Business-to-Business Internet Marketing, Fourth Edition - Lifecycle ...

Generating and Qualifying Leads with Your Web Site 67
to a special offer. Because they are set up as discrete Web areas, they can
be used to generate and qualify leads for specific campaigns. Here are
three examples of effective mini-sites, each with a different objective.
Mini-site Helps Launch a New Product
A computer company wanted to launch a new software product to a
target audience of technical professionals and senior executives. A highimpact
direct mail package was created. It included a personalized letter,
a die-cut color brochure, and a personalized reply form, mailed in
an unusually sized outer envelope. The offer was an interactive tour of
the software product. To encourage response, the offer was enhanced
with a free downloadable white paper, plus a special discount on the
product if purchased. The prospect was instructed to visit a special URL
of a mini-site created especially for the product promotion.
Upon visiting the mini-site, the prospect was asked to provide a
code from the mailing piece for tracking purposes, in addition to name,
title, and basic contact information. Then the prospect could gain access
to the mini-site, which included the product tour, along with benefits
targeted to each specific audience who received the mailing. Also
included was a special offer section. After the direct mail promotion
was complete, the mini-site was attached to the corporate Web site as a
special area featuring the new product.
Mini-site Promotes Special Offers
A leading telecommunications company wanted to make several specific
service offers to small businesses in a particular region. The offers
were to be promoted via television, print, radio, direct mail, and Internet
advertising. A mini-site was created to promote and consolidate the
special offers, and its URL was used in all of the advertising. Prospects
who visited the mini-site saw graphics from the television commercials
and print ads, reinforcing the campaign. They could go to the specific
offer that interested them from the home page of the mini-site. Once in
the individual offer area, a prospect was asked to select his or her state
so that the state-specific offer Web pages could be served up to that
individual. Although prospects may have been responding to one of the
service offers, they could see the other offers on the mini-site. This meant
the company had the opportunity to cross-sell other services. The minisite
was also accessible through the company’s corporate Web site via
an on-site banner that promoted the special offers.