A landing page is one page built around one action, a ticket, a sign-up or a booking. A website is several pages that answer what people ask before they get in touch.
If you are running a campaign, an event or a single offer, start with a landing page. If people look you up before they call, you need a website. Many businesses end up with both. With us, either starts at €2,000 and usually takes 2–4 weeks.
The two words get used as if they meant the same thing, and they do not. Choosing the wrong one is how businesses end up paying for pages nobody reads, or sending paid traffic to a home page that gives people ten things to do instead of one.
What a landing page is
A landing page is a single page with a single job. Everything on it, from the first line to the last button, moves the visitor towards one action. Buy the ticket. Book the call. Join the list. There is usually no menu, because a menu is a way out.
Landing pages are built for people who arrive with intent, from an ad, a video, an email or a link in a bio. They already know roughly what they want, and the page only has to confirm they are in the right place and make the next step easy.
What a website is
A website is several pages that together answer everything a buyer wants to know before they get in touch. Who you are, what you do, what it costs, how it works, what other clients say, and how to reach you. It is built for people who arrive with questions, often from Google, a recommendation or your social profiles, and who want to check you before they commit.
A website also carries the weight of search. Each service, each question and each article is a page that can be found.
The real difference is the job
- Who arrives. A landing page expects people who already want something. A website expects people who are still deciding.
- How many actions. A landing page has one. A website has a main one and a few secondary paths.
- How long it lives. A landing page often lives for a campaign, a season or an event. A website lives for years and grows.
- How it is measured. A landing page is judged on one number, the share of visitors who take the action. A website is judged on enquiries over time, and on how it is found.
When a landing page is the right call
- You are launching one product, offer or event and want it sold.
- You are paying for ads or posting videos and need somewhere focused to send people.
- You want to test an idea before investing in a full website.
- Your current website is fine for search, but too broad for a campaign.
When you need a website
- People hear about you and look you up before they call.
- You offer several services, to different kinds of clients.
- You want to be found on Google for what you do.
- Trust matters more than speed, as it does for builders, clinics, law firms and studios.
When you need both
A lot of businesses end up with a website for the people who look them up and landing pages for the people who arrive from a campaign. That is how our own studio works. The website explains everything, and each social channel sends people to a landing page with one step on it, a call.
What each one costs
A landing page from a builder template can cost very little and look like it. A designed and coded landing page costs more, because the work is in the structure and the words, not only the layout. A website costs more again, because there are more pages, more content and more testing.
With us, a landing page and a company website both start at €2,000 and usually take two to four weeks. The final price follows the number of pages, the integrations and the motion the project needs. For the whole market, see how much a premium website costs.
Three questions that settle it
- Where do your visitors come from? From ads, videos and emails, start with a landing page. From search and recommendations, you need a website.
- How many things do you sell? One offer fits a landing page. Several services need a website.
- How long should it last? A campaign or an event fits a landing page. A business that wants to be found for years needs a website.
The bottom line
A landing page sells one thing to people who already want it. A website earns the trust of people who are still deciding. If you are not sure which one you need, start from the job, and the answer usually follows. You can see what goes into each one on our landing pages and company websites pages.
Questions people ask
Can a landing page replace a website?
For a single offer, an event or a campaign, yes. For a business with several services, or one that wants to be found on Google, a landing page is too narrow, because it has one page and one action.
Is a landing page good for SEO?
A landing page can rank for one specific search, but it is not built for search. A website, with a page for each service and each question, has far more ways to be found.
How much does a landing page cost?
From a builder template it can cost very little. A landing page designed and built by a studio usually costs more because the work is in the structure and the words. With us, landing pages start at €2,000 and usually take 2–4 weeks.