Microsites: A Big Deal
Websites have been around forever, or at least for the last 25 years or so, which in the world of technology might as well be forever. Businesses know that a website is a virtual billboard, information kiosk and storefront anywhere there’s a connected computer, tablet or smartphone. With very few exceptions, if your business is operating without a website these days, then you might as well be invisible to the masses.
While websites are important, not all websites are the same. If you’ve heard the term microsite thrown around but you’re not really sure what it is, then you’re not alone. It’s really just another term for a website, albeit a different kind of website than those with which most people are familiar. More and more, companies are beginning to realize the value of microsites as a key component of their web marketing strategy.
So, what exactly is the difference between a company website and a microsite? Well, think of a standard website as a company’s “headquarters” on the internet. It’s where all the major information about the business and all of its online tools reside: company background, product details, an e-commerce engine, blogs, job openings, news releases and all sorts of other, miscellaneous information that visitors may find useful. It’s the hub where most customers’ online journeys for a given company will begin. But it also can present a complicated path for visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for.
As for a microsite, think of it as a much smaller, more focused “satellite office” that is specially designed for a particular purpose. It’s not supposed to be everything to everybody like the main website is. Rather, a microsite usually presents customized content and a very specific call to action, often targeting a particular audience. While a microsite may retain the company’s branding look and feel, it also presents an opportunity to break free just a bit from the mothership. This can be especially useful for marketing campaigns that are product or promotion specific. The microsite can be a sub-domain of the main site or it may carry a vanity domain name that easily can stand on its own. Additionally, a microsite typically is limited in scope with just a handful of links to other web pages. The objective really is to promote a very specific message that otherwise might get lost on a more expansive, standard web site.
Domino’s Pizza (www.dominos.com) launched a microsite early last year — www.dominosdxp.com — to promote its groundbreaking DXP, a snappy, customized delivery vehicle featuring a built-in warming oven to keep pizzas hot and fresh while en route to the customer’s doorstep. The microsite allows the visitor to experience the DXP through video and other, interactive features that engage and educate about the company’s technology and innovation.
Will the microsite help Domino’s sell more pizzas? Perhaps not immediately, but it may help to position Domino’s as a technology innovator, eventually leading consumers to display a greater affinity for the brand. Plus, the DXP and its microsite definitely ramp up the “cool factor” in a mature product/service category that’s been around for decades. The unique URL gives Domino’s an easy way to feature the site in media releases and published articles, so there’s not a long, uninviting URL for people to remember and the company doesn’t have to direct people to the main Domino’s site, which is optimized for — what else? — ordering pizza.
Another good example of a microsite is one launched in 2016 by Carlton Fields (www.carltonfields.com), a prestigious Florida law firm that helps entrepreneurs and small business startups with their legal necessities. To focus attention on these burgeoning segments, Carlton Fields created a microsite at www.launchtothrive.com, a vanity URL that promotes a virtual pro bono service without distracting from the firm’s brand equity as one of Florida’s largest firms devoted to business law. In fact, the microsite doesn’t even mention Carlton Fields in an overt fashion; rather, its focus is on providing free legal documents and information to young, growing companies in the technology field. The microsite allows Carlton Fields to create a unique niche in a hot market while still allowing the firm to leverage its many years of legal experience.
While selling pizzas and doling out legal advice would seem to be at opposite ends of the business spectrum, the underlying message is clear: Microsites can benefit a wide range of commercial endeavors. When used wisely in a targeted, purposeful manner, a microsite can provide a very powerful tool to enhance customer engagement.
