SAM's Microsite Protocols

A campaign microsite is a dedicated web page (or small cluster of web pages) that has a direct focus.

It can have a dedicated domain name or be a subdomain of your website, established specifically for a Sales Promotion.

1. Consumer-centric Design

To create the perfect microsite, the presentation of the landing page should be concise and goal-oriented, with clear instructions on how to interact with the promotion. This is achieved through having a clean landing page, with on-brand visuals and minimal clutter. Everything should point to the call to action; whether that be an entry form, a submit button, an interactive element, etc.
A clear visual hierarchy that facilitates rapid information intake enables consumers to stay engaged with the microsite's purpose.
Consumers expect high standards of UX/UI and are easily frustrated by unintuitive design, clunky responsiveness, and unclear instructions that leave them asking questions. The process of interacting with a microsite should be as quick and simple as the promotion will allow.
Creating a fully responsive microsite and positive user experience relies on the expertise of professional designers.

2. Synergies

There must be a synergy between the marketer, consumer, retailer and promoter. Everyone should be on the same page, knowing the main points and eligibility requirements, and the flow of the promotion.
Retailers should be looped in on communication as they are the front point of communication with the consumer.
Don’t forget, though: Too many chefs spoil the broth! Terms and conditions, promotion flow, and approach to customer interaction should be finalised and followed by everyone.

3. Preparation

Be prepared for the promotion, project the response and analyse similar previous promotions. What type of promotion is it? Is the product being sold in a high-traffic area, or is it more niche? What hosting capacity and customer support will be required? What do you think the FAQs will be - is any critical information missing from the advertising material that links to the promotion microsite, and how can you fix that?
Preempt from the customer's point of view through beta testing and analysis.

4. Familiarity

It’s great to break ground and innovate, but doing so can be risky, especially with promotions where the goal is for a microsite to take consumers through the entire process. To make the most of your budget and ensure success, it’s best to make sure that your promotion is in a familiar format to the consumer.
Labelling your promotion as a “Scratch & Win” or a random prize draw will allow instant recognition of what is expected.
Promotions such as McDonald’s Monopoly have evolved throughout the years, incorporating the McDonald’s app. into the promotion. This has only been done incrementally - transforming with time, in line with consumer tech uptake. This promotion has multiple stages and functions that would be relatively complex, but since most people understand the concept of Monopoly, in addition to McDonald’s Monopoly being originally only a physical promotion, the advertising, POS and app have been able to guide the promotion smoothly without strain on the retail staff or support.

5. Data

Capturing data through a campaign microsite allows brands to collect valuable information about customer preferences and behaviour. This data can be used to tailor future promotions and improve targeting strategies.
By tracking user engagement and participation on the microsite, brands can assess the success of the promotion in real-time. This enables agile decision-making and optimisation of marketing efforts for better ROI.

If you’re planning a Sales Promotion that requires a responsive microsite,
contact Peter McKinnon 03 9646 5644 / peter@samsales.com.au