the page they landed on, discovering more about your business as they go.
A website is a brilliant option if you’re ready to invest in a long-term online presence. It can grow alongside your business, evolving as your services, offers, and audience change. So if you’re ready to take your business to the next level and want a central hub for everything you offer, now might be the perfect time to start planning your website.
When is a landing page enough?
Landing pages can serve two purposes. The first is acting as a simple, one-page website—perfect for those in the early stages of business who might not yet have the time or budget to build a full website but still want a digital space they own and control. The great thing about a single-page site is that, if you choose the right website builder, you can easily add to it as your business grows. If building a full website feels overwhelming or out of reach right now, a landing page or one-page site gives you an easy way to start claiming your online space.
The second, and more common, use for a landing page is as a sign-up or sales page. Because landing pages don’t have navigation menus, there’s only one action people can take when they land there, either they sign up or they leave. That’s exactly why they’re ideal if you’re promoting a freebie, lead magnet, course, or workshop and want a simple, focused place for people to join your email list or make a purchase.
They’re also brilliant for testing a new idea before committing to a full-blown website. With a landing page, you can quickly create something branded, professional-looking, and designed to convert, no fancy design skills needed. And the best part? There are plenty of user-friendly, free or low-cost landing page builders to help you get started fast.
How to Decide: Do You Need a Website or a Landing Page?
Here are a few quick questions to help you decide what’s right for you right now:
- Do you offer multiple services that need explaining? → You may need a website.
- Are you looking to start a blog or create lots of content? → A website will help with that.
- Do you just need a page to share your freebie or workshop sign-up? → A landing page is perfect.
- Are you overwhelmed by tech and want to keep things simple? → Start with a landing page and build from there.
There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s just deciding what works best for the stage of business you’re at and the outcome you want.
No website? No problem. Join my free landing page masterclass
If you’ve been putting off email marketing because you don’t have a website yet, I’ve got good news, you don’t need one to get started.
In this month’s free masterclass, Create Your First Landing Page for Free in MailerLite, I’ll show you how to build a fully branded, professional-looking landing page, for free without any coding.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
- How to build a landing page from scratch on MailerLite
- How to add your brand colours, fonts, and photos
- How to customise your sign-up form so people can join your email list
- How to get your page live and ready to share
When: Thursday 19th June at 1 pm
Where: Live on Zoom (with a replay for 5 days if you can’t make it live)
If you want a simple, low-tech way to grow your audience online, this is the perfect place to start.
Click here to save your spot in the free masterclass
Start simple and build as you grow
You don’t need a full website to look professional or start building an engaged audience. A landing page can do the job, especially if you’re focusing on growing your email list and getting your first few offers out into the world.
And if you need help setting up the basics of your email marketing before your first landing page goes live. Grab my free guide Email Made Easy: Your 3-Step Start-Up Guide, where I’ll walk you through:
- Choosing a domain name
- Setting up a professional email address (I recommend Google Workspace and I even recorded a podcast episode to walk you through it! Watch or listen here)
- Choosing and authenticating your email marketing platform
Don’t put off claiming your space in the online world, just start with one simple step at a time and grow from there.