Brochure website vs online store — which one do you need?

One of the first questions we get from clients is simple but important: "Do I need a brochure website or an online store?" Getting the answer right can save you money and months of wasted effort. Let's clear up the difference, without the jargon.

What a brochure website is

A brochure website puts your business online: who you are, what services you offer, examples of your work, reviews, and contact details. Its goal isn't to take card payments directly, but to build trust and convince visitors to call you, message you, or request a quote.

It's the right choice if:

• You offer services (construction, interior design, law, clinics, restaurants, salons)
• You sell complex, negotiated, or custom products
• You want visibility and credibility first, not a shopping cart

What an online store is

An online store (e-commerce) lets you sell products directly from the site: the customer adds items to a cart, pays online or on delivery, and you receive the order. It works 24/7, even while you sleep. The trade-off is that it requires more infrastructure: a product catalog, a cart, payments, inventory management, invoicing, and extra security.

It's the right choice if:

• You have physical or digital products ready to ship
• You want to sell across the whole country, not just locally
• You have stock, clear prices, and you're set up for delivery and returns

The differences, side by side

The cost difference, in short

An online store costs more than a brochure website, and the reason makes sense: it needs a catalog, a cart, online payments, inventory management, invoicing, and extra security. With us, a well-built brochure website lands in the 490–890 € range, and if you want to start with a single high-impact page, a landing page runs between 290–490 €. An online store starts from 690 €, depending on the number of products and the features you need. To any of these we can optionally add maintenance from 29 €/month, so your site stays fast and secure over time. We always give you a clear quote before we start — no surprises along the way. If you want the details on each option, we've written separately about how much a website costs and how much an online store costs.

How to decide the right way

Ask yourself one thing: how does the buying decision happen in your business?

If the customer would buy directly, at a glance, at a fixed price — you need an online store. If they need to talk it through, get a quote, or trust you first — a brochure website will bring you more real customers.

There's another detail many people forget: an online store doesn't end at launch. You have to update stock, respond to orders, and manage deliveries and returns. If you don't have that flow in place yet, a brochure website brings you customers without creating daily operational work.

That's why many entrepreneurs start with a solid brochure website and add store features later, once they have real demand. It's a healthy approach: you invest gradually, in step with the business, without paying upfront for features you won't use.

Keep one practical detail in mind too: most of your visitors will see you on their phone, so whichever option you choose, it has to look flawless on mobile.

If you're still unsure, don't worry — that's exactly what we're here for. Tell us in a few sentences what you do and who you sell to, and we'll recommend the right solution, no pressure. We'll even put together a trial version of your site, so you can see how your business would look online before you decide anything.