How to

Why your game needs a gaming website or a landing page

2024-05-30 • 11 min read

Cover of the article telling of how to make a game website. It shows a man at his desk pointing at the screen where he sees a website of a video game. We understand that it’s a game website by the picture of a gamepad.

The demand for the products in the gaming industry is unquestionable. However, a question may arise regarding the necessity of building a gaming website for promotion. And if it's needed, then, what kind of website should you build? Should you opt for website builders or custom web development services? In this article, we'll have a look at different methods of how to make a game website more engaging and discuss the issue from a marketing perspective.

Does a game need a website?

So, the first question to think of is whether a website is necessary and what purpose it serves. Well, a video game website can be a good place to introduce users to the product and provide more details that may encourage further purchases. If a company can promote its game through social media and word-of-mouth without the need for a website, then it may not be necessary to invest resources into building one.

Nevertheless, not every game company has a reputation that precedes it. Even for established companies or popular games looking to boost sales, a website can be incredibly beneficial. In the following discussion, we'll explore the different types of websites and how they address specific needs.

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Website or landing page?

There are several possible ways through which gamers reach your gaming website: either by tracking campaigns from major gaming companies or through listings, particularly for indie games.

The screenshot shows the menu featuring "About the Game," "Characters," "Location," "Review," "Let’s Play" categories, and the "About the Game" page screen. We see a heading "The Witcher" on the back, and at the front, there is a figure of The Witcher, which takes half a screen. He is turning back in his armor with a sword hanging on his shoulder. On the screen, a user can also read a short description of the game and click on game locations. It’s a Dribbble shot by Ronas IT, which helps to see how to build a game website that will captivate attention. — Example of a multi-page video game website, a design concept by Ronas IT

If a game is a part of a franchise then investing in a comprehensive gaming website with multiple pages can be worthwhile. The goal is not only to drive sales conversions but also to create an engaging ecosystem that draws users into gameplay. This can involve creating videos, sharing user-generated content, and compiling a compendium of the game's lore, including races, locations, and chronicle descriptions. This approach works particularly well for promoting sequels within the franchise and definitely requires custom web development.

Here's how game lore can be presented on an expansive website, a design concept created by Ronas IT

Conversely, for smaller developers and indie productions, where spending on potentially unprofitable promotion should be minimized, a landing page may be more appropriate. Depending on a budget it can be custom-made or created independently. Custom-made landings drive more attention as they stand out among others with their creativity, while independents follow the pre-built templates but cost less.

Landing pages can also work for big companies, as their main function is to drive sales, making them a universal promotional tool, unlike complex multi-page websites or simple posting on Steam.

Let's see what it takes to make an efficient landing page and explore what it should include.

What should a game landing page have?

Button. Right at the beginning, it should have a button leading to your publishing platform or purchase process so that people who found you in the listing and made up their minds to try the game wouldn't need to make an extra effort to buy it.

Content. If a customer is unsure about purchasing a product, you need to convince them by any means. The best way to do it is to provide a trailer of the game so that visitors get a glimpse of what they're going to experience. Actually, the trailer is super important and should be placed at the beginning of the page. Screenshots of the best parts of the game can be helpful too.

Newsletter. Some people may not be ready to purchase at once and want to wait for the release to read feedback. For such visitors, there should be an option to subscribe to the newsletter so they don't forget about the game.

Social media. This is an alternative for those who don't want to subscribe to the newsletter and prefer to be informed on social media. It can have the same effect of encouraging delayed purchases.

Social proof. If the game is already out, showcasing feedback that proves the quality of the game and the satisfaction of users and critics is very important to drive sales.

Press kit.

It is good practice to provide the media with all the essential information about your product. Usually, it contains a summary of the game, the history of its creation, and the team that developed it. For indie games, this is especially important as they normally do not have a PR specialist for their product promotion.

