Tips & Tricks

Digital communication using microsites: in which cases is this useful?

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​​Covering diverse product portfolios and multi-faceted corporate areas in just one web presence is no easy undertaking. Nor is it particularly simple to keep several target groups happy with a single online presence. No one wants to have to navigate through cluttered websites and click their way through endless menus.

​Microsites are a solution to the increasing complexity of digital communication among target groups. This article clarifies what a micropage is all about and in which cases it makes sense.

Microsite definition

Der Begriff Microsite bezeichnet einen eigenständigen Webauftritt mit einem besonderen thematischen Schwerpunkt – quasi eine unabhängige Mini-Website, mit der Sie ein bestimmtes Ziel verfolgen. Microsites sind vor allem im B2B-Marketing populär, können aber für ganz unterschiedliche Zwecke eingesetzt werden

The term microsite refers to a stand-alone web presence that targets a particular topic – a kind of independent mini-website that allows you to pursue a specific goal. Microsites are especially common among B2B marketers, but they can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

Possible fields of application of a microsite

  • promoting a campaign

  • raise awareness of an event

  • present a new product line / brand

  • introduce a specific area of the company

  • share news / information

​A microsite is ususally neither a subpage of your regular homepage nor is it accessible via the navigation menu. Instead, it possesses its own URL.

You can find many successful examples of microsites online. It's best to take a look at the brightest examples to gain a better insight into which types of microsites generate a high ROI in the long run. A microsite launch, after all, requires a fair amount of effort and financial investment - you therefore need to be sure the website is helpful in achieving your business goals.

​Let's look at some different examples of use cases for microsites:

  • ​initiatives of sustainability and social engagement
  • offers targeting a group that does not match the regular target group
  • products that strongly vary from your regular range of products
  • presentation of background information on suppliers and partners
  • niche topics that are delineated intentionally
  • invitations on conferences and events
  • historical background on brands and companies
  • playful and entertaining content (e.g. quiz, e-card creation…)

​Usually, companies intend to use a microsite in order to reach new target groups and, as a matter of fact, to increase their brand awareness. Many companies are using microsites as a part of their SEO strategy. By placing keywords in a targeted manner and using strategic linking, the search engine ranking can be significantly improved.

Not all microsites are required permanently: if they are devoted to a specific action, they may come with an “expiration date".

With a microsite, companies usually want to tap into new target groups. A use case for microsites would therefore be, for example, the communication of an offer for a target group that does not correspond to the regular one.

Microsite design

​A microsite follows a minimalistic approach. In other words, it is a reduced website with slim navigation, which means: a small amount of subpages

A microsite allows you some freedom in terms of design, as the look does not necessarily need to match the design of your main page. Thus, a microsite differs from the original website not only in terms of content, but also in terms of design.

However, you should still ensure visitors are able to relate to your company. This is possible via:

  • a link to the main page
  • placing the brand logo in the header/footer area
  • the wording "powered by [your company]“.

​It is also an option to set up the microsite as a subdomain (e.g. https://microsite.webmag.io), allowing visitors to recognise that it belongs to your company just by looking at the URL.

Microsites allow you to fill them with various elements and add any touches of design you like. Typical are e.g.:

  • ​Large-format images or photo galleries
  • videos
  • extensive texts
  • animations
  • Call-to-action buttons
  • Links (to the main page or to the shop)
  • Forms

​Having browsed through a handful of microsite examples, you will probably have realised that the focus lies on optimising the user experience. The slim design and the excellent quality of graphic elements catch the visitor's eye and focus their attention on the particular content.


Microsite vs website

​There are two overall purposes for outsourcing certain content to a micropage with a separate domain:

  1. The content should not be directly related to the company
  2. The content would get lost on the extensive company page

​Microsites are always devoted to a specific subject which requires greater attention. Whilst companies include a wide variety of topics on their main website in order to present themselves in their entire range (about us, product range, online shop, blog, contact...), micropages always follow a clear focus.

Complex websites can overwhelm your audience easily and lead to early bounces if they don't find what they're looking for right away. Therefore, it is particularly worthwhile to create a microsite if you offer a large brand portfolio and/or have a strongly diversified audience.

One common example are manufacturers of beverages that present their brands on their corporate website, but also operate a separate micropage for every single brand - as the target group varies strongly according to whether it is gin, whisky or sparkling water. The micropage's design and language match the respective buyer personas' preferences.

​A microsite makes it much easier for visitors to navigate than a company's website. Moreover, the microsite provides a higher degree of technical flexibility. The introduction of interactive and playful elements ("gamification") is especially favoured.

Beware, however, of fully disconnecting your microsite from the rest of your online presence. If the link to your company is unclear to visitors, a negative reaction (confusion, disinterest, rejection) may follow. New offers and less serious content are more likely to be accepted if there is a well-known name attached to it.

Microsite vs landing page

​Anyone searching for "microsite" on Google will come across many articles discussing the similarities and contrasts between microsites and landing pages. This is no accident. Indeed, both formats tend to be confused with each other. Depending on the purpose, a microsite or a landing page is more ideal for your project.

​Landing pages mainly serve to generate leads and are characterised by the call-to-action button as their central element. They are even more slimmed down than a micropage, i.e. they do not contain a menu or any subpages. This is intended to prevent visitors from being distracted by other elements that can be clicked on and to guide them directly to the goal (download, order, data entry...). Usually landing pages will be placed as a subpage of the main website (e.g. https://webmag.io/landingpage).

A microsite usually has considerably more text and a larger amount of information than a landing page. A microsite provides enough space for topics that require explanation and detailed information on products, initiatives, etc. It also offers more creative freedom in terms of design.

The path to your own micropage

​The good news is that you won't need any specialised microsite builder to get your project started. Webmag not only allows you to create whitepapers, brochures, magazines and landing pages, but also microsites that are tailored to B2B marketing. The intuitively usable construction kit is available to your employees and team members – allowing you to publish tasteful microsites without the assistance of any IT specialists, web designers or agencies.

​But how to get the desired traffic to the micropage?

​After all, you now own yet another website that you are opening up to the world. Do not let the thought of starting from scratch discourage you. You are already using numerous communication channels through which you could refer to the new website. Include links to the micropage on your company website as well as on your social media channels, in your email signature and in your newsletter. If this and general search engine optimisation are not enough, you could also place pay-per-click ads. Make sure you keep an eye on the traffic and interaction figures as well as the conversion rate to ensure your microsite doesn't fail.


Microsites: A fantastic opportunity to reach target groups

​Microsites are just perfect if you want to communicate with your target groups in a short, uncomplicated way. They are bridging the gap between very slim landing pages and often cluttered, company-owned websites. Micro-pages have a variety of uses – they are practical whenever a subject requires special treatment.

Many businesses see SEO-optimised micropages as an effective marketing strategy for the B2B sector, but also for the B2C sector.

Webmag allows you to build your future microsite with just a couple of clicks.

Webmag: Build your microsite with just a couple of clicks

​With Webmag, you can create not only white papers, brochures, magazines and landing pages, but also microsites tailored to B2B marketing. The intuitive construction kit is available to your employees and team members – so you can publish tasteful microsites without the intervention of IT specialists, web designers or agencies.

Try it out or let us show you how it works in a 15-minute demo appointment.

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