WEB TARGETING: Microsites Get a Megaphone; Megasites target specific segments and incorporate social networking.(Customer Tactics)

Byline: Michael Sisk

The typical bank microsite is a simple undertaking with a few pages promoting a specific product or service. Not too flashy or innovative, not too expensive, not too taxing on the IT department and certainly in no danger of overshadowing the bank's primary Web site.

But like so much on the Internet, things can change quickly. At financial institutions such as Umpqua Bank, SunTrust Banks and GTE Federal Credit Union, a radical retooling of microsites is underway. They generally target a market segment instead of a product, often downplay ties to the financial institutions, tap into social media, and some drive traffic through live events. And …