fmcg microsite best practices

Shopper Marketing Best Practices: Building a Rockin’ Microsite for Your FMCG Brand Client

The FMCG microsite can be like a black hole that sucks all matter deep into its center never to be seen again, or it can serve as an effective platform that guides visitors directly towards your end goal. Over the years we have worked with great shopper marketing agencies who have created awesome microsites that performed very well. However, sometimes we see microsites that are beautiful but ineffective. In this blog post, we will examine the attributes of some of the most successful FMCG microsites as well as highlight some of the common mistakes we’ve seen shopper marketing teams make when launching FMCG microsites for digital coupon campaigns.

1. A microsite should be micro

Sometimes there may be a tendency to shove 10 pounds of sugar in a 5-pound bag (sorry, couldn’t resist a grocery reference). Content quantity may be king in other places, but the microsite is only there to serve a specific purpose. Keep the brand story short and clear. Try to make only a few points and leave a lasting positive impression that gives the viewer the opportunity to take the next step along your path. Sell the product you are promoting; list its features, benefits, answer the “why should I care?’ question before the visitor gets tired and checks out. The biggest mistake some shopper marketing agencies make is too much content on the microsite as if it were an extension of the brand’s full website. Visitors responding to a targeted ad may get lost or confused as to why they are getting so much information while they most likely have only a need to get very specific information based on the ad message they responded to.

2. Sell the product and get to the point

Think selling, not marketing. The microsite is there to serve only one purpose, sell. Sell hard. Yes, selling the FMCG brand’s product and convincing the visitor to become a consumer in as few of words as possible and as quick as possible. Avoid boredom, by providing only the necessary information needed to move the consumer one step closer to the call-to-action and close the deal. Boredom + confusion = frustration. Frustration = drop-off. Avoid the drop-off. The goal of the microsite is to “sell” the product by answering the question relevant to the audience responding to the particular ad. Get to the “ask” quickly and answer the question why someone should take the next step.

3. A compelling call to action

Everything up to this point should be designed to get an action. What is your “ask”? Try our new FMCG product now and here is our offer. A digital manufacturer’s coupon is the preferred choice for a call-to-action. Providing a strong digital coupon offer not only gives a monetary incentive, but it also provides more tracking capabilities and follow-up opportunities. As stated earlier, this is the point when all your hard work and expense will either payoff or will not. Don’t skimp here; deliver a strong, compelling offer to your potential new convert.

4. Follow-up

70% of shopper marketing programs stop at #3 above and fail at #4. This is when all your effort can dramatically increase your ROI. When a visitor clicks to get your offer, it is a great time to ask for just a little information from them (keyword just a “little”). You can then use this information for follow-up emails and building a strong email list of consumers who want to connect with the brand. Confirm your FMCG brand’s place in consumers’ minds by building upon what you started. Email follow-up campaigns with email coupons, and additional information and more coupons can help change behavior and build lifetime value (LTV) from your consumers.

The FMCG microsite is very powerful and can work hard to convert new consumers. Remember, you only have a short amount of time in your micro-site to win over your audience. Maximize it by selling hard, pressing for an action, then following up. The key is to make it as simple as possible for the customer to be engaged. Because as we all know, the more engaged they are, the more likely they are to buy your product. Using these microsite shopper marketing strategies, you can be confident that your FMCG microsite will not only be beautiful but be effective for your CPG brand.
For more information or to talk about how you can build the most effective FMCG microsite, contact us today.

PromotionPod specializes in creating well-designed CPG Manufacturer’s Coupon programs. We utilize our own innovative digital coupon software platform to create and manage digital coupon programs for CPG brands and shopper marketing agencies. PromotionPod is a leader in building effective digital coupons and has over 20 years of experience building targeted coupon programs used to drive sales and build customer loyalty for the world’s leading brands.