Got a special service or demographic you want to target on your website? This happens frequently in business – a change in direction, a new partnership, even a special event you want your online visitors to focus on. Usually it’s something big enough to need more functionality than just a new page or posting, but not big enough to wipe out all of the SEO, design, content and other work you’ve done on your site by starting from scratch.
The answer to your quandary might be to build yourself a Microsite. A Microsite is a smaller, more simple website – a subset of your main website – that’s extremely focused for a specific reason. Usually Microsites are heavily optimized for a small set of specific keywords and phrases, are geo-targeted and meant for a particular demographic or to achieve a particular goal.
Think of Microsites as another channel in your digital marketing toolbox, somewhere between email marketing and SEO of your main site. Like email, a Microsite is targeted for a certain subset of your audience, complete with targeting and specific calls-to-action. And, like your main site, it’s a live website with a full complement of keywords and SEO, designed to attract a certain segment of online search for a specific purpose.
When you’re considering a Microsite to handle a subset of your online business, keep in mind these 8 advantages they offer marketers:
- A Microsite can be developed with highly specific optimization, which will drive Search Engine traffic more quickly than a traditionally optimized site.
Since your Microsite will feature content more focused on a particular functionality or subject than your more broadly focused main site, Search Engines will find it much more attractive, and easier to index. Search spiders and bots thrive on focused, targeted content that shows common relevance – the kind that makes delivery of relevant results to searchers that much easier. Target your Microsite, and your results should skyrocket relatively quickly.
- Microsites keep your visitors focused on the item or service at hand
Positioning content to attract and service a specific marketing segment gives Microsites the power to focus on a single core concept, product category or service. Since the Microsite is so focused, there’s usually no navigation or information that’s not directly relevant to its purpose that would serve to distract visitors from converting.
- Your Microsite is the perfect way to appeal to a new and different audience
If you’re widening your prospects by introducing a new or different product category or service than the one on which your main site is focused, you can use a Microsite to target and attract the right demographic segment very effectively – one that may not even visit your main site now.
- Microsites are supercharged lead generators
With highly targeted, clean SEO and focused content, visitors that are likely to find your Microsite are genuinely interested in exactly what it has to offer. Since they’re already searching for it, your Microsite is much more likely to encourage them to convert to a strong lead – or even a paying customer. These kinds of vetted leads usually don’t come cheap any other way – but offer more than most!
- Microsite domain names can be keyword rich
Since your Microsite is so focused, you can easily assign it with keyword rich domain names that directly relate to positioning (such as eCommerce, Fulfillment, Warehousing Solutions or Logistics). Search engines heavily favor URL keywords in results for specific queries, which will push your Microsite to the top of SERPs.
- Microsites give an aspect of your business some website real estate it deserves
Building a Microsite for a particular aspect of your business such as a new service offering or new targeted demographic shows that you’re serious about devoting resources to that particular facet. Showing this level of commitment improves conversions and builds customer confidence in a big way.
- Microsites present exceptional design opportunities
Microsite designs can be completely customized to appeal directly to its target audience. By contrast, most websites are designed to appeal to many possible visitors, with much more general interests. This focus gives your design team an opportunity to impress a specific audience segment, or show off a new association or product offering. In this way, Micorsites are perfect for preserving another partner’s branding within yours if your efforts are being combined for a single purpose.
- Microsites help your business promote global vs local
Microsites lend themselves to be used for particular geographic audiences, which makes extremely local targeting possible. Content can easily be hyper-localized to allow for cultural differences like colors and imagery, colloquial language, currency, specific spelling and alternate pricing.
Microsites are a perfect way to add more tightly focused targeting to your overall digital strategy. And, considering the benefits that rigid, focused targeting can offer, Microsites are among the stronger tools you can work with to get significant results quickly.
