We want to get a corporate website built for our company, but what is a corporate site and how is it different from a regular one?

First thing you should do is gather all your technical certifications, authorized distributor certificates, and client logos in one folder. A corporate site is built on technical trust; hand these over to the agency first and have them design the layout around these documents.

There are three mistakes that happen all the time on B2B corporate sites: 1) Not putting technical details and PDF spec sheets on the site, 2) Hiding the physical address and registered corporate entity name, 3) Overcomplicated quote forms that don't work or take forever to get a response from.

We sell chemical raw materials in Kazan. Two years ago we had a simple corporate site built for 80,000 Ruble. No cart, no checkout, just a button to download tech data sheets and request a quote. About half of our incoming corporate inquiries came from people checking out the specs right on the site.

Agencies double their rates the moment they hear the word "corporate." Don't let them sell you sections that won't ever be maintained, like a blog, press releases or a careers page. A news page that hasn't been updated in two years doesn't look professional—it makes the business look abandoned.

In the industrial sector, corporate credibility is everything. The whole point of your website is to eliminate perceived risk for purchasing managers. Prioritize transparent company details, your actual location, and licensing credentials over flashy animations.

honestly no need to overcomplicate things. a clean theme, pdf catalogs, and custom domain emails are all u need. the rest is just agencies blowing smoke.

edit: fixed a few typos.

Corporate procurement teams putting together bids will always check your website. Even just adding a few clear photos of your actual warehouse, racking layout, and office space builds an unbelievable amount of trust.

I'll try it.

My question might sound amateurish, sorry about that. If you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong.

I partly agree, partly disagree. Every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

I'd say don't rush. The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

Proven by experience.

Just a heads-up. Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

quick summary for newcomers: Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

It's rare to find an explanation this clear.

I disagree with you on this point. Code without setup documentation isn't yours, even if you have it.

Access credentials should be opened in the company's name, not personal accounts. Proven by experience.

I think differently. The cheapest quote is usually the least thought-out one.

Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate. This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Just a heads-up. If code ownership isn't in the contract, you have no bargaining power when leaving.

Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth. This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

the answer above hits the nail on the head and tbh access credntials should be opened in the company's name not personal accounts.

just leaving this note, it might be useful.