Corporate website development: structure, design and launch
A corporate website brings services, expertise, work, resources and contact routes into a structure that makes sense for different audiences. The official company website has to work equally well for a client, a partner and a candidate, and give the team a practical way to keep content up to date.
When your current site stops working for the business
Companies rarely rebuild a corporate site for fashion's sake. They do it when the old one gets in the way of sales and hiring. If three or more of these points sound familiar, small fixes will no longer be enough.
- The design is dated and no longer matches how the company presents itself.
- Pages are hard to read on a phone, and forms or menus misbehave.
- Services and divisions are mixed together, so visitors cannot see where to go.
- Changing a paragraph or posting news means asking a developer.
- Pages load slowly, especially on mobile connections.
- Enquiries are rare, and analytics cannot show where they come from.
Information architecture
We start with what clients, partners, candidates and editors need to find and do. We review the current structure, the real materials and the role of each section, then define the main routes: explore a service, understand the expertise, view projects or get in touch.
- Section map, navigation and page priorities.
- Structure for services, industries, expertise, projects and contacts.
- Language version requirements where needed.
What corporate website development includes
The scope follows the task rather than a fixed package: a manufacturer and a consultancy need different sections and integrations. Forms, analytics and integrations are included to the extent the company's processes and available APIs require. SEO groundwork is laid during the build, and SEO services can take over once the site is live.
- Review of the current site, demand and competitors.
- Prototype of key pages and journeys.
- UX/UI design of templates and component rules.
- Front-end and back-end development on the chosen CMS.
- Content migration and review, plus guidance for new copy and images.
- SEO groundwork: URLs, meta tags, redirects from old pages, sitemap.
- CRM, form and analytics integrations within the agreed scope.
- Testing, launch and a short handover session for editors.
Content and templates
Before building, we agree who will maintain each section. Templates are designed for sections that will actually be updated, and current content is reviewed before migration. A news, case study or catalogue section only appears if it has an owner, material and a clear purpose for visitors.
CMS and technology
We choose the content management system for the task: the number of sections and editors, the integrations needed and who will look after the site after launch. We work with projects on 1C-Bitrix, WordPress, Tilda, MODX, Joomla and OpenCart. See also our SEO for CMS service.
Why the choice depends on the task
A large corporate portal with user roles, a 1C integration and several languages usually suits 1C-Bitrix. A site built around articles and expertise is often fine on WordPress, while a small company presence can live on a website builder. An over-engineered platform makes support harder; an overly simple one hits its limits as the business grows.
Who can maintain the site
We use widely adopted platforms that other developers can work with too. Security and speed are built into the setup: separate editor accounts, backups and clear hosting arrangements.
What the contract sets out
Terms are agreed in writing before work starts, so both sides share the same picture of the result. The contract sets out the scope of work, the acceptance procedure and the handover of access. Source code and design files are transferred to the client under the contract, and we recommend registering the domain and hosting to the company itself. After launch, you can bring in our website support or hand the project to your own team.
- Scope of work and the list of templates.
- How stages are approved and accepted.
- Handover of access to the site, hosting, domain and source files.
Stages of building a corporate website
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Step 1
Brief and analysis: company goals, audiences, competitors and the current site. You receive an agreed structure and page list.
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Step 2
Prototype of key pages and visitor journeys. The logic can be adjusted before visual design begins.
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Step 3
Design of the home page and main templates for desktop and mobile. You receive approved layouts.
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Step 4
Development: front end, back end, CMS, forms, integrations and content migration. You receive a working version on a staging address.
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Step 5
Testing of forms, responsiveness, speed, redirects and agreed journeys. You receive a list of checks and fixes.
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Step 6
Launch on the live domain, analytics set-up and handover of access. You receive a working site and editor guidance.
What affects the cost
The cost of a corporate website depends on the number of unique templates, integrations with a CRM, 1C or internal systems, content preparation and migration, language versions and the chosen CMS. A price without a brief would be a guess, so we agree the scope first and then provide an estimate. To start, describe your task in the form below.
Frequently asked questions
How is a corporate website different from a landing page or an online store?
A corporate website presents the whole company: services, expertise, projects, vacancies and contacts. A landing page leads to a single action on one page, and an online store is built around a catalogue and orders.
How long does corporate website development take?
It depends on the number of templates, integrations, content readiness and how quickly decisions are made. We draw up a stage plan after the brief; delays usually come from waiting for copy and approvals rather than from development.
What happens after launch?
You can take the site over in-house or use our website support: updates, fixes, improvements and analytics monitoring. SEO can be added separately to grow search traffic.
Will we be able to edit content ourselves?
Yes. Copy, news, projects and vacancies are edited in the CMS admin area, and we provide editor guidance and walk through the main tasks. Changes to structure and templates are best agreed with a developer.
Can an old corporate site be migrated?
Yes. We first map current content to the new structure, retain the URLs that matter and identify material that should not move. Redirects from old pages help protect search visibility.