Not every campaign, initiative, or department needs a full-scale website redesign. Sometimes, what you need is a focused, standalone web experience: a microsite.
Microsites are streamlined, independent web pages or small clusters of pages that serve a specific goal. They can live under your main domain or stand on their own. Think of them as digital pop-up shops for your brand: quick to launch, targeted in purpose, and designed to deliver results.
Here’s why a microsite strategy makes sense, especially for special projects.
They Focus Your Audience’s Attention
Your main website has a lot of jobs. It explains who you are, what you do, what you’ve done, and how to get in touch. That’s a lot of ground to cover.
Microsites, on the other hand, are single-minded. They’re built around a specific campaign, product, event, or program. There are no distractions and no digressions—just a clear call to action for the people who need to see it.
They’re Faster to Build and Easier to Approve
Full website redesigns take time and lots of stakeholders. Microsites are agile by comparison. You can get one designed, built, approved, and launched in a fraction of the time it would take to overhaul your main site. That makes them ideal for limited-run initiatives, grant programs, conferences, or pilot projects.
They Give You Creative Freedom
Microsites don’t have to follow your primary site’s template. You can break away from rigid styles and experiment with new layouts, messaging, or branding without worrying about disrupting the rest of your web presence.
That freedom makes them especially useful for testing ideas before a larger rollout. If you want to try a new tone or visual identity, a microsite is a low-risk way to do it.
They Make Measurement Simple
With a single goal and limited content, it’s much easier to track what’s working and what’s not. You’ll know exactly where visitors came from, how they behaved, and whether they converted.
Whether it’s donations, ticket sales, email signups, or downloads, you can tie performance directly to your campaign. There’s no need to isolate a sliver of traffic from your main site’s analytics.
They Work Well With In-House Marketing Teams
If you already have an internal marketing or design team, a microsite is a smart way to bring in outside help without disrupting your entire web ecosystem. You can offload the heavy lifting to someone like me: strategy, design, development, hosting, and updates. Your internal team can stay focused on content or promotion.
This division of labor is clean and cost-effective, especially if you’re juggling multiple projects at once.
What Kinds of Projects Deserve a Microsite?
Here are just a few examples of special projects I’ve helped turn into microsites:
- Public event calendars for arts organizations
- Limited-run education programs or grant applications
- Virtual conferences and online exhibitions
- Fundraising campaigns or donor spotlights
- Departmental initiatives within larger institutions
If it’s important enough to promote but too specific to live on your homepage, it probably deserves a microsite.
Let’s Talk About Your Project
I specialize in taking over web-based special projects and getting them off the ground quickly, with minimal fuss. Whether you need a standalone page, a campaign site, or a unique online experience, I can help.
seigfriedalex@gmail.com | 215-825-6992
