Your Business May Benefit From Starting With A Mini-Website
Oftentimes businesses delay launching their first website because they know the money, time, and energy investment will likely be significant. (This applies equally to businesses such as start-ups, large organizations behind the online 8-ball, and companies that previously had 3rd party websites—such as templates offered in phone book or online listing packages.)
These significant delays are completely understandable—especially when you consider one of the biggest problems we see businesses run into after starting a website project is the struggling, frustration, and delays by an initial severe underestimation of internal time/energy required to create an effective business website.
A strategic alternative
Since our web agency’s focus is on continual improvement vs. the elusive and impossible goal one-time perfection, a mini-website is a strategic alternative we sometimes suggest to clients who’ve delayed a site launch for years.
How small is a mini-website?
A mini-website may be 3 pages. Or 2 pages. Or in fact, it may be one single page. Doesn’t get much more mini than one page, now, eh?
A mini-site can act as a stepping stone toward a larger website in the future. More importantly though, when done right, it tackles the core challenges businesses without sites are running into these days—such as potential customers assuming they’re either extremely behind the times or not at all legitimate.
Plus, mini-websites can be launched with comparatively small commitments of money, time, and energy.
Mini-site example #1: A wildly popular and successful Colorado produce stand
The site shown below is a mini-site we developed for the top produce stand in the town of Pueblo, Colorado.
Vic Mauro Produce Stand had never had a website before, yet demand for a website that showed their weekly specials, hours of operation, and directions to their location had become so substantial over the past 2 years they knew that delaying the creation of a company site further would likely harm their business.
They didn’t need more than a mini-website to achieve their goals, so a 3-page mini-site was developed in a short period of time that served all their needs while allowing for efficient expansion in the future should as they grown and their needs change. The website is also 100% responsive.
Mini-site example #2: A New Business Leadership Development Startup
Though they didn’t plan to open their doors until mid-2015*, Aim The Brain knew they needed a website up and running immediately to promote their existence, prove their legitimacy, give people something to look at as business cards were handed out, and allow them to begin collecting a list of interested prospects prior to their company’s official launch.
A complete website would have been overkill this early on in the company’s nascent stage. Thus, the 1-page responsive mini-site show below was planned and launched in less than 1/10th the time of a typical small business website. It’s proven to be the perfect short term solution.
Is a mini-site right for your business?
That question can’t be answered without an exploration and honest assessment of your company’s unique situation, challenges, and available internal resources.
If you’re wondering whether a mini-site is right for you, let’s chat.