Ask These 5 Questions to Determine Where Your Web Content Should Live

When you have a new campaign or landing page, where do you put it: on a microsite, or in a subdomain or subdirectory? The answer depends on a number of questions and can make all the difference between effective content and a wasted effort.

Let’s assume your company (acmediagnostics.com) sponsors a 10k race in the community to raise awareness about and money for juvenile diabetes research.

A microsite (runforjdr.com) uses a domain name that is different from your main website; it’s generally a stand-alone site where content with a specific focus lives. A subdomain (10k.acmediagnostics.com) is a separate website that uses your brand’s domain name; it’s somewhat independent and usually includes content related to a common theme. A subdirectory (acmediagnostics.com/10k) is a section of your main site; it allows the content to benefit from your brand reputation and keeps content searchable from within the main site.

When it comes to finding a home for your content, location matters. Here are five questions to ask before deciding where your content should live.

1. What kind of content will be featured?

Use a microsite when:

• Content is unique. A microsite should feel like it sends a different marketing message, targets a new audience, or promotes a different type of content. You don’t want your main site and the microsite competing for the same search rankings.
• Content is task-based. Microsites work well for task-based content, such as asking users to fill out a form or complete a quiz. Conversion rates are often higher because the limited content of a microsite helps users focus more on the specific message.
• Content is not interdependent. A microsite makes sense when there’s no logical place for the content on the main site, and the microsite does not need supporting content from the main site.

2. How important are search rankings?

Use a microsite when you appreciate the blank slate a new domain provides. Since the new domain comes with a new set of analytics—separate from the main site—it can offer great insights to a specific set of users. For example, when a microsite caters to an audience usually not targeted on the main site, the microsite can reveal useful information on how those users behave or the type of content that interests them.

Use a subdomain or subdirectory when you want to take advantage of the main site’s SEO ranking. If your primary domain already enjoys a strong ranking, adding new pages to it will likely yield better SEO results than putting the pages on a new microsite domain. Creating the campaign or landing page as part of an existing site can also drive existing users to new information.

3. Would the content benefit from a new design?

Use a microsite when:

• A new design will elevate the content. Mixing newly designed pages in with pages that follow usual brand standards can disorient and confuse the user.
• You want to test new ideas. Microsites provide an opportunity to test if new marketing messages, branding, or user interfaces resonate with users, without the risk of integrating them into a larger site. But don’t fall into the common trap of using the microsite only as a Band-Aid for the main site’s bad user experience.

Use a subdomain or subdirectory when the content can feature a design similar to current pages on the website. Users who see a specific domain may expect a similar user experience, especially when visiting a subdirectory. This approach is often faster than creating a brand-new site, and it can provide a smooth user experience for audiences already familiar with a site.

4. How long will the site be around?

Use a microsite when the site is short-lived. Managing a separate site long term can be a hassle. Do make sure to have a redirect strategy in place when the site is taken down.

Use a subdomain or subdirectory when the pages will have a long lifespan. Making them part of the site early on will make it easier to keep them integrated with the regular site as they evolve.

5. How important is the URL?

Use a microsite when the content would benefit from a catchy URL. This approach is especially useful for campaigns you hope will go viral.

Use a subdomain or subdirectory when the hassle of buying and registering a new domain outweighs the importance of a catchy URL. If desired, a vanity URL can be used to direct users to the subdomain. A vanity URL (acme10k.com) is a short, memorable URL that’s often used in place of a traditional long URL (acmediagnotics.com/events/10k) in marketing materials—especially print—to give users an easier way to get to a page. A vanity URL redirects to the appropriate subdomain page.

Before you start your next product launch or marketing campaign, ask yourself what kind of content you’ll be creating, your analytics goals, and your design expectations. With good planning, your answers should lead you to the best place for your content to live.

If you’d like to learn more about the ins and outs of choosing the optimal location for your content, contact us at hello@vodori.com.