Are you looking for a way to create a WordPress website for a specific project, event, or campaign without building it from scratch? The WordPress Microsites solution is the one you need.
A microsite can be a great way to make your website stand out. The concept isn’t necessarily well known, however. Whether you’re wondering “What is a microsite?” or “What does it do?” ”, you’re not alone.
In this blog post, you will learn about microsite and how it benefits you. And lastly, you will know the best method on how to create a microsite in WordPress.
What is a Microsite in WordPress?
Microsites are miniature versions of regular websites. Microsites serve as landing pages for marketing campaigns and information hubs for visitors seeking details on a certain topic or product. Launching new divisions or initiatives with their own, easily managed microsites can be a great method to minimize disruption to the overall site’s functionality.
Microsites use the same WordPress setup as the main site, including the same files, database, and other things. They can be thought of as an advanced permalinks for the pages or posts that are given to them. Unlike the main website for a brand or organization, a microsite often has a separate domain name or subdomain.
What is a microsite vs website?
Here is a comparison table between microsites and websites in brief.
| Microsites | Websites |
| Smaller and more targeted | Larger and more comprehensive |
| Often temporary and used for specific campaigns or events | Serve as the primary online presence for a company |
| Can have their own domain or subdomain, but still link back to the main website | Permanent and visited by all customers |
| Allow for more creative freedom and experimentation | Provide information about the company’s products, services, values, and mission |
| Can be used to appeal to a specific subset of the audience | Built to drive conversions and encourage visitors to make a purchase |
| Can be used to promote a upcoming product or services | Content is usually more accessible and appeals to a broader selection of users |
| Can be used for localization using country specific subdomains and subdirectory | Localization of the website is comprehensive making it harder to target content for specific regions |
| Microsite requires its own SEO strategy to be visible to the audience | Websites have organized SEO strategies and have a primary online presence to their audience |
Microsites are smaller, more targeted, and often temporary, while websites are larger, more comprehensive, and serve as the primary online presence for a company.
What are some cool features of Microsite in WordPress?
Ease of mapping posts
The microsite mapping function is robust, adaptable, and usable in a wide variety of situations. The fundamental element that makes microsites so powerful is the ability to map any post type to a specific domain. You can now organize different parts of your WordPress site into their own subdomains or subdirectories.
Changes URL based on subdomain or domain
Microsites do more than just move information to a different domain or subdomain. They also change the links to all the internal resources that are under them.
In other words, all the pictures that are stored on your WordPress server will immediately use the microsite domain or subdomain instead of the main domain.
Track the URL of a microsite
You can add query string parameters to the URL of a microsite. These parameters will stay in place even if a user goes to a different page on the microsite.
This helps you keep track of people who visit a certain page and gather analytics data.
Individual Favicon Support
You can have a specific favicon support for your microsite in WordPress.
With support for microsite-specific favicons, you can change the favicon for each microsite to fit its theme or brand. Visitors will be able to distinguish each microsite, which will increase user engagement and company awareness.
Are Microsite and Multisite the same?
No, microsite and multisite are not the same thing.
Microsites are usually separate websites, but they can also be made as pages of other websites. Multisite is a group of websites that are all run from the same WordPress server. You can make and update changes to many websites from one location, and you can use the same plugins, themes, and other resources on all of them.
Depending on the context, microsites can be seamlessly included in a multisite environment. This allows you to set up microsites for each site on the network and control them all from the same administrative panel.
The ability to handle multiple sites from a single WordPress installation should usually be sufficient for most users. If you require more complex functionality, however, such as domain mapping, URL rewriting, and support for query string parameters, a microsite plugin may be required.
Now you understand about microsite in WordPress. So without wasting time let’s create a microsite.
How to Create Microsites using WordPress?
It’s very easy to make microsites in WordPress. There are two premium plugins and one free plugin that can be used to build a microsite. 1. Domain Mapping System and 2. Wp Landing Kit and 3. Multiple Domain Mapping.
You need to buy the plugin and install it to enable the microsite. However, the Multiple Domain Mapping plugin is free to use and available in the WordPress plugin directory.
Navigate to your WordPress dashboard
Plugins-> click Add New
Now type multiple domain mapping on the search bar. Install and activate the plugin.
After activating the plugin, you need to have a domain or subdomain to map the specific content to your primary domain. Also, you need to add a DNS record.
To do such things follow the steps below.
Step 1. Get a Domain or subdomain for the Microsite
You can either register a new domain or use the existing domain’s subdomain.
For this tutorial, we will go with the subdomain.
To get a subdomain, log in to your hosting Cpanel and open the Sub Domains option.
Select the subdomain name for the purpose of your microsite. For example here the microsite is used to promote blogs for the main website.
So blog.domain.com will be used.
After selecting the subdomain, click the Create button. You have created your new subdomain. Simply copy the Home Directory value of the subdomain. You will use the value on the DNS record.
Step 2. Configure the DNS record
Go to your Cpanel and look for the DNS option. In some cases, this might be called “DNS Management”,” Zone Editor” or “CNAME Records” by your server or service provider.
Open the CNAME Records
Type the Record Name , choose a domain and set the destination.
It could take a while for the changes to show up after you’ve set up the required DNS information. It takes a few hours most of the time, but it can take up to two days.
Adding the domain or subdomain name as an alias of your main domain on your hosting server’s Cpanel is the last thing you need to do after making the DNS changes.
Go to CPanel and open the Aliases option.
You should set the domain’s usual path to the home directory of the folder for your WordPress site.
Once you’ve added the nickname, you can install and set up the website plugin.
Now navigate to your WordPress dashboard.
Go to Tools -> click MultiDomain.
Now simply add the subdomain at the left to map the page for your microsite and at the right type the directory of the page you want to map. Then click Save Mapping and you are good to go.
Once your microsite is ready, you can customize the page with Elementor Page Builder. If you are missing any widgets, you can download Element Pack to add a charm to your page.
If you don’t know how to use Elementor and Element Pack to customize your page, check How to Create a Landing Page in WordPress Using Element Pack & Elementor.
On the other hand if you want your microsite to be a one page website. Check out how to create one-page website with Elementor.
Final Words
Using WordPress to make microsites is a useful tool that can greatly improve the usefulness and look of your website. In this step-by-step guide, you learn how to create a microsite in WordPress for free using the subdomain and a free plugin. You don’t have to register a new domain or buy a premium plugin.
Adding microsites to your WordPress site can help you provide focused content, make the user experience better, and make your online profile more dynamic, no matter what your goal is to use the microsite.
FAQ
Can a microsite have multiple pages?
Yes, a microsite can have multiple pages. Microsites often consist of more than one page so that you may provide visitors with additional information and encourage them to take action in a variety of ways.
What are the challenges of microsites?
There are some challenges like the maintenance of multiple microsites can be time-consuming and costly. Microsites are often less well-known than your main website which affects traffic. Also, It can be difficult to measure the success of your microsites, especially if you are using them for different purposes.
How do you promote a microsite?
SEO, Social networking, email marketing, and paid advertising are all great ways to get the word out about your microsite. You may promote it in the same way you promote your main website by adding a link to it.