The landing page for the Dredge game features a visual of a lighthouse, with the game’s title, "Dredge," written in large font above it. Below the title are two buttons: "Trailer" and "Learn More." In the menu above the lighthouse, there are several options: "Features," "Media," "Press Kit," and "Wallpapers." There are also two buttons on the right side of the menu: "The Pale Reach" and "Buy Dredge." A screenshot of the Dredge game shows how to build a game landing page at its best. — A home page of the Dredge indie game is an example of good information arrangement on the web page

What a game landing page should not have

Excessiveness. The main purpose of the landing page is conversion to sales. When it is bloated with too much detail on everything, it is easy to exhaust the visitor and drive away potential customers' attention.

Lack of call to action.

This one corresponds to one of the points above and is still worth mentioning. The statement in the call-to-action should not only be placed wisely but formulated well. It must be as clear as possible, with a button basically saying “Buy now”.

Two screenshots of the Closer the Distance game landing page. The first screenshot shows a colorful and animated landing page. The heading reads "Closer the Distance" and features a picture of a village with a main character and several side characters. Below the heading is a short description of the game and a button for signing up for the newsletter. The second screenshot introduces the user to the game’s characters and provides screenshots of the game’s locations. — The visual part and content on the Closer the Distance game page are perfect, yet a simpler naming of the button wouldn't spoil the vibe, but it's debatable

Missing info. The information on the page should answer the main questions a website visitor has in mind: what the game is about, how to play it, and where to try/purchase it.

Built-in. It's better to create a separate landing page for a game, as users don't really care about what's going on with the company. So, the game description shouldn't be built into a corporate website, as people usually search for a game.

To conclude, a good game landing page should more or less have the following structure:

A schematic representation of how to build a game landing page. There should be a heading at the top of the page, then a description and a call to action with opportunities to purchase a game or add it to a wishlist. Next should be a trailer and below comes extra content. At the footer there should be links to social media.

Website builder or custom development?

Whether it's a landing page or a gaming website, you might be curious about the best way to build it. The scheme we've provided above can be created with any website builder, but there's one thing — the result will be similar to all other landings built with a gaming website template. Generally, platforms like Wix, GoDaddy, or Squarespace offer only one or two gaming website templates, resulting in limited choice or making users construct their landing page with building blocks.

A screenshot of the GoDaddy website builder template for creating a game website or a landing page. It offers both desktop and mobile formats. — GoDaddy template for a gaming website design

One might argue that using website builders saves both money and time. This may be true, but only if the creator is not seeking a custom design that aligns with the style of a game and is content using no-code platforms to quickly design and launch a website. Outside of that, it becomes a time-consuming task; by contrast, a custom approach allows a client to get a creative landing page in less than 3 weeks or a comprehensive game website in less than 4 weeks, at least according to our timeframe.

Another advantage of creating a gaming website with builders is the independence they provide, but it's so only at first glance. When developing a website with a vendor, a client is the one who owns the source code. When created with a website building platform, there's a risk as landing page maintenance depends on the website builder. Imagine if the platform stops supporting the game site one day.

Speaking of maintenance and support, to keep the extra features on your platform — created with a gaming website template — operational, you should keep in mind the subscription renewals. Otherwise, your visitors may stumble upon an error page instead of a landing page.

There are a few more reasons to go for custom web development.

When you aim to distinguish yourself from competitors by adding animation or unique design.
When you want to outsource the creation of the landing or a website to free up your developers' time before the launch.
You want to roll out the landing page for your promotion campaign as soon as possible, like before an important event such as the Independent Game Festival.
When loading time is a priority for you and you'd like to create a pleasant user experience even before the launch of the game.
When you need to integrate your gaming website with third-party services like customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, or content management system tools.
You want to be sure that your website is SEO-friendly.

If you'd like to gain more insights on what to choose, custom web development or template-based, please check our article on the topic.

Should you seek a custom web development company, we are happy to offer our services.

Tech stack for unlimited custom web development

Developers use various technical tools, including frontend and backend programming languages, frameworks, database management systems, and web servers to build creative landing pages and websites that provide visitors with a sense of the game they're about to purchase.

Over the years in custom development, we have elaborated a tech stack that allows us to build web products of any complexity, from creative landings and single-page websites to multi-page web apps. In terms of creativity, we invite you to check out our Creative landing page sample to help decide on the desired look of your page. Meanwhile, we will share the technologies we use to build engaging web platforms and landing pages.

