Three Ways to Make a Mini-Site More Effective

So you have a domain with a mini-site on it but it just isn’t making the kind of money you were expecting. Don’t worry – you are not alone. First it is important to understand that not every domain name is a great fit for a mini-site. Most mini-site development services will accept any domain name without doing the research to understand if the developed site actually has potential to make some money. Before you build a site on your domain make sure that there’s a market there!

It is quite easy to get an idea of the potential your domain has if developed by using the Google Adwords keyword Tool. Is there a lot of competition for the keywords in your name? How many people are searching for your keywords each month? If your domain is HappySticks.com then putting a mini-site on it probably won’t make much of a difference since nobody is actually searching for these keywords (this was one of my first experiments back in 2004 and a GREAT learning experience – hey, you have to start somewhere right!).

Now what do you do if your domain is a good fit for a mini-site but the current mini-site isn’t getting much traffic or converting the traffic to revenue? I’ve been designing websites for 15 years with a specific focus on SEO and have learned a lot about what actually makes a mini-site effective. I’ve seen many people with great domains and terrible mini-sites. They seem to think that by simply putting a mini-site on their domain it will start making money – it takes building an effective mini-site to actually make money with your domain. Below are three ways you can make your underperforming mini-site more effective!

1) SEO-Optimized Content
Yes – a mini-site has content on it, but not all content is created equally. You will need to have your site created by someone who has a strong background in SEO if you really want your mini-site to rank well and beat the competition in search engines. Just having content on your site is NOT enough!

2) Multiple Forms of Monetization
You should have at least two forms of monetization on your site. Many mini-sites only use Google Adsense to monetize their traffic which means they are missing-out on other potential revenue streams. If you want an example – take a look at one of my sites, JuryLaw.com – I monetize my traffic through Google Adsense, Clickbank products, and Amazon products.

3) Frequent Updates
The more you update a site the better! If you just build a mini-site and never update it search engines will find your site stale and you’ll find it fall in the rankings. Even if you just add a paragraph or two a month it will make a huge difference!

So if you have a domain with a mini-site that just isn’t performing as well as you hoped use these three tips to start generating the traffic and revenue you deserve!

Oh, and if you don’t want to do it yourself make sure to check-out Linton Investments SEO-Optimized Site Design. My company doesn’t just build mini-sites for any domain, we make sure it’s a domain that we know will make money for our clients. At the end of the day it’s not about how many mini-sites you build, but about the revenue that each one generates!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton