But what do you need for a mini-site? They’ll all have certain things in common that shouldn’t be neglected.

• Your copy, and that includes the initial header and headline that will grab the attention of your visitors so they continue reading.
• Some way to deliver your product or sign-up bonus that defeats fraud. That means only people who’ve bought it can get to the download page. Yes, there are those sleazy enough to post a link straight to your product page, so you want your product delivery to be as fraud-proof as you can make it.
• If you’re selling a product, some way to collect a list. That’s half the point in going through all the trouble to sell something online. You can collect a list before or after the sale. I don’t recommend collecting a list beforehand because it will irritate your affiliates, but collecting one after annoys PayPal unless you give your buyers a way to bypass your squeeze page. I still use list collection after the sale myself, and provide a bypass link to keep in compliance with PayPal’s TOS.
• Remove all distractions. Your mini-page is designed to do one thing, and one thing only. You don’t distract from that one thing with above the fold ads or pop-up windows, though I’ve recently started using an exit pop in an attempt to reclaim departing traffic.
• A way to get in touch with you that works. Email addresses should be specific to the site. For example, admin@yourwebsite.com looks far more legitimate than a Yahoo or Hotmail email address.
• Make sure it’s all working prior to launch. The last thing you want is for your product or bonus delivery to bungle, and that people who join your list get lost in a glitch. If you’re promoting an affiliate program, test the link to insure you’re getting credit for the hits before spending to drive traffic.

Keep these things in mind, and you can make a productive mini-site that will produce results for you.