Microsites are developed to showcase a unique product or service offered by a larger entity. They typically mimic the messaging of the brand and are not afraid to drive users to the corporate website for further investigation.

A microsite is not a landing page. Typically, a landing page is one page that links the reader to your Web site or makes a simple call to action. A microsite, if used to its full potential, can provide you with an opportunity to move your customers closer toward a buying decision or next level of the sales cycle. A true microsite is multilayered and can be thought of as a launching pad for myriad marketing opportunities.

Microsites work well when they are used as:

• A follow up for your newsletter
• A doorway for search engines
• A marketing site for e-marketing campaigns
• A targeted site for brands, products, and services

One of the advantages to using microsites is that you can tailor them towards segments of your audience versus trying to reach the masses.

Tips on strong microsites include:

• The key message on the landing page needs to be consistent with the key message of the referral source. – Make it clear they are at the right place. You need to grab their attention within the first 10 seconds through the headline, visuals and call to action.
• The design should make the next step clear and minimize the number of clicks required for response. Every extra click required in response will generally reduce response by 10%.
• It is best practice to include the initial data capture on the first page. If the response mechanism is on another page use multiple calls-to action to gain response since some visitors will respond to images and some text hyperlinks.
• If it is a multi-page form, then draw users in with easier initial questions. Allow the form to be saved part way through the quotation.
• Make all images clearly clickable, for example by making them look like buttons.
• Limit the options on each page and drive users where you want them to go.
• Make sure your microsite is optimized and keywords are implemented to held with search engine rankings.
• The right copy/page length is one that minimizes the knowledge gap between what the user want to know and what you tell them.
• Use meaningful graphics. Graphics must be consistent with the campaign and generate empathy for the audience.
• With microsites you typically need to allow users to go navigate to other web pages. Keep your menu options simple and try to make all information within one click from the main page.
• Provide a choice for those who don’t respond. Provide a reasonably prominent (trackable) phone number or perhaps a call-back/live chat option.
• Try It! Measure It! Tweak It!