“Brevity is the soul of wit,” Shakespeare famously posited in Act 2 of Hamlet. Brevity may be an effective, low-cost way to introduce your product or service to international markets, too. Enter the minisite: a fun, interactive, compact teaser site that draws attention and prepares you for a larger rollout down the line…or helps judge brand interest to determine if your international markets are suitable for you and your goals.
Localizing a minisite is significantly easier and more cost-effective than a full site, and can get your name “out there” in a new region while you consider the rest of your localization strategy; e.g. do we really need our entire product catalog translated? What about SEO/PPC keywords and ads? Is our CMS ready to handle Chinese?
Here are some quick steps to help you get your minisite up and running:
1. Pick a handful of pages – really, no more than five – that share the basics of your product or service.
2. No TMIs or oversharing! Less is more here; you’re mainly trying to drum up interest so your visitors either learn the basics about your brand or highlighted product, or they immediately buy something on your site.
3. Use graphics and movement to engage the user. Try to achieve a 50/50 balance between interaction and information.
4. Localize or produce content for your target markets. Remember that your translations carry as much weight as your English and should be just as carefully crafted.
5. Use a local, dedicated URL and contact information (email address or phone number) to track unique user response and interest.
6. Once up and running, evangelize the minisite in the local language on social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. Go ahead and put a “Like” button on the site, or allow for commenting and link sharing.
7. Be patient. Give your site time to make an impact, but know when too much time has passed and you need to think of a different strategy.
A minisite can be a great barometer for your brand and reputation. Contact us for more information on working this into your website localization strategy.
Photo attribution: fooosco
