3 Kinds of Websites and
How They Support Your Business

by James on January 30, 2009

An effective websites is a very important part of a business’s marketing toolbox.  It is the de facto face of the business, and are often even more important that the business’s physical location. Even for a traditional business, a business that has locations or sells through traditional distribution channels, an effective website is key.

But, how can a business’s web strategy be more effective?

There are three broad categories of websites: Brand Sites, Micro Sites and Landing Page Sites.  Each has a distinct role and none does the other’s job well.

The Brand Site

This is the brand or business’s home base. It’s where consumers find all the information they want or need about the business. It’s where the business interacts with its customers and prospects. The Brand Site adds incremental value to the business’s primary audience.

Brand Sites tend to be relatively large and long lived. Consumers actively choose to go there, often as a result of Organic or Natural Search.  A Brand Site’s primary focus should be relationship building. The Sweet Leaf Tea Brand Site is a fine example.

The Micro Site

This is a small website focused on a single marketing or business initiative.  If you are launching a new product a Micro Site is the program’s home base, it’s where consumers can learn about the new product. Are you promoting a grand opening? A Micro Site tells prospective consumers all about your new store and its role in their neighborhood.

Micro Sites generally have a moderate size and lifetime.  Consumers usually come to the Micro Site as a result of marketing activity such as advertising and/or PR. A Micro Site’s primary focus should be preference building. Here is the Micro Site we did for the launch of Rachel’s Yogurt.

The Landing Page Site

A Landing Page Site is the work horse of marketing. It’s where shoppers, consumers who’ve respond to advertising, are taken. It’s where they can do something. This might be a sale, or a lead, or a request for information, but it will be specific and there should only be one desired action. Following Landing Page Best Practices is important to maximize the success of your marketing effort.

Landing Page Sites are small, often just one page, and live only as long as the marketing program they are designed to support is alive.  This can be a few weeks or years but it’s dependent on marketing activity. A Landing Page Site’s primary focus is conversion. The folks at Ramp Digital developed an effective Landing Page Site for their client Zazzle.

Hip Shots

  • Understand the role of each type of site and use what they do well to maximize ROI.
  • Keep each site focused on its primary audience and its primary purpose.
  • Ensure that the sites are easy to navigate and provide immediate gratification for what the target audience wants or needs.

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