Many people are confused with the terms minisite and a website. This is because the term minisite is often used within the internet marketing industry while the term website is used with other industries. There are major differences however.
A minisite is basically the design of a website that is focused on selling a product. Normally with a minisite, there is only one call to action. That is the order button. This is because the clever internet marketers have figured that if there is only one call to action on the web page, the visitor is more likely going to click on the buy button.
Since the focus is on selling a product or service, a minisite will also have the following elements:
Header Graphics
The header graphic will be used to capture the visitor’s attention and excite them so that they will read the sales letter or sales video. The header will normally consist of attractive images that match the theme of the product that is being sold.
Next to the images there will be the name of the product and a slogan so that the visitor will know what to expect if they read the sales letter. By viewing the header, the visitor will know what is being sold and have a rough idea of how it can help them.
Footer Graphics
The graphics at the bottom of the sales letter is called the footer. Normally, the images used in the header are repeated in the footer with a copyright year and name of the business. The purpose of the footer is to inform the visitor that it is the end of the sales letter. The visitor on the other hand will realize that they only have options – Click on the order button or leave the web page.
Testimonial Boxes
Feedback from past customers are proven again and again to improve conversions. Prospects are likely to believe what customers say about a product rather than the owner. This is why internet marketers always show testimonials on a sales letter.
To make these testimonials stand out, the owner will ask the minisite designer to create testimonial boxes.
Ecovers
A minisite will not be complete without ecovers. These are images which make the ebook, service or software tangible. When customers see these images, it makes the product seem more valuable. Ecovers increases conversion. Period. They are essential for any minisite.
Due to the importance of professional graphic designs, internet marketers are very fussy with the overall product. Some graphic designers will have a hard time if they are designing for internet marketers since they don’t know the reasons behind the design.
The main reason is because they are used to designing websites and not minisites. Websites display a company’s presence and a list of their products. The main purpose is to provide a crystal clear navigation for the visitor to explore their business.
Over the years, I have gotten less and less requests to revise the designs. This is due to understanding what internet marketers want and knowing why. Being in this graphic design business has also enabled me to learn about sales conversions. So I’m actually learning a lot when doing minisite designs.
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