Websites are websites. Brochures are brochures. Never the twain shall meet.
Not never. At one time both were deemed to be the same thing. Designers designed websites like they did brochures. In some circles websites that resemble brochures are called brochureware1.
Over time the twain have grown further and further apart. They will never meet again with a few exceptions. Some people, like attorneys in many cases, get along just fine with a site that resembles an online brochure. But the vast majority of us need a real website, not a brochure site.
Many designers continue to pursue the brochure model. There are many reasons why websites are NOT brochures. Here are five of them.
Brochures focus on selling. Websites seek to enhance the buying experience.
Brochures are DOA. They can't be changed once they've been printed. Websites are alive with the latest information useful to visitors. Websites that don't change will be dead soon enough.
Brochures are advertisements, hopefully convincing the reader to become interested in the product or service. Websites are sources of information. Visitors are already interested in the product or service. Their decision to buy will be based on how well the site's buying process serves their needs. Ironically, if the brochure succeeds in interesting the prospect, he or she will probably “check the website” for more information.
Brochure effectiveness is very difficult to measure. If you can find some way to get objective subjects, you're pretty much confined to asking for an opinion. “Having read this brochure, would you be inclined to: a.) do business with this company. b.) read more literature, etc. Websites have many feedback mechanisms that test not just opinions but actions. Analytic data can track visitors, determine how they got to the site, what keywords brought them there, and much more. Of course you can see what actions visitors take on the site and test for ways to induce more desirable actions. The site can be live tested for user experience. And you can publish opinion surveys. All of this data can and should be used to improve the site. Then and now. You don't have to wait until the next print run.
Brochures use the language of persuasion, adspeak, to promote interest in their product. Websites use the language of visitors to attract visitors. A good keyword study will reveal what words visitors are using to ask search engines for information. These words need to be in the site's text not only to communicate with search engines, but also to communicate with visitors.
As technology makes websites more and more interactive, they become less and less like what preceded them. Movies started in the early 20th Century as filmed stage plays, but quickly became a completely unique expression. Websites are now completely different from brochures and other media that preceded it. Online winners will be those who understand the differences and learn how to exploit this new medium to expand business.