The difference between a landing page and a website: a landing page serves one campaign and one action, a website holds lasting business information across several pages. Side-by-side page maps for the same business and a worksheet to decide.
<p class="lead text-xl text-[#3a3a3a] mb-8"> A landing page is a single page built for one visitor intent and one action, usually the destination of an ad, email or campaign. A website is a set of pages that holds lasting information about a business (services, prices, about, contact) for visitors arriving with many different questions. Most businesses need a website first, then add landing pages when they run campaigns. </p>
<h2>Definition and visitor intent</h2> <table> <thead><tr><th></th><th>Landing page</th><th>Website</th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Visitor arrives from</td><td>A specific ad, email, QR code or post</td><td>Search, word of mouth, Maps, typing your name</td></tr> <tr><td>Visitor wants</td><td>The one thing the ad promised</td><td>To look around: what you do, price, trust, how to contact</td></tr> <tr><td>Number of actions</td><td>One (book, claim, sign up)</td><td>Several, with one main action</td></tr> <tr><td>Navigation</td><td>Often none, to keep focus</td><td>Full menu</td></tr> <tr><td>Lifespan</td><td>As long as the campaign</td><td>Years, updated as the business changes</td></tr> <tr><td>Search traffic</td><td>Usually little; often excluded from search</td><td>Main source over time</td></tr> </tbody> </table>
<h2>Side-by-side page maps for the same business</h2> <p>A fictional café, "Ember Street Café", used as a labelled demonstration. Not a real business; no results claimed.</p> <pre><code>WEBSITE (durable information) / name, what + where, hours, "See the menu" button /menu food and drink, dietary labels /catering office catering, enquiry form /about owners, sourcing /contact address, map link, phone, hours
LANDING PAGE (one campaign: "Office catering, autumn flyer") /catering-offer headline matching the flyer: "Office lunch platters, delivered in town" 3 platter options with prices what is included / minimum order enquiry form: name, company, date, headcount no menu bar; a small link back to the main site removed when the flyer campaign ends</code></pre> <figure> <img src="/img/showcase/cafes-1600.webp" alt="An example café website design made with We.Inc" loading="lazy" width="1600" height="1000" /> <figcaption>An example café design made with We.Inc (a template design, not a customer site).</figcaption> </figure>
<h2>When one page is sufficient</h2> <ul> <li>You offer one service in one place, and customers need only what, where, price and how to contact. A single well-structured page (a "one-page website") works.</li> <li>You are testing demand before building more.</li> <li>An event, launch or pre-order with a fixed end date.</li> </ul> <p>It stops being enough when you have several services that people search for separately, need an about or pricing page to build trust, or want to rank for different searches. Separate pages give each search a clear answer.</p>
<h2>Decision worksheet</h2> <pre><code>How many distinct services do customers search for? 1 -> one page | 2+ -> website Are you running paid ads, flyers or email campaigns? yes -> add landing pages Do visitors need proof (about, licences, reviews)? yes -> website Is this for a fixed-date event or offer? yes -> landing page Do you want to be found in Google search over time? yes -> website</code></pre>
<h2>Build the smallest suitable structure</h2> <ul> <li>Start with the pages your next customer needs, not every page you can imagine.</li> <li>Make each landing page match its ad word for word in the headline, so the visitor knows they are in the right place.</li> <li>Link campaign pages back to the main site, and tidy them up after the campaign.</li> </ul> <p>For a step-by-step build, see <a href="/guides/how-to-create-a-landing-page">how to create a landing page</a> and <a href="/guides/how-to-build-a-business-website">how to build a business website</a>.</p>
<h2>Next step</h2> <p>In the <a href="/website-builder">We.Inc website builder</a> you can start from a <a href="/website-templates/business">business template</a> and add pages as you need them. The Free plan gives up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address (no AI credits, no custom domain). Starter at $20/month adds AI building and custom domains; Pro is $50 and Max $99 a month (<a href="/pricing">pricing</a>). Check any page with the <a href="/tools/website-grader">website grader</a>, or estimate a build with the <a href="/tools/website-cost-calculator">website cost calculator</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://my.we.inc/signup">Start building your business website</a></p>
A landing page has one purpose and one action for visitors from a specific campaign. A website has several pages covering everything a customer might want to know about the business.
Not usually. A homepage serves many visitor intents and links to the rest of the site. A landing page serves one campaign and often has no menu.
Yes, if it offers one service in one place. Once customers search for several services separately, separate pages work better.
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