How Much Does a Company Website Cost? The Factors That Decide the Price
Quotes for a company website can vary widely. Learn what drives the price and the running costs that are often forgotten before you choose a quotation.
Read the article →Company Profile Website vs Product Catalogue Website: Which Does Your Business Need?
The two types of website companies need most often are the company profile website and the product catalogue website. Both matter, but they serve different purposes. Choosing the right one decides whether your website genuinely helps you sell or just sits there for show.
This article explains the difference between the two, how they are used in different industries, and how to decide which suits your business best.
Company profile website
A company profile website works as a digital business card. It explains who your company is, what you do and how customers can get in touch.
It usually consists of these pages:
- Home
- About the company
- Services or lines of business
- Projects or clients
- Contact
A company profile suits service companies, contractors, consultants and any business whose sales happen through meetings and quotations rather than customers picking products one by one. What you are selling is trust: experience, capability and past work.
Product catalogue website
A product catalogue website shows your products in full: photos, specifications, categories, materials and uses. Customers can browse products on their own before contacting your sales team.
A catalogue suits:
- Factories and manufacturers with many types of product
- Distributors and suppliers
- B2B companies that receive requests for quotes for specific products
With a catalogue, your sales team doesn't have to explain the same things over and over. Prospects arrive with more specific questions, so quoting moves faster.
How the page structure differs
The most visible difference is the structure. A company profile has a few pages with in-depth content, while a catalogue has many pages organised into categories.
The structure also affects how the website is managed. A company profile rarely changes, whereas a catalogue needs updating every time there is a new product, a change in specifications or new photos. If your catalogue has so far been a PDF, read PDF catalogue or website catalogue.
The effect on Google search
Every page on your website is a chance to appear in search results. A company profile is usually found by people searching for the company name or for a type of service in general.
A catalogue has the advantage here: every product has its own page, so more pages can appear in Google search. Prospects looking for a specific product, for example a particular material or size, can land directly on your product page, even if they have never heard of your company. See also product pages for Google and for buyers.
Examples across industries
- Contractors and consultants: a company profile with a project portfolio, because customers choose on experience.
- Packaging or printing factories: a product catalogue organised by packaging type, material and finish, plus a factory profile page.
- Building materials or spare parts distributors: a catalogue with full categories and specifications.
- Professional services firms: a company profile that explains the services, with articles that show expertise.
How to choose
Ask yourself: how do customers decide to buy?
- If customers first need to trust your company, for example by seeing your experience and past projects, start with a company profile.
- If customers look for a specific product and compare specifications, you need a catalogue.
Some signs that you need a catalogue:
- Your sales team often sends product photos and specifications one by one over chat
- Customers often ask whether a particular product is available
- You have more than a few types of product with variations in material or size
You can have both
Many companies, especially in manufacturing, need both: profile pages to build trust, plus a catalogue to help customers find the right product.
What matters is that your team can update the catalogue themselves. New products, changed specifications or new photos should be added without waiting for a developer. That is what a CMS is for. Read more in What is a CMS.
Getting started
- List all the products or services you want to show.
- Group them into categories customers can easily understand.
- Prepare clear photos and short specifications for each product.
- Decide which profile pages you need: about us, projects and contact.
- Choose a provider who can build that structure and provide a CMS.
What the pages should include
Whichever type of website you choose, the following content helps prospects make a decision:
- Home: a short explanation of what you offer and who it is for, plus a prompt to get in touch or view the products.
- About the company: a brief history, capacity, certifications and the reasons customers choose you.
- Products or services: clear explanations, real photos and the specifications people often ask about.
- Proof of trust: projects you have completed, clients or testimonials, where you are allowed to show them.
- Contact: easy ways to get in touch, including a request-for-quote form.
Common mistakes
- Makeshift product photos: dark or blurry photos make products look lower quality, even when they are actually good.
- Too much generic text: sentences like "we put quality first" don't help. It is better to show real evidence, such as production capacity or the types of machinery you use.
- A catalogue that isn't updated: discontinued products are still shown, while new products are missing.
- No call to action: visitors are interested but don't know what to do next.
Start from your customers' needs, not from a list of features. A simple website that hits the mark will work better than a large website customers don't use.
