Corporate website or marketing website: what is the difference?

We want a new website. We hear that sentence often, but what people mean by it varies widely. One wants a reliable business card for customers, partners and applicants. The other wants a website that generates enquiries every month. That is the difference between a corporate website and a marketing website. In this article we explain how they differ, why a corporate website also has to sell and why in practice you often need a combination.

What is a corporate website?

A corporate website is the digital home of an organisation: the place everyone comes to who wants to know who you are, what you do and how you work. Think of a manufacturer, a consultancy or an organisation with several divisions. You find information about the company, its services or products, its people, vacancies and news.

A corporate website serves many audiences at once: customers, partners, investors, press and applicants. The goal is to build trust and inform.

What is a marketing website?

A marketing website is a website set up to move visitors to an action, such as an enquiry, a demo, a download or a purchase. Every page has a goal and every text works towards a next step. You find service pages per audience, landing pages for campaigns, case studies and clear ways to get in touch.

A marketing website focuses mainly on potential customers. The goal is to convert.

What is the difference between a corporate website and a marketing website?

The difference between a corporate website and a marketing website lies in goal, audience, structure, measurement and management.

Goal. A corporate website informs and builds trust. A marketing website activates and generates enquiries.

Audience. A corporate website addresses many groups. A marketing website focuses sharply on potential customers, often per segment.

Structure. A corporate website has a broad structure with a lot of information. A marketing website has shorter, clear routes to an action.

Measurement. With a corporate website you look at reach, findability and how visitors use the information. With a marketing website you look at conversions: enquiries, downloads and appointments.

Management. A corporate website is often managed by communications, with many stakeholders. A marketing website by a marketing team that wants to test and adjust quickly.

Why should a corporate website also sell?

A corporate website should also sell because almost every business customer looks at your website before getting in touch. People compare suppliers, read about how you work and look for proof, long before they call or email. If your website does not convince in that phase, that conversation never happens.

A good website does what a good salesperson does. It understands why someone comes, gives this visitor the information they need, removes doubts and makes the next step easy. It does that day and night, including for a visitor on the other side of the world who is looking while you sleep. A corporate website without a clear invitation to get in touch leaves that opportunity on the table.

When do you choose a corporate website?

You choose a corporate website when your organisation is broad, has many audiences and above all needs to come across as reliable and findable. Think of a company with several locations or divisions, an organisation where recruitment plays a big role or a manufacturer serving both dealers and end customers. How we approach that, you can read on our page about corporate websites.

When do you choose a marketing website?

You choose a marketing website when your website needs to contribute directly to new customers. You run campaigns, you want to be found for specific services and you want to measure what the site delivers. Which choices make the difference then, you can read in our article on a conversion-focused website.

Why do you often need both?

You often need both because most organisations want to build trust and bring in enquiries. The strongest websites combine a corporate foundation with marketing elements. The general pages tell who you are and what you stand for. The service pages and landing pages speak to a specific audience and end with a clear next step.

Suppose you are a consultancy. Your corporate pages describe your approach, your team and your clients. In addition you have a page for HR advice for fast-growing companies, aimed at exactly that audience and their questions, with a form for an introductory meeting. The corporate pages build trust, the marketing pages turn that trust into contact.

Where does it often go wrong?

It often goes wrong when a website fulfils only one of the two roles. A corporate website with a lot of information but no invitation to get in touch leaves visitors without direction. A marketing website that steers so explicitly towards conversion that the company behind it becomes invisible actually creates distrust. Another common problem is that the website does not grow along: the organisation has changed, but the site still tells the old story.

How do you decide what you need?

You decide what you need by answering three questions. Who should the website serve, and which group is most important? What concretely should the website deliver? And who will manage and improve it after launch? The answers determine the balance between corporate and marketing, and also the scope of the project. What that means for the investment, you can read in what does a website cost.

Not sure which way your website should go? On our page about marketing websites you can read how we build in conversion, and via contact we are happy to think along.