A 'minisite' is a dedicated page that can be set up to publish your campaign. Here's how to create one.
Our minisites are made up of a number of key parts which include:
Alternatively, you can create your own wrapper for your minisite.
So where do you start?
The first step in creating a minisite should be to go to your campaign, then select the Minisite as a publication channel. Next, go to the 'Look and Feel' step and follow the steps below:
Step 1: The background
Image background (static)
You can upload a background image and also set the way it will be displayed in the background [Centered - Adapted - Filled - Mosaic].
- Centered: Your image is displayed in its original size, centred behind the campaign.
- Adapted: Your image will occupy the biggest height possible and it will be displayed entirely, without any crop. Which means that on some screen resolutions, your image will not cover entirely the background and will leave some blank space on the sides of the screen.
- Filled: Your image will cover 100% of the background of the minisite (both in height and width) and it will be cropped if necessary.
- Mosaic: Your image is displayed in its original size and will be replicated in order to cover entirely the background.
You can also set a "pattern" that will be displayed over the background image. Note that the image used as a pattern will automatically be replicated to cover all the area.
Video background
You have the possibility to choose a video background, very trendy on the web: here is an example.
You can use either a Youtube URL or Upload your own video.
It is important to apply some good web practices in order to not make your users leave the campaign in the early process!
- The sound: the sound is something very intrusive. A sound should never be played automatically in a web site, the user must be able to start the sound himself and most importantly, to stop it! The sites with a sound background that starts automatically do not exist anymore since the early 2000s and there is a good reason for that: it is annoying.
The purpose of the video background is to illustrate subtly your campaign, to give a little bit of animation/movement, you do not need a powerful visual element to be altered by a sound, that might annoy your participants more than anything else and make them leave.
That's why, if you choose a Youtube video, the sound will automatically be disabled (and the YouTube player will be totally hidden, leaving your video 100% white label). If you choose to upload your own video, make sure your video file is silent! - The video: choose a slow, calm, chilling video. Avoid something moving too much, too animated or brutal, anything that might catch the eyes of your participants too much. It's oppressive and your content will lose the attention it deserves!
- If you upload the video yourself: Keep in mind that the cross-browser compatibility is crucial, that's why it's important to upload a .mp4 format (at least), if possible add a .webm format for the modern browsers and most importantly: a static image (.png or .jpg) of your video that will replace your video on mobile devices. It's a limitation from mobile browsers that hide video backgrounds to save users' data. If you do not have any .webm format of your video, here is a free online webm converter
- The weight of your video: Take into consideration that not all of your participants have a good internet connection. Your video has to be as lightweight as possible and to load fast: choose a short sequence (some seconds) and enough compressed.
Your video should not be heavier than 1mo (ideally), 2mo great maximum.
Here is a free online video compressor: www.clipchamp.com
Step 2: The banner and navigation
Add a logo easily, make it clickable if you need it, set its size, its position in the banner. Several options will allow you to modify the appearance of the banner at your will; height, width, colour.
You also have the possibility to add extra navigation in the banner by adding buttons; you can set their labels and change their appearance.
Step 3: The campaign zone
Once the header banner and the navigation are complete, you will need to think about the campaign zone.
Modify the width of the zone, its position (centred or aligned to the left/right) and you can also add margins.
Step 4: The footer
Add content right under the campaign. An editor allows you to define your content at your will, add special characters such as the copyright symbol, links, images...
Step 5: The meta tags
Set the favicon that will illustrate the tab of your minisite in the browser and important information required when someone is sharing your minisite (such as the sharing picture, title and description).
Save the look and feel of your minisite in a template and link it to a site:
Besides creating minisites in Qualifio, we offer the possibility to use your own source file to illustrate your minisite channel:
While creating a minisite channel, go in the "Look and Feel" step and make sure to select the special minisite template: "Minisite defined in the websites management" (Note that this minisite will not be editable in the minisite editor!)
Go in the Settings, and then in Websites:
Edit the website that is linked to your minisite channel (in step 1 of your minisite channel) by clicking on the first icon.
In the Minisite tab, paste the URL of your source file and use the same variable that is used in your source file.
One step further in minisite management:
How to make a custom URL for my minisite
How to link a subdomain name to my website in Qualifio
How to create and use my own wrapper for a mini-site (without using the minisite editor)