Digital marketing · Development · Digital planning
Why Include a Microsite in Your Digital Strategy
Find out how a well-designed microsite can boost the results of your digital strategies.
When it comes to digital marketing, there is no shortage of strategies to grow a business. There are many ways to make a brand stand out with an appealing and creative approach.
Getting these strategies started is essential for anyone seeking innovation and, consequently, more leads and future customers. With that in mind, it is worth highlighting the microsite, a very useful tool for attracting your target audience.
What is a microsite?
Put simply, a microsite is a standalone page created to highlight a specific campaign or initiative. In other words, a microsite has a single purpose and is usually launched for special occasions. Let’s say a business owner wants to attract an audience for a temporary purpose. A microsite can be a great option, whether to announce a product launch, special discounts, or an event. A microsite’s main function is to turn campaigns into contacts, sign-ups, orders, form submissions, and other actions that collect customer information. That is why the page cannot be permanent. It needs to have a set timeframe for the desired campaign and remain live for only a short period.Microsite, blog, landing page, what are the differences?
It is not difficult to understand how these pages differ and what each one does. But to create a microsite, you need to know the differences between these three promotional channels. A microsite is designed to showcase a promotion or marketing campaign and convert it into sign-ups, contacts, orders, and similar actions. A landing page, on the other hand, is focused on driving sales conversions. It is not a standalone page, but part of a website, with links to other pages. A blog is completely different from both. Its purpose is to inform customers, making it a powerful and important communication tool. When we talk about creating content, we are talking about a blog, since it is a way to share information with your customers. Another point to consider is that a blog can operate independently from the main website. Learn more about the difference between a website, microsite, and landing page.Advantages of a microsite
Like many other strategies, a microsite offers numerous advantages for online businesses. First, it is important to highlight that it will be the centerpiece of a campaign, whatever its purpose: raising awareness, introducing a new product, promoting services, running promotions, and much more. A microsite also lets you present information relevant to your announcement in a more appealing way, with videos, tailored copy, photos, and other options to engage your audience. Another benefit is that a microsite can offer content that is fully interactive for your target audience. We should also consider the cost-effectiveness. Since the page is temporary, planning and development costs are automatically lower than those of other marketing tools. You can also customize the microsite’s address, making it independent of your website, depending on the promotional campaign or business goal. Read this article: Structured data to boost Ecommerce salesHow to use a microsite in your marketing strategy
We can see the major benefits of investing in a microsite and how important it can be for a business. But if you still have questions, here are some ways to use a microsite:Promoting events
Small and large events can be promoted through a microsite, whether they are hosted externally or by the company. Visitors can find information about the event’s organization, as well as details about speakers and attractions in advance, making event logistics easier.Launching new products and services
Imagine a virtual storefront. A microsite can showcase a new product or service and give it the attention it deserves. You can provide all the information your customers need, increase their desire to buy, and exceed their expectations.Cultural contests
There is nothing better than encouraging people to engage with a brand. Cultural contests are an interesting way to attract an audience and help them get to know the brand better, while building social credibility.Offers and promotions
Everyone loves finding ways to save. You can run major promotions and announce them using a microsite to make things easier for your business. Stamp cards, coupons, and collectible giveaways can further engage people with your brand and build customer loyalty.Brand restructuring
Is your business going through changes, and do you want to share the news without a headache? A microsite can be an excellent way to tell your audience about upcoming website changes, important updates such as new contact information, a new layout, and much more.What do you need to know before creating a microsite?
To get started with this new strategy, you need to know a few basics that will make all the difference to your microsite’s success and help you add it to your marketing strategy with confidence.- Domain: you can do this by creating a subdomain on your own website;
- Hosting: this is sometimes unnecessary, since the microsite is hosted on your own website;
- Time online: the microsite needs to follow a campaign schedule with a limited timeframe;
- Development time: this depends on the complexity of the business needs;
- Number of microsites: create one for each specific marketing campaign, as long as you do not overuse the strategy and reserve it for truly important occasions.