Easily Designing a Minisite

The word "minisite" can refer to a number of different things. Some people call tiny niche article sites minisites, but that isn't the general function of the word. In Internet marketing, the word "minisite" is generally used to refer to incredibly tiny websites that are set up to market an item - typically an eBook or other digital download.

Many minisites are just 1-5 pages. A number of them are simply a lone sales pitch page, plus maybe a thank you page for after the shopper orders. Others have a contact page, a conditions of service page, a frequently asked questions page, or added general pages.

For the reason of this tutorial, we'll just act on producing a lone page minisite, and we'll deal with merely the design - not the sales copy. Most minisites comprise a number of significant parts. They typically include a header and footer, even though many have only a header, or could contain neither.

They too hold a sales letter of some variety, which is used to promote the product. Finally, they have an order button that is clicked when a buyer wants to buy the merchandise. Some minisites also contain an eCover, which is a computer-generated image that copies what the item might look like if it was a physical product.

For instance, if the merchandise is an eBook, the eCover might seem like a hardcover or paperback book cover (occasionally a spiral notebook, also). If the item is a membership site, the eCover might be a membership card. Software products usually contain a 3D software box as their eCover.

The first move in creating a minisite ought to be creating your eCover, if you expect to employ one. Many folks create their eCovers by way of Photoshop, because as a rule eCover action scripts just work with Photoshop. If you don't have Photoshop, you could have to to generate it from scratch, or have it completed for you by a professional graphic designer.

Once you produce your cover drawing, you'll want to design a header. While a number of marketers don't utilize headers, nearly all do. A well-designed header can draw attention to your headline, also it can make your site look more specialized.

The header should contain your product's title and a tag line - like a one-sentence blurb that tells what your site is about. It must additionally contain a picture that's related to your niche, and it might as well include a miniature rendering of your ecover - all tied into a theme for your demographic.

Let's say you're making a minisite to promote your dog-training eBook. Your header would potentially have a image of a woman pointing at a dog, and the dog sitting down. Then the text on the header might say something similar to the following: Dog Training 101: The Best Guide to Training Your Puppy or Adult Dog!

Don't make your header overly big. If the header is too big visitors can't see the headline with no scrolling, it's too big! It should draw attention to the headline, not hide it. Headers are commonly between 700 and 800 pixels wide and 100-200 pixels in height.

The footer is usually the same width, however nearly half the height of the header. It possibly will only include the product name or logo, but may possibly also have an illustration or copyright sign. Lastly, you want an order button that draws a lot of interest. Your button might include your eCover, as well as a brightly colored button and a call-to-action, such as "Click Here for Immediate Access!"

If you bear the money to invest, you might consider ordering a minisite package from a professional designer. For something like $300, you'll get the header, footer, eCovers, and at times added banners that you can utilize for off-site promotions.