It's coming up to the holiday season. As the mince pies hit the shelves and the temperatures start to drop, you know that Christmas is only just around the corner. But when you're considering your marketing, you've got to think even further ahead than even the most excited child.
Time and time again we see companies creating bespoke microsites just to see in the yuletide holidays. Put simply, there is absolutely no reason companies should be doing this. The negatives heavily outweigh any positives - trust us, we've been doing this for a long time.
With that in mind, we've compiled a list of the six reasons businesses shouldn't entertain the thought of a microsite - and they're pretty compelling.
Prepare to spend much more time and money
Well, this one was obvious. When separating domains and starting afresh, you're opening yourself up to a world of new purchases, new systems and new headaches. You've invested a lot in making your existing website perfect and fully functional - so should we really be reinventing the wheel?
Any new build will end up costing money, but more importantly, it's going to cost a lot of time. In the build-up to a busy period, the last thing you need is more meetings and fact-finds that you've already done with your existing developer. Making use of your existing site, with a trusted developer and provider, is the easiest and most effective way to run your next campaign.
Your SEO is crucial
SEO is the key component in driving organic traffic to your website. By creating a microsite, you're doing away with your hard work and having to start from scratch again.
Your DA (domain authority) is going to be at 0, with Google taking many months to even begin indexing your site, let alone pushing searchers towards it. In the run-up to a seasonal campaign, you don't have the time to wait for Google (other search engines are available) to get their act together.
You're also going to be fighting against the traffic you've worked so hard to achieve from your main website. Splitting your traffic across two domains is a self-defeating act that has no benefit to you, in the short-term and definitely not in the long term either.
Management of your new microsite
You've gotten used to your current CMS - but what about the new platform your microsite is going to require? In a best-case scenario, you're going to spend more time on the phone with a developer explaining how to do simple tasks. In a worst-case scenario, you're going to have a poorly-managed site that isn't achieving what you needed it to.
Microsites are often left unmanaged after their initial use is no longer required, leading to bigger problems further down the line in terms of security, brand identity and future usage. Keeping your microsite as a part of your main website allows you to benefit from the same systems, the same high level of security and so much more.
Have you thought through all the small things?
If you're on a different platform or system than your existing website, will your developer be able to cope? With new systems come new threats, as well as opportunities.
Moving to a new platform or system means you'll need to consider pattern libraries, UX, integrations with your sales funnel, CRM and any other digital presence. It's going to be much quicker, easier and cheaper to use your existing website, protecting your brand identity and ensuring no one is slipping through any gaps in your funnel.
Differences in design language
Are your websites going to talk to each other? And are they going to present your brand in the same way? The cons will heavily outweigh the pros if you don't get this bit right.
Consistency in design, UX, UI and everything that they encompass is a huge part of customer retention via digital platforms. Even if you manage to get everything in order, you're going to have spent a lot of time and money doing so. Duplication of effort is something that should be avoided - and this will continue to happen every year when using microsites.
Keeping everything under one domain allows for consistent branding from the get-go, and you'll be able to reuse the new corner of your website in future campaigns too.
Don't forget about security
Whilst everything to do with sales, marketing and design are important, security and compliance are crucial. Putting your company in financial or legal trouble for the sake of a marketing campaign probably isn't high on the agenda right now. So extra care will need to be taken with your new build.
However, should you choose to build within your existing domain, you'll benefit from the same support and security that you're accustomed to. Working with a trusted partner like Pivale on an advanced CMS system gives your security and compliance the attention it deserves.
So - what's the solution?
We crafted our Assemble package to solve the same challenge many organisations face: how to efficiently manage multiple websites over time — sometimes with multiple teams, in multiple languages, in multiple locations, for a variety of audiences, products and services.
We guide you through the whole process and offer responsive support packages that are tailored to your requirements.
If you're ready to get started, so are we
There's no time like the (Christmas) present. Pivale has helped some of the world's biggest brands build and manage their websites in a better way, boosting innovation, unifying branding and saving time.