Design

It is important to mention that before the development starts, the creative work is performed by designers who thoroughly gather references, make concepts, and eventually present every single frame in a way that is comprehensible to the developers.

Figma

We prefer to work on designs on a platform that allows all stakeholders to watch the proсess and the progress of design. Transparency is the key to building trust with the clients and providing the desired result in the end.

Website frontend development

Frontend is the next step after design and is responsible for creating the visible side of the gaming website for users.

React

React is a library of components used for various development tasks related to user interfaces. Its components are written in JavaScript, which ranks second in frequency of usage when choosing popular programming languages. React.js helps to build the user side with less effort, cost, and time.

Website backend development

Backend refers to the server-side functionality of the website that is not visible to the user.

PHP

Named the top programming language among developers according to the Goodfirms study as of 2023. Among its frameworks, Laravel is most suitable for website development due to its perfect syntax, built-in security features, and support for rapid development.

Creative landing development

Making of a creative landing page involves frontend technologies and tools for building animation.

Next.js

Server-side rendering of this React framework and static site generation allows for building landing pages with better loading time and performance. It allows for creating scalable web pages that are also SEO-friendly — the most important feature for a landing.

GSAP

For animations, we use GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP) which is a JavaScript library that helps build animations for web products written in JS and suitable for all browsers. You can check GSAP showcases by following this link and if you like any of those, we can easily implement them into your landing page.

Design tips

We have already discussed the placement of elements that should be included on the landing page and the essential elements for the gaming website, but there's more to add about designing for the gaming industry web platform than just building blocks. There are design features that can make users stay and want more of the world you create in a game. Here are the features that custom web design can add to your gaming website:

Style

It gives a preview of the game's spirit even before its launch when the website or a landing page are all designed in the style of the game, for example, using its custom colors. This approach to gaming website design creates a sense of belonging to the game's world.

Typography

Not only visuals are responsible for a great website appearance, but typography plays a crucial role as well. It must be consistent and chosen wisely in correlation with the game's aesthetic.

Fonts should not only align with the game's theme but also be easily readable. Therefore, it is advisable to opt for sans-serif fonts for better accessibility.

High-quality

The displayed content should be of high quality. When adding stills, illustrations, and videos showcasing the inside of the game, it is essential to ensure that all visuals are in high resolution and adapted to all kinds of devices.

Animation

Animation always captivates the visitor's attention, even if it's a subtle change in the main character's facial expression, for example, as seen on the Closer the Distance game landing page. A glimpse into in-game physics helps a potential user understand how it will function in action.

Interactive elements

In addition to animation, interactive elements can also enhance the user experience of a visitor. These may include parallax scrolling, hover effects, and various sliders. Interactive design encourages exploration and effectively gamifies websites, even at such a level. Engaging users on our landing page, piques their curiosity to discover more.

How much does it cost to build a custom gaming website?

The answer truly depends on what you'd like to develop — a landing page or a multi-page website with interactive elements, animations, and several pages of game lore. Your budget and development purpose will dictate your choice. Landing pages are usually built for those who are just starting out, while websites are worth creating when a company has already established some recognition on the market.

We can provide an approximate cost range for services at Ronas IT to give you an idea of what to expect in terms of pricing in the market.

Landing page development	Website development
1–3 weeks	2–4 weeks
$2,000–$4,000+	$5,000–$8,000+

Take note that these costs do not include the design and development of interactive and animated elements. You can reach out to our management team for more detailed pricing info.

Let's calculate your gaming website or landing page cost!

To sum up

Be it a landing or a gaming website, both are great tools for game promotion. Launching a platform describing the product can be helpful before the launch of the game and after to give more details about the lore and persuade those who've not done it yet. While social media and word-of-mouth marketing strategies are also effective, a website brings more credibility and authenticity to your platform. And if you've decided to create one, it's advantageous for it to be somewhat distinctive from other platforms. Custom web development might help in achieving this goal, and we'd be delighted to guide you through the gaming website creation process.