When a company starts using Odoo, the website question comes up quickly: do we build the site inside Odoo, or keep a separate site and connect it? The answer depends on what the site is for, not on the technology.
Option one: the built-in Odoo website
Odoo includes a website builder and an online store that run on the same database. Products, prices and stock appear on the site directly, an order becomes a sales order with no extra integration, and contact forms create opportunities in the CRM.
- Suits B2B stores and product catalogues that need live prices and stock.
- Suits customer portals: invoices, orders and quotations in the customer's account.
- Less flexible in design and performance than a purpose-built site.
Option two: a separate site connected to Odoo
A site built with modern tools such as Next.js or WordPress, which the marketing team controls freely, connected to Odoo through its API. The site sends contact forms and orders to Odoo, and reads products or prices from it when needed.
- Suits marketing sites that rely on search engine optimisation (SEO) and speed.
- Suits cases where design and visitor experience are a marketing priority.
- Needs a written, tested integration, and maintenance when either side is updated.
What usually gets connected
- Contact and quotation forms, arriving in Odoo as opportunities with their source.
- Store orders, becoming sales orders that draw down stock.
- Products, prices and quantities, so the site shows what's actually available.
- Customer accounts, so customers see their invoices and past orders.
- Appointment bookings, if your business runs on bookings.
Questions that decide it
- Is the site a direct sales tool, or a marketing tool that brings in leads?
- Who will update the content: sales from inside Odoo, or a separate marketing team?
- How much does your business depend on appearing in search results?
- Do you need a polished Arabic and English experience with the same design?
In many projects the answer is a mix: a fast, separate marketing site, plus a customer portal or B2B store inside Odoo. At MUNSAQ we build both, and we always start by defining what the site is for before choosing the technology.
