What is Brochureware?

Brochureware refers to web sites or webpages that are produced by taking a companies printed brochure or marketing material and translating it directly to the Web without regard for the possibilities of the new medium. In most cases, the copy in the brochure will be used as-is and visual images will be copied as well.

The result will almost always be static and uninteresting and lost in the virtual world. Web designers usually suggest making a fresh start, using existing printed material. While a web site can be thought of as an "online brochure," most designers suggest taking advantage of the web's interactive and dynamic capabilities.

Search engine marketers and search engine optimization experts take it a step further and look to re-write the copy. The main reason is to make the website "search engine friendly". In layman's terms the copy is written so it will be indexed by the search engines in a way that makes the website or webpage appear under the proper search terms. Done correctly, and integrated with a well run pay per click marketing campaign, the site can then be found by potential customers when they do a search on the internet.