Microsites for specific issues and campaigns

If you are running a special campaign you may want to consider directing people to a special page on your site set up specifically for a particular issue or appeal.

These special pages are sometimes known as ‘micro-sites’ or ‘landing pages’. They operate a bit like a mini website and can be set-up and removed relatively easily at short notice. Interested people are directed to the micro-site from mailings, e-newsletters, media stories or advertisements.

The advantages of a micro-site are:

• it provides an offer or call-to-action on a specific issue through a concise focused presentation
• it places fewer obstacles in the way of someone’s decision to act
• it doesn’t risk distracting the supporter with general material on your main site or home page. Confusing a site visitor who has come to your site from a specific appeal increases the chance that he or she will abandon the process.

Following the December 2004 Asian tsunami, a number of aid organisations set up disaster-related donation micro-sites to great effect. Some relief-based nonprofits actually changed their home pages during the disaster to feature the tsunami with a ‘give now’ button option. In effect, they made their main site a ‘tsunami micro-site’ during the crisis.

Always remember to provide easy navigation to your main site from any micro-site. And vice versa.

When not to use a micro-site

While it is important to send prospective donors to a micro-site when they have an apparent intention to give, the opposite also is true. If someone's online intent is undetermined (which is more typical) and he or she is just looking for additional information about what you do or why they should support you, send him or her to your main home page, not to a micro-site.