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Could a Micro Site be Right
For Your
Business?
Welcome
to the latest edition of the Inside Edge--your monthly report on
Internet trends and advancements that can turn your business into a
more profitable e-Business!
After you read this month's edition, contact your local WSI
Consultant to find out how to put this valuable information to work
for your business right away.
Thanks for reading!
Versatile, Affordable, and Quick to
Launch -
a Micro
Site Could be
Just What Your Business
Needs
While there is certainly a need for complex
websites with advanced features, flash animation, and complex
navigation, many businesses are starting to realize the benefits of
micro sites – simple, easy to create websites that can be used for
many different purposes. Micro sites are small, often with less than
five linking pages, and are normally made using site-builder
technology and pre-made templates, as opposed to being created from
scratch. While some would argue that micro sites have limited
functionality, in fact, it is the simplicity of micro sites that
makes them so versatile.
How
Can Your Business Use a Micro
Site?
1. As a Simple Internet
Solution
You understand the importance of establishing a Web
presence for your business, but don't require a site with
complicated coding, extensive pages, or sophisticated e-Commerce
shopping carts. Micro sites are cost-effective for a business that
just wants to get online. Micro sites can still be optimized with
key words to achieve good search engine rankings and promote site
visitors to help your business be found. If your business doesn't
need a complicated site with technologically-advanced functions, a
micro site could be all you really need to develop an effective Web
presence.
2. As a Starter Site
If you're waiting for a custom-built solution, but
don't want to miss out on potential sales and leads in the interim,
a micro site is a good option for you. In addition, they can also
help you get a head start with Search Engine Optimization. They are
generally quick to get up and running, often in less than 48 hours,
so you can get your business online now, and wait while your main
site is being developed. Since micro sites are so affordable, the
extra cost for your business will be minimal, and the site will
ensure that you are online when your customers want to find you.
Once your full-service site is built, you can repurpose your micro
site for other uses, as are outlined below.
3. As an Internal Site for
Employees
Micro sites make perfect internal sites to house
information for your staff that you don't want to put on your main
public site such as company updates, or to house photo galleries and
employee appreciation features.
4. To Showcase Seasonal
Promotions
Many businesses feature seasonal promotions or
sales, but don't want to make changes to their main website for
short-term promotions. If your business routinely has seasonal sales
or promotions, you can design a micro site that you can repurpose to
suit each occurrence. Use it to showcase your Back to School
promotions and products, then repurpose the site with new content
for your New Year's promotions!
5. As a Landing Page for your
Main Site
Landing Pages can help you measure the
effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Businesses spend a
considerable amount of money on advertising for traditional media
(such as print, radio, or television). However, it is not easy to
accurately measure the results of these ads. Distinguishing the
source of extra traffic to your website is next to impossible to do
without the use of landing pages. By creating a distinct page that
is not directly connected to your home page, you can use the landing
page URL in your advertisements, and accurately measure the number
of visitors to the page as a direct result of your campaign.
6. To Test
Offers
To expand on point five, the functionality of
landing pages can be taken one step further through split testing.
Creating two separate landing pages is an effective way to split
test (or A/B test) promotions. Split testing exposes visitors of
landing page A to one offering, while visitors to landing page B
receive an alternate version where one element has been changed
(such as wording, pricing, or product placement). You are then able
to track the effectiveness of each offer by recording the number of
customer conversions (sales) specific to each landing page offer.
Split testing will make your future campaigns more effective, since
you can use these results as a benchmark.
Internet solutions like the WSI ASAP
system can be used to create a micro site for your business. WSI
ASAP is classified as a quick-deploy product, meaning that
the site can be created and online in 48 hours or less. This
affordable solution with its wide selection of available templates
could be the perfect fit for your business. To determine your
specific needs and create an effective online presence, contact your
local WSI Consultant and start profiting from the Internet
today.
WSI, headquartered in
Toronto, Canada, is ranked the #1 Internet Services Business in the
world. With systems that have been developed, utilized and proven by
over 1500 Consultants in 87 countries worldwide, WSI delivers
thousands of affordable Internet related services and technologies
that enhance the profitability of and deliver maximum return on
investment for businesses annually.
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