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A quick story to start this one off. I once launched a website for a brand that was so unorganised internally and hell-bent on product deadlines, that I was up until 4am fixing things the day of the launch. We got it done, with copious amounts of coffee, but had we taken the time to stick with our launch strategy we could have avoided a lot of headaches. It was a hard lesson on where to focus your priorities and planning ahead of time.
Launching a website with finesse is absolutely vital for any business or organisation looking to make a splash in the digital world. It serves as the initial handshake with potential customers or clients, setting the tone for your brand and playing a significant role in determining your online visibility and triumph. To guarantee a seamless and triumphant launch, it’s essential to have not just one, but three checklists at your disposal: a pre-launch checklist to ‘dot the i’s and cross the t’s,’ before the big day, a launch day checklist to ensure everything runs like clockwork, and a post-launch checklist to keep the momentum going strong once you’re up and running.
Key Takeaways
- Before launching your website, make sure it’s dressed to impress with snazzy design, top-notch content, SEO that wows, mobile-friendliness, and user experience that sparkles.
- On launch day, don’t forget the hosting, testing, security detail, and analytics – they’re the bouncers at your website’s grand opening.
- After the big debut, keep the party going with some website TLC, social media posts, email shout-outs, and flashy ad campaigns. Be proud of your success and launch!
- Want to sit back and relax? Hire a digital marketing agency for their know-how, time-saving magic, cost-cutting tricks, and bespoke solutions. You’ll thank them later.
The Pre-Launch Checklist.
The successful launch of a website involves several key aspects such as design, content creation, SEO, mobile responsiveness, and user experience. These elements are crucial for engaging visitors, communicating brand messages effectively, and improving visibility on search engines.
A. Website Design and Development
The design and development of your website are crucial for a successful launch, as they set a precedence for everything from UX to functionality and beyond. Clear and concise messaging is also important to effectively communicate your brand’s message to visitors, but equally as important is ensuring an easy navigation/ UI for users to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. I typically refer to this as the ‘rule of 3’ when working with my web development clients, implying that all info on the site should be able to be sourced within 3 clicks or less.
Once this is all taken into account, the final component is to ensure that a responsive design is tested across all devices. Your shiny new website should work across every device, be it a desktop PC, Macbook or a smart-phone. Failure to do so will get you penalised with search engines and what’s more, create a sour taste for your brand in your customers eyes. Yuk!
B. Content Creation and Optimisation
High-quality content is key to engaging visitors and keeping them on your website. It is important to create content that is informative, relevant, and engaging. Additionally, optimising your content for search engines is crucial for improving your website’s visibility in search results. This includes keyword research, on-page optimisation, and clear calls-to-action. A trained SEO and marketing expert should help guide you here as part of a long-term keyword ranking strategy.
C. SEO and Keyword Research
Keyword research is an important part of optimising your website for search engines. It involves identifying the keywords and phrases that potential customers or clients are using to search for products or services similar to yours. On-page optimisation involves incorporating these keywords into your website’s content, meta descriptions, and tags to improve its visibility in search results.
D. Mobile Responsiveness and Compatibility
With the increasing use of mobile devices, it is crucial for your website to be mobile-friendly and compatible with different devices and browsers. This ensures that visitors have a positive user experience regardless of the device they are using to access your website. Additional to the importance of a responsive design, some elements of your site may just not look right or sit well on a mobile phones screen size. Don’t be afraid of creating new sections exclusively just for mobile devices to keep the conversation flowing.
E. User Experience and Navigation
A positive user experience is essential for a successful website launch. This includes intuitive navigation that allows users to easily find the information they are looking for. Additionally, fast loading speed and a user-friendly interface are important for keeping visitors engaged and on your website. This lends to the idea that not all hosting providers are made equal, so depending on the purpose of your website and back-end operations you may want to focus on a better web hosting plan. This is increasingly true if you are running an eCommerce website with several products available to customers. Bottom line, don’t skimp on user experience!
The All Important, Launch Day Checklist.
Before launching a website, it is crucial to focus on domain registration, reliable hosting, testing and debugging features, implementing backup and security measures, as well as setting up analytics and tracking tools for monitoring performance and user data.
