Microsites are very much alive. Long live Microsites!
26 December, 2008
Rajeev Sharma, Vice President and Head-Digital, RMG ConnectWe all have heard the word ‘microsite’ a zillion times, but still there is confusion on what a microsite is actually supposed to do or even mean. Some may call it a temporary site; some may call it a brand site; while some may even like to call it a landing page or a collection of few web pages.
But is microsite really a landing page? (Trust me, I keep getting this question several times a week!) Is it some pages created for data capture? Is it a small conceptual site? Or is it all of them?
Okay, so here it is. A microsite is a group of web pages bound together which can be used for promoting a specific product or a concept, is temporary (most of the times) and usually carries its own URL. Several car manufacturers, for one, regularly put up microsites promoting their new arrivals.
If we all agree on what a microsite is, two questions come to mind which is the main point of discussion here: What’s the role of a microsite? And is it still viable?
From my understanding, the main role of a microsite is to create a positive impact about a brand and a product, engaging users to deliver tangible results. The message doesn’t get lost as may happen in a bigger website because of the sheer volume of content, and at the same time the brand equity is preserved. A direct interaction with consumers, superior experience and, at the end, information gathering are key aspects of a microsite.
Are they still viable?
I hear a lot of clients saying, ‘Anything, but a microsite. We are sick and tired of hearing it again and again’.
Well, if you ask me microsites are one of the great weapons in the digital marketing armory. Apart from ensuring your visitors reach there (direct or via some targeted communication), microsites are expected to offer strong brand interaction platforms. And with measurement available, it becomes a gold mine of information for future brand tactics.
What goes wrong?
But microsites are failing us. So they say. I disagree. We are failing them. Here is what goes wrong, unintentionally.
Over possessiveness
Several times we make the mistake of getting too possessed by microsites. ‘A brief for a new microsite’ Bingo. Let’s all of us get together and strangulate its life out. Too much effort making it too difficult to use. With a digital marketing plan created around it, users are expected to throng it and as if the entire fate of the brand depends on it - make its downfall quick.
State of being Hyper
Second big reason is ‘we get too hyper with technology’. Let’s remember there is still an 800x600 (screen resolution) audience somewhere. There are still people who haven’t yet discovered mobility and convergence and tweets and widgets… as we have. They still use the internet in much the same way as many years back.
No Legs
Third, I think the moment marketing rupees stop, the microsite stops functioning. It is so dependent on pushing people into it that not much effort goes in to have it up through organic searches and built with sound digital marketing strategy. We don’t build enough legs.
What next?
Fourth, we don’t spend enough time defining the next steps. Do we expect it to disappear in the reams and reams of pages of your corporate site? Do we feel proud having attracted several thousand unique visitors and stop focusing on it? Do we feel content with hundreds of ‘hot’ leads/registrations achieved?
What next, where to go from here? That’s one big question which should have been thought over at the drawing board itself, but often gets overlooked.
Disowning your child?
And finally, it’s your child, embrace it. Make this child a permanent member of your family. The microsite needs to be a part of the overall digital mix. It cannot exist in isolation. If it did then we shouldn’t be talking all about 360 degree synergy, the consumer touch points, behavioural targeting and analytics and all that while providing a holistic digital view.
Microsites are very much alive!
Maybe we just need to go back and relearn. Also, maybe we should just stop calling them microsites… we can call them brand platforms, engagement sessions... names, anyone?
Long live Microsites!
Microsite is bunch of digital content dedicated for specific purpose like Product/ service: Launch, Advertising, promotion, demonstration, interaction, Support ( not yet tried by anybody) and much more yet o explore.
I like it as it is focused and to the point. I would like to sugest following terms as per the application of microsite:
BabySite: Before launch of actual site
Portlet: Advertising, promotion of product or services
one more... 'Nano'Site
Good analysis!!!
names anyone??? - Suggestion "branded destination/s".
As rightly said these can mature with the corporate website overtime and frequently used for all innovations & more interactive sessions (user generated contents)...
Very useful post. Thanks.
The advantage with Microsites is they can be created with limited budget and expanded as and when needed.
Some of the usual downsides of a microsite can be taken care of quite easily -
1. Make more legs - Make a site map dedicated to all the microsites being created and add an entry every time a new one is created. this ensures SEO legs
2. Have some kinds of microsite URL naming convention. In case of sub-domains, use DNS rewrites to phase them out gracefully and get all bookmarked/seo traffic to the main homepage. In case of sub-directories, one could use URL rewrites.
3. Use a microsite template or use a CMS driven microsite creation - this way the effort taken to create a new one is almost completely focussed on the content/copy/creative and not much (or at all) on development. Cheaper is always better.
Microsites are specifically used to drive campaign objectives. They live and die right there ( msot of the time). However there are couple of things that can be done - which I would consider as best practices in today's world:
1. Integrate them into your main site - this will provide your pages with brand security - as your pages now live under your brand url thus telling users that its not a phishing site. This also helps in SEO and SEM.
2. Use a vanity url to drive users on to your specific campaign page (aka microsite ). this allows for easy rememberance and can allow you to track traffic thru various other mediums ( tv/print ,etc)
3. Ensure the data collected is going to a central repository - this allows marketer to engage with a prospect/customer
4. There is no need to have this campaign going if it does not have a long term objective. You live as long as you wish for - you die when the goal is achieved.
5. Lastly, your microsites can also be a good ground for you to measure and test different scenarios . This will allow you to learn and implement the bigger strategy on to your main website.
I completely agree Microsites indeed are the best weapons that marketers have. They are niche, product or service specific and put marketers back on corporate driver's seat.
The corporate websites are the marketing tools if we really look at the very nature of the internet medium but unfortunately, since the beginning of the Internet, it has resided primarily in the IT department and so always failed to become a marketing tool.
One big virtue of microsites is that they can be adjusted quickly and on the fly to suit the marketer’s needs. Another big advantage is Microsites are much easier to optimize for a specific keyword or phrase, so that over time you come to “own” that phrase in natural search.
Its important to note that Microsite allows your product or service brand to become a "BOOKMARKED BRAND"
Nice article!
Nice one and well written...but i want to add, its not that simple. there are several such similar advertising or brand promotion units that are done in the interactive field. each has its own reasons to exist and as it works in conjunction with the other promotional items. so many times microsites are just for brand promotion and are not to measure real impact. its like mainsteeam advertising.. i think. but a good educative reckoner..
Couldnt agree more!!
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