Not all digital projects fit cleanly into our corporate website. Some initiatives need to market or communicate in a way that is not well served by the design system or technical structures of the main website. Moving outside of the main website has cost, ongoing maintenance, search optimization, and communication risks associated with it; microsites can fragment the citizen experience and weaken our reputation if not done in concert with the rest of our digital work.
This document describes how to identify when you need a microsite, and how to plan, launch, and support one in a way that strengthens our overall digital presence.
Background
What’s a microsite?
- Most of your marketing and communication needs can be met by building a cluster of pages within the main website. You get the best search optimization, and the best supported tools.
- A sub-site is a cluster of pages within the main website that has unique navigation and potentially some distinctive design elements. These sites can be ideal for marketing and social campaigns. You can even point an external URL to these websites. This is the best practice for when you need a strong marketing presence, but don’t want to support your own technology platform.
- A microsite is a completely separate website. It does not use the main content management system, it does not use the same design system, and it does not live under the corporate URL. It may not be hosted in the corporate data centre. It will need its own operational support program and dedicated resources to maintain it.
Process
Build a microsite when:
- TBD
Rules for building a microsite
- TBD