Ready for launch?
First, congratulations on completing your website! This is a significant task, so make sure to pat yourself on the back; job well done!
Second, let’s get your website ready for launch!
It is ready, you may be thinking. The website is done: it’s designed, the content is ready, it works well and looks amazing.
What else is there to do but sit back and watch the traffic roll in?
Plenty, my friend, there is plenty to do!
New Kid on the Block
Imagine your freshly developed website as the new kid at school – no one knows who you are or where you fit in – including you.
That’s how it is when your website launches online. It’s new, and now it’s part of a massive digital environment known as the Internet.
The Internet is like school – an engulfing infrastructure, a sea of ideas and communication – and you are the tiny, insignificant speck.
Not only do you have to watch out for bullies (spam) and play by the rules (Google), you also have interact with your environment and the people around you; if you decline, you become invisible.
No one wants to be invisible in school, and no one wants to be invisible on Google.
Luckily for you, we know how to navigate the terrain, and we’re going to take you under our wing.
Supply Checklist
Before the A records are pointed, be sure you’ve crossed your t’s and dotted your i’s. Meaning: Ensure that nothing is left undone or unaccounted for.
Being prepared will help your website launch take off smoothly. Think of it as your school necessities – supplies first day outfit, gym shoes, lunch bag, you get the picture.
Here are a few of the basics:
- SEO – Titles, Meta Descriptions, URL names
- Blog – Do you have a welcome post ready for your blog?
- User Experience – Thank You pages, 301 re-directs, 404 page, xml sitemap
- Forms – Do you know where to send the form submissions from your contact page? Have you tested it to see if it works?
- Legal Matters – Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, etc.
- Google Analytics – Ensure the correct tracking code is installed
- Hosting – Where will your website reside?
- Domain – Have you purchased a domain name?
- Security – Do you need an SSL Certificate or Dedicated IP?
- Maintenance – Who will maintain your website once it’s launched?
Make Friends
Okay, so you’re ready to step off the bus and make it through your lessons – but where are you going to sit at lunch?
Ehhhhhh… that most dreaded of uncomfortable social