Development
What’s the Difference Between a Website, Microsite, and Landing Page?
Understand the difference between a website, microsite, and landing page, and learn how to apply each one in your digital marketing strategy.
In the digital world, brands have many ways to establish an online presence. Getting found on the internet is no easy task for businesses, which is why they create websites, microsites, and landing pages. But what’s the difference between a website, a microsite, and a landing page?
Although these terms are used frequently, they are not always applied correctly because their definitions can be confusing for most people. That’s why we’ll explain what each one means and how they’re used, and finally clarify the difference between a website, a microsite, and a landing page.
What is a website?
Establish your presence!
Website is short for “website.” Websites are the foundation of the World Wide Web, or “www,” as we know it. That’s also why we always use this prefix at the beginning of a website address. A website is a collection of pages hosted on the same domain. Today, it is the most basic way for brands to be found in the vast expanse of the internet. This collection of pages provides general information about the brand (company), such as corporate information, services, products, contact details, and other information that may be relevant to its customers and visitors. A website usually contains a lot of content, which needs to be very well organized so readers can easily find the information they’re looking for. Information architecture techniques are often used to improve the visitor experience.Key features of a website
- The company promotes it as its primary digital presence (domain: www.yourcompany.com);
- It remains online indefinitely;
- It is usually used for corporate and commercial purposes, like a showcase for products and services;
- It can contain a large amount of information and an extensive structure of subpages;
What is a microsite?
Make the most of it, it’s only here for now!
Taken literally, “hotsite” means “hot site.” Knowing this, we can already tell you that its main purpose is to promote a specific marketing campaign for a limited time. Microsites have strong visual appeal to build anticipation among their target audience, as they are typically designed to highlight a special moment: a product launch, promotion, cultural event, awareness campaign, and more.Key features of a microsite
- They have a limited lifespan, which means they are taken offline when a campaign ends (they usually run for weeks or months);
- They usually use an additional domain or a subdomain;
- They contain little content, carefully focused to keep users on track;
- In most cases, they are also focused on conversion;
- They have strong visual appeal;
- They are widely used as landing pages for paid links;
What is a landing page?
I’m here! What now?
As explained in our article “What Is a Landing Page and How to Create One,” a landing page is a destination page with a strong focus on conversion, and it is often confused with a microsite. The basic difference between a landing page and a microsite is that a landing page does not expire. In other words, it should not be taken offline after a certain amount of time, unless the company’s strategy has changed. Inbound Marketing frequently uses landing pages as an effective way to present information quickly and clearly, and to capture leads.Key features of a landing page
- They do not have a limited lifespan;
- They are usually hosted on an additional domain or a subdomain, but can also be part of the website’s own domain;
- They contain little content, carefully focused to keep users on track;
- They focus on conversion and lead generation;;
- They use visual elements to direct visitors to the Call to Action;
- They are widely used as landing pages for paid links;
