Critical to the success of any paid search effort is conversion rate - the percentage of clicks from search ads that "convert" to actual, measurable leads, and that generate a dialog between the prospect and the advertiser's sales force.

Too often, corporate Web sites do a poor job converting traffic from search venues such as Google into actionable leads. Even if the search ad points to some kind of request form (a white paper download, or a generic "information request"), the mere fact that these forms reside on the corporate Web site presents issues.

The key problem is that these pages typically include the standard array of links - About Us, Company, Products, Contact Us, etc. - and, as a result, the prospect can easily be distracted and be tempted to explore elsewhere without filling out the form.

To maximize the results from clients' paid search efforts, we consistently recommend developing a custom Web microsite that is designed exclusively to capture leads from paid search and other online advertising.

Microsites vary in design, but common attributes include the following:

• action-oriented language that drives the prospect to complete the intended action
• focus on the offer (rather than the client's product) to encourage response
• a response form that is clearly visible, with clear, intuitive instructions
• peripheral pages that offer the prospect the option to learn more about the advertiser, or the offer, without "escaping" the microsite
• a complete absence of links to anywhere on the client's corporate Web site

http://www.connectdirect.com/casestudies/passmark/microsite/

Web microsites such as these increase conversion rates (or conversely, minimize drop-off rates) dramatically when compared to standard Web pages - or worse yet, your company's home page.

Microsites can be easily leveraged for other programs. They provide an excellent destination for online advertising such as banner ads, newsletter sponsorships, or text links. By adding a banner ad, button or text link to your home page, the same microsite can also provide a simple, cost-effective way to convert more generic Web traffic to measurable leads, without the need to redesign your entire site.