A minisite is a simple website that online businesses create to promote and sell one of their products. Also known as a microsite, a minisite has its own URL distinct from the business' main website. It may be composed of just one page or a number of pages.

Traffic for minisites can be enhanced through article marketing, social media and PPC. Although minisites are normally not as aggressive with search engine ranking as bigger websites, they can be capable of SEO optimization by adding a few pages and additional content. This way, they may find themselves in search engine listings, attract visitors, increase CTR and end up with more conversions.

Generally, a minisite has only one purpose and that is to promote and sell a specific product. As such, it can consist of only one main page where the sales pitch can immediately be seen. There is no need for navigation because everything can be viewed in one page. In a minisite which is composed of a few pages, simple navigation is necessary to go from one page to the other. These simple features make it easy for visitors to use.

A one-page minisite has difficulty in attracting search engines. It can be updated to include a few additional pages for it to be noticed by search engines and enhance minisite optimization. The additional pages needed are:

Homepage

A homepage should contain all the information about the business, the specific niche and the product. It should use keywords in the title, the subheading, the page body and the anchor text of links related to the product and the business. This is the most ideal page where links to the rest of the pages should be found. A discreetly positioned opt-in box may
also be placed in this page for visitors who will not buy but who can be asked to provide information such as an email address.

Article Pages

This is an important part of the minisite because articles on these pages should contain general ideas about the specific product being promoted using properly optimized keywords. Relevant synonyms can also be recognized by search engines and they can be used interchangeably with main keywords to produce a natural-sounding article. To maximize minisite optimization, each keyword-rich article should have a separate page for better exposure and greater traffic. Links from these pages to the sales page will do the trick for a higher conversion rate.

Sitemap

A sitemap helps search engines locate specific pages in a minisite. It is an excellent tool for minisite optimization as a minisite contains only a few pages. When using sitemaps, it is necessary that the homepage, the article pages and any other page contain relevant and consistent keywords for optimized search engine exposure.

Sales Page

The sales page contains a deliberate effort to sell. It should, therefore, give a compelling reason why the product you are selling is the best among similar products in the market. The benefits it gives prospective buyers should be the focus more than the features. Similar products often have similar features but the difference lies in a unique or distinguishing feature of the product and the reputation of the seller. For instance, are there guarantees, is there a legitimate person who can be contacted if a problem crops up or is this just a scam?

Minisites are easy to build, easy to maintain and, more importantly, easy to use by visitors. Optimizing them is indeed worth the effort so that traffic and conversion can more easily be achieved.