Website, micro site or splash page?
Are you planning a marketing campaign or the launch of a new product? If so, you’re probably planning a corresponding web site. You could create a standard website complete with multiple pages and navigation. But have you considered the unique benefits a micro site or splash page can provide for these campaigns?
Both micro sites and splash pages are less complex than a traditional website and generally consist of one page.The purpose is to focus on one specific message or product. The direct nature makes them perfect candidates for campaigns, contests, product launches, and banner advertisement landing pages. Some of the benefits include:
Less Distraction
Since splash pages and micro sites are generally one page, extra features such navigation are not necessary. By removing extras from your site you reduce the risk of distracting your visitors.
Highlights Next Steps
You ultimate goal is to entice the visitor to perform an action; whether it is to buy a product, sign up for a mailing list, or provide personal information. The simplified nature of micro sites and splash pages makes it easier to highlight this next step.
Greater Flexibility in Design
The independent nature of micro sites and splash pages also allows for design independence. Branding elements such as font, layout and graphics do not have to match your existing site and can be customized for your specific need.
Less Cost to Design
It should be no surprise that when the overall size and feature set of a site is reduced; the overall cost is as well. With a lower investment of time, money and effort it is easier to justify specialized sites for each campaign.
Of course, the use of micro sites and splash pages can pose one drawback. Since these pages generally contain a large amount of images and relatively small amounts of text, your search engine optimization can suffer. However, if you are looking for a site that can be developed quickly and focus visitors on one specific action, the benefits of micro sites and splash pages far outweigh this drawback.
