To decide which type of web site you need, you need to determine what your web site must accomplish from a marketing perspective.  The goals you set for your site plus the definition of your target market should drive both your web design and marketing campaigns. 

Business web sites generally have one of the six goals in the following categories as their primary purpose, although some large sites incorporate many of these objectives.

• Brochure Web Sites
  Brochure sites are an inexpensive solution.  These sites, which contain no more than the minimal info included in a small tri-fold brochure, might provide a small business with an adequate Web presence.  Basically you inform interested prospects online then allow them to submit an inquiry.

• Branding Web Sites
  Sites like Coke.com primarily serve a branding function.  Branding sites may include games, coupons, entertainment, feedback sections, interactive functions and corp. info, but they generally don’t sell the product online. They generate leads or sales only indirectly.

• Lead Generation Web Sites
  Some sites, especially those for services and expensive products such as cars and homes, allow potential customers to research offerings, but customers must call, email or visit the brick and mortar establishment to close a sale.  If you’re clever, you can qualify your leads online, which is an efficient way to qualify leads upfront.

• Transaction or Ecommerce Web Sites
  Transaction or Ecommerce sites, which are perhaps the most familiar type of site, are used to sell goods or services online.  Good transaction sites take advantage of the Web to gather information about customer demographics, needs and preferences and to test response to special offers.

• Ad Revenue Web Sites
  A business model that calls for generating revenue by selling ads operates in a fundamentally different marketing mode.  When you sell advertising, the primary product is the audience you deliver – either the number of eyeballs that view an ad or the number of click-thru’s to an advertiser’s site.

• Corporate Web Sites
  Sites in this category attract investors, identify strategic business partners, locate suppliers, recruit dealers, or solicit franchises.  The audience for these sites is quite different from the audience for a site targeted at customers or clients.  This distinction is critical because elements of your marketing plan are derived from the definition of your target market.

Which works best for you?  Think about your audience and your goals.