A microsite is a small, specialized website that is focused on one particular topic or campaign. If you have a specific event, product or service you want to promote, a microsite is an efficient way to do it. You can make a microsite with a targeted message for a specific audience, with all information in one place.
Microsites are often smaller spin-off webpages from larger websites. However, a microsite is also useful if you have just a few things you want to promote online, similar to a link-in-bio page or landing page. Small brands and businesses, emerging artists, and people who want their own space online can make a microsite for promotion.
What are the benefits of a microsite?
- Get better targeting. Focusing on a specific product, service, or event means better insights into your audience and your market.
- Keep your audience focused. Visitors are attracted to the main objective of the page rather than wandering off through other links.
- Build it faster. The smaller scale is quicker to develop and launch which is helpful for time-sensitive campaigns, such as product launches or seasonal promotions
- Use fewer resources. Small businesses and startups with limited budgets benefit from pared down sites that are easier to maintain.
What can I use a microsite for?
Test ideas
More focused than a traditional website, microsites are an opportunity to experiment with new ideas and strategies on a smaller scale. You can test different design elements, content formats, and calls-to-action to see what works best. This can help you refine your overall strategy and make better decisions about how to reach your audience.
Create a spotlight
Microsites are great for people or brands that have multiple products or services that they want to promote separately. For example, an artist may have a specific art series they want to promote. A microsite is a way to create a holistic, more immersive experience of that specific series, separate from the artist’s main website.
Share an event
If you’re performing, have an opening, or are hosting a workshop, a microsite can help build excitement. Keep visitors focused on the event itself. Specifically encourage visitors to attend with a signup list, ticketing links, embedded videos, and other interactive experiences.
Limited-time promotions
Use a microsite to promote a limited-time offer, a flash sale, or a contest. This creates a sense of urgency and can encourage visitors to take action quickly.
Elements of an effective microsite
- A clear and concise goal; what do you want people to do or know?
- Relevant and engaging content that provides useful information to your audience
- Visually appealing images, videos, and graphics
- Minimal, user-friendly navigation typically limited to a simple menu or link back to the main website
- Mobile-responsive design to be viewed and navigated easily on a variety of devices, including smartphones and tablets
- Clear and prominent calls-to-action that encourage visitors to take the desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or attending an event
- Social sharing buttons that make it easy for visitors to share your content and increase your reach
See microsites in action on Hatch
Hatch user @shainley created an interactive bookshelf highlighting what book they were currently reading. This is a great way to share interesting details about yourself that may not work on a typical website.
Hatch makes it possible to create single page sites and link-in-bio pages that can act as your microsite. User @himynameismorloc created a link-in-bio page that includes social channels, embedded video, music and lyrics.
Hatch user @philosophigns created an interactive experience to attract new clients and collaborators. Accordingly, this microsite leads to another site to book a project with the creator.
Hatch user @kiki created an interactive narrative microsite as an offshoot of a larger portfolio website.
Feeling inspired? Start a new Hatch project and make a unique microsite for yourself! Hatch gives you simple tools and a dedicated space to make unique websites, link-in-bio pages, evites, portfolios, digital art, interactive stories, and creative experiments with no code expertise required. We can’t wait to see what you create!