A. Website Hosting and Domain Name
Before launching your website, it is important to get your domain name in order. You might not have to focus on this as much if you have a domain and hosting package with a single provider, however if they are separate take some time to get your DNS Zone records setup correctly. This will ensure you’re launch happens on-time, and not when zone records decide to update (which can take up to 72 hours in worst case scenarios).
B. Testing and Debugging
Thoroughly testing all website features before launch is important to ensure that everything is functioning properly. This includes testing forms, links, and any interactive elements on your website. If any issues are found, it is important to debug them before launching your website.
C. Backup and Security
Regular backups of your website are important to protect against data loss in case of any issues or security breaches. Additionally, implementing security measures such as SSL certificates and firewalls can help protect your website from hackers and other malicious attacks.
D. Analytics and Tracking
Setting up Google Analytics or other tracking tools on your website is important for monitoring its performance and gathering valuable data about your visitors. This data can help you make informed decisions about your marketing strategies and improve the user experience on your website.
The Post-Launch Checklist.
Maintaining a website with regular updates and maintenance is vital for its smooth operation and security. Integrating social media into the website and actively promoting it can significantly improve visibility and attract a larger audience. Building an email list and utilising email marketing campaigns are effective strategies for engaging with the audience and nurturing leads. Implementing paid advertising campaigns, such as paid search, social media, and display advertising, can drive targeted traffic to the website, increasing its visibility and potential conversions.
A. Website Maintenance and Updates
Regular updates and maintenance are crucial for keeping your website running smoothly and ensuring that it remains secure. This includes updating plugins, themes, and other software, as well as fixing any issues or bugs that may arise. If you’re running WordPress, this is essential when keeping your website secure.
B. Social Media Integration and Promotion
Integrating your website with social media platforms can help increase its visibility and drive traffic to your website. Additionally, promoting your website on social media can help generate buzz and attract new visitors. Share the joy and excitement with your community.
C. Email Marketing and List Building
Building an email list is important for staying in touch with your audience and nurturing leads, and it’s one of the best and easiest way to engage your customers (and cheapest). Regular email marketing campaigns can help drive traffic to your website and generate sales and conversions, which is increasingly important especially when working in eCommerce. Don’t skimp on your email campaigns!
D. Paid Advertising Campaigns
Setting up and managing paid advertising campaigns can help increase your website’s visibility and drive targeted traffic. This includes paid search advertising, social media advertising, and display advertising. But hold your horses Josephine, sometimes it’s best to ensure everything on your website is in working order first before pumping cash behind some ads. You might even want to overlay a paid strategy to coincide with an SEO strategy, reducing your overheads in the short-term and long-term. When in doubt, speak to a digital marketing expert for some advice on paid marketing.
Perks of Bringing on Board a Digital Services Marketing Agency
When you hire a digital services marketing agency, you’re not just getting a team of experts – you’re winning the lottery of marketing prowess, saving precious time to sip that extra coffee, and receiving strategies so customised, they’ll think your business is their best friend.
A. Expertise and Experience
One of the biggest benefits of hiring a digital services marketing agency is gaining access to suite of digital knowledge backed by years of hands-on experience in the industry. I’ve got over 22 years of experience in digital, and provide professional support working for clients as an extension of their own business.
B. Time and Cost Savings
Working with a marketing agency can save you time and resources that can be better spent on other aspects of your business. Additionally, marketing agencies often offer cost-effective solutions that can help you get the most out of your marketing budget. I provide unlimited digital support every month, tapping into years of experience to ensure your business doesn’t miss any opportunity.
C. Customised Solutions and Strategies
Digital marketing agencies (should) understand that every business is unique and has different needs, and that’s exactly what I do here at MarketingSubs. I help businesses by providing tailored solutions and strategies that are specifically designed to meet business goals and objectives.
author:StuartMarketingSubs.com.au is the subscription digital marketing service that challenges the traditional agency retainer model. Simply select a monthly plan that suits your needs, create your tasks and prioritise your workload. You'll work directly with a marketing professional, with 22 years of experience to achieve your tasks and keep you on the right path. Check it out.
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