People often ask for "a website" when what they need is something smaller, or something quite different. Choosing the right starting point saves time, and it usually saves money too.
A landing page: one page, one job
A landing page is a single page built to do one thing: explain an offer and get the visitor to act. Contact you, book a call, join a waiting list, download something.
Choose a landing page when you have one clear offer, you are running ads or sharing a link on social media, or you need something live this week. It is the fastest thing to build and the easiest to test.
A business website: several pages that stay useful
A website has room for more: what you do, who you are, your services, your work, a blog, a contact page. It matters when people will search for you by name, compare you with others, or need more detail before they trust you.
Choose a website when your business is established enough to have several things to say, and you want to edit the content yourself without calling a developer each time.
A prototype: a working first version of an idea
A prototype is for when the thing you want does not exist yet. A booking tool, a small internal app, a calculator, a customer portal. Instead of a long specification, you get the main flow working end to end, with a link you can share and test.
Choose a prototype when you are not sure the idea will work, when you need something to show investors or your team, or when you want to find the problems before paying for the full build.
How to decide quickly
- If people just need to understand an offer and contact you, start with a landing page.
- If you need a lasting home for your business online, build a website.
- If you are building something people will log in to or use repeatedly, start with a prototype.
You can also combine them. Many people launch a landing page first, then grow it into a website as the business takes shape.
Not sure?
Describe what you are trying to achieve in a few sentences. A good developer will tell you honestly which of the three fits, and sometimes the answer is that you need less than you thought.