What is a mini site, and when do you need one?
A mini site is a small website, usually one to five pages, built around a single subject. It sits next to your main website instead of inside it.
The short definition
Your main website is a reference. It explains the whole company to anyone who arrives, whether they are a customer, a job applicant or a supplier. A mini site is closer to a brochure for one thing. It has its own focus, often its own look, and sometimes its own domain.
Typical examples:
- A product that is launching before it fits into the main catalog
- An annual event with a schedule, speakers and registration
- A service aimed at a different audience from your usual customers
- A partnership or sub-brand that should not look exactly like the parent company
- A pop-up, a seasonal offer or a second location
Mini site, landing page, or a new page on your site?
These three get mixed up, and the choice matters more than people expect.
A new page on your main site is right when the subject is a normal part of what you do and you want it to build up your main domain in search over time. It inherits your navigation, your design and everything else on the site.
A landing page is a single page with one action, built for traffic you are sending on purpose, like an ad or an email. It usually has no menu at all.
A mini site sits between the two. It has room for a few pages when one isn't enough, but it stays on one topic and leaves out everything that isn't about it.
A mini site makes sense when
- The subject needs more than one page but less than a full website
- It needs a different look or tone from your main brand
- It has an end date, or a life of its own
- You want to measure it separately
- Your main site is hard to change and you can't wait for a redesign
When a mini site is the wrong call
We would rather talk you out of a project than build something that works against you.
It splits your search traffic
If the topic is core to your business and you want it to rank long term, a separate domain starts from zero. A page on your main site usually does better.
Nobody will maintain it
An event site with last year's dates on it hurts more than no site. Decide up front who updates it and when it gets archived.
The real problem is the main site
If every new offer needs a mini site because the main one is slow or impossible to edit, fix that first. A website tune-up may be the better spend.
Separate domain or subfolder?
A mini site can live at yourcompany.com/launch or at its own address like yourlaunch.com. A subfolder keeps search value on your main domain and is simpler to manage. A separate domain is easier to put on a poster, a package or a radio spot, and it makes sense for a brand that should stand on its own.
There is no universal answer. We'll ask how people will find the site, how long it needs to last and whether it should ever be folded back into the main site, and recommend one.
No website at all yet?
If you're a local business that just needs a simple site to exist online, a custom mini site is more than you need. Website in a Week is a fixed-price option from the same people, starting at $795 plus $25 a month for hosting.
Not sure which one you need?
Describe what you're trying to promote. We'll tell you whether it should be a mini site or a page on the site you already have.