Odoo Website Configurator: Launch a Professional Site in Minutes
A practical APAA walkthrough of Odoo's Website Configurator for Hong Kong SMEs — the six-step build, essential post-setup settings, the drag-and-drop editor, basic SEO, and module integrations.
Why Every SME Still Needs a Proper Website
At APAA, plenty of the Hong Kong SMEs we meet run their entire public presence off a Facebook page and word-of-mouth. It works, until a prospect searches for the company name and finds nothing official. A professional website is a salesperson that never clocks off — when someone looks you up, your site is the first impression they form, and you only get one.
The traditional route is to hire a web design agency. That can run into the tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars and take months to deliver. For a budget-conscious SME, it is both expensive and slow.
Odoo's Website Configurator offers a different path. Through a short series of guided questions, it generates a complete, professional website in minutes — no coding involved. Better still, the site integrates natively with Odoo's CRM, Sales, Inventory, and other modules, so you can extend its capabilities as the business grows rather than rebuilding from scratch later.
What the Website Configurator Actually Does
The Website Configurator is Odoo's built-in guided site builder. You answer a handful of questions about your business, and the system handles the rest automatically:
- Layout selection — matches page layouts to your business type
- Core page creation — generates About Us, Services, Contact, and other common pages
- Brand colour application — extracts your primary colours from an uploaded logo, or lets you pick from preset palettes
- CTA configuration — sets up call-to-action buttons around your goal, whether that is lead generation, bookings, or sales
What you end up with is a ready-to-use website that you can refine further through a drag-and-drop editor.
Two Ways to Launch the Configurator
If You Are New to Odoo
- Go to odoo.com and create an account
- Click the Website icon in the app list
- Click Start Now (your first app is free)
- Enter your email address and website name
- The Configurator launches automatically
If You Already Use Odoo
- Log in to your Odoo instance
- Go to Apps
- Search for Website
- Click Install
- The Configurator appears automatically once installation finishes
Six Steps to Build Your Website
Step 1: Choose Your Website Type
The Configurator opens by asking what kind of site you need:
| Type | Best For | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Business Website | Service companies, consultancies, agencies | Showcasing services, capturing enquiries |
| Online Store | Retailers, wholesalers, brand owners | Selling products online |
| Blog | Media outlets, content marketing teams | Publishing articles, building authority |
| E-Learning Platform | Training providers, education companies | Delivering online courses |
Pick the option that best matches your primary business need. If you run a service company, "Business Website" is usually the right starting point.
Step 2: Specify Your Industry
Type your industry keyword into the search bar and Odoo shows matching options. The system uses your choice to apply relevant template content and imagery.
Common examples include accounting firms, beauty salons, renovation companies, restaurants, logistics, and education providers.
Step 3: Define Your Main Objective
This step sets your website's core call-to-action — what is the one thing you most want visitors to do?
| Objective | Resulting CTA | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Get New Leads | Contact form | Service businesses (consulting, accounting, legal) |
| Schedule Appointments | Booking button | Salons, clinics, fitness centres |
| Inform Customers | Information pages | Non-profits, government bodies |
| Sell More | Shop button | E-commerce, retail |
| Develop the Brand | Brand story page | Design studios, boutique brands |
Do not agonise over this — you can change the setting later.
Step 4: Set Your Colour Palette
You have two options here:
- Upload your logo — Odoo automatically extracts your brand colours from it, keeping the site visually consistent with your identity. This is the approach we recommend.
- Choose from preset palettes — if you do not have a logo ready, select from several pre-designed colour schemes.
Step 5: Select Your Pages
Tick the pages you want on your site:
- About Us — introduce your company background and team
- Services — showcase what you offer
- Pricing — display your rates clearly
- Privacy Policy — required by law if you collect any personal data, such as through a contact form
- News / Blog — for content marketing and SEO
Start with at least About Us, Services, and Privacy Policy. You can add more pages later.
Step 6: Choose a Theme
The final step is picking a visual theme. Each one determines typography, layout style, and overall feel.
Browse the previews and choose one that matches your brand's personality, then click Build my website to complete the setup.
Essential Settings to Handle Right After Setup
Once the site is built, a few settings are worth configuring straight away:
- In the backend, go to Website → Configuration → Settings
- Set up the following:
| Setting | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Website Name | Site title shown in browser tabs | Enter your company name |
| Favicon | Small icon in browser tabs | Upload a 32×32px PNG or ICO file |
| Company Data | Address, phone, email | Update in Settings → General Settings |
| Social Media | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn links | Fill in at the bottom of Website Settings |
Clearing these basics gives your site a professional foundation that visitors notice subconsciously.
Getting Comfortable With the Drag-and-Drop Editor
Odoo's website editor lets you change any page without touching code:
- Enter edit mode — click Edit in the top-right corner of any page
- Drag and drop elements — pull text blocks, images, buttons, maps, and more from the right panel onto the page
- Edit text — click directly on any text to change it
- Adjust styling — select an element to change font size, colour, spacing, and so on
- Save changes — click Save in the top-right corner
Page Blocks You Will Use Most
| Block Type | Purpose | Best Placed On |
|---|---|---|
| Banner | Hero image with headline | Page top |
| Text Block | Paragraph content | Anywhere |
| Columns | Multi-column layout (service cards) | Services page |
| Call to Action | Banner with a button | Mid-page or bottom |
| Google Map | Company location map | Contact page |
| Contact Form | Customer enquiry form | Contact page |
Basic SEO Configuration
Once the site is live, spend a few minutes on basic SEO so search engines can actually find you:
Per-Page SEO Settings
In edit mode, click Promote → Optimize SEO in the top menu to configure each page:
- Page Title — shown in search results. Include keywords and keep it under 60 characters
- Meta Description — the description text in search results. Keep it under 155 characters
- URL — keep it clean and meaningful, such as
/servicesrather than/page-123
Site-Wide SEO Settings
Under Website → Configuration → Settings:
- Enable Google Analytics to track visitor data
- Configure Robots.txt to control search engine indexing
- Submit your Sitemap to Google Search Console
Integrating With Other Odoo Modules
The single biggest advantage of an Odoo website is how seamlessly it plugs into the rest of the ERP:
| Module | Feature | Business Value |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | Website forms auto-create leads | Never miss a potential customer |
| eCommerce | Sell products directly from the website | Online and offline inventory stay in sync |
| Blog | Built-in blogging system | Content marketing boosts SEO rankings |
| Live Chat | Real-time customer conversations | Improve visitor conversion rates |
| Appointments | Online booking for service slots | Cut down on back-and-forth phone calls |
| Email Marketing | Collect subscribers and send campaigns | Build long-term customer relationships |
In other words, your website is not just a digital business card — it is a complete business tool. As the company grows, you can switch on more modules one at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Odoo website free?
Odoo Online gives you one free app. If Website is your first app, you can use it at no cost. Additional modules such as CRM or eCommerce require a paid subscription. Odoo.sh and self-hosted versions follow different pricing models, so choose based on your needs.
Can I use my own domain name?
Yes. In Website → Configuration → Settings, enter your domain name, then point your DNS records to Odoo's servers at your domain registrar. Odoo provides a free SSL certificate.
Can I fully customise the content the Configurator generates?
Yes. Everything it generates — text, images, colours, layout — can be freely modified through the drag-and-drop editor. The Configurator simply creates a starting point; you keep full control.
What if I do not like the theme?
You can switch themes at any time. Go to Website → Configuration → Settings → Theme and pick a new one. Bear in mind that changing themes may mean readjusting some page layouts.
How fast does the website load?
Odoo's website module automatically optimises image sizes and loading speed. If you use Odoo Online or Odoo.sh, your site is served through Odoo's global CDN, giving Hong Kong visitors typical load times within 2–3 seconds.
Can I build a multilingual website?
Yes. Odoo supports multilingual sites. Add languages under Website → Configuration → Settings → Languages, then translate the content for each page. This is especially useful for Hong Kong businesses that serve both English and Chinese-speaking customers.
Practical Tips From Our Implementations
- Launch first, perfect later — do not wait for perfection before going live. A basic but working website is far more valuable than a flawless one stuck in "coming soon" mode
- Upload your real logo — the Configurator pulls brand colours straight from it, sparing you the manual colour matching
- Focus on a single objective — each page should have one clear call-to-action. Too many buttons just overwhelm visitors
- Use the template content as a framework — the generated placeholder text gives you a useful structure; editing it is faster than writing from a blank page
- Update content regularly — search engines favour sites that stay fresh. Publishing one or two blog posts a month can meaningfully lift your SEO rankings
- Connect Google Analytics — knowing which pages perform and where visitors come from is what lets you make informed improvements rather than guessing
In Summary
The Odoo Website Configurator lets an SME owner build a professional website in minutes, with zero technical background required. Six simple steps — choose type, specify industry, set objective, configure colours, select pages, apply theme — and the foundation is in place.
More importantly, the site does not exist in isolation. It integrates natively with Odoo's CRM, eCommerce, Appointments, and other modules, so you can expand its functionality as the business grows. Start with a digital business card and evolve it, over time, into a complete online business platform.
If you are weighing up building a company website and want it done right the first time — set up cleanly, with the integrations that matter to a HK SME already in place — speak to the APAA team and we will help you get started.