The coolest marketing campaign can get lost in the a big corporate site. There is never enough room to get all the best stuff on the home page where everyone will notice it. (And you shouldn’t try. I’ve always admired a redesign of the IBM site by R/GA that still has fewer than 150 words on the home page.)
So what do you do? Create a special-purpose microsite. A microsite is a single-purpose web site to support one message or campaign. Done wrong it can split your audience and message, but done well it can bring a laser-sharp focus to a campaign.
Look at Microsite.com from The Well Advertising for a list of the best microsites. (The Well specializes in this technique, and they are very good.)
You don’t need to be big to make this work. I have 3 sites for little ol’ me, each designed to clearly deliver a specific message:
- GasPedal.com: For potential consulting clients
- WordofmouthBook.com: For potential speaking gigs
- DamnIWish.com: To deliver my ideas to the widest possible audience (and bring in prospects to the other sites).
The lesson: Simplicity and focus gets your message through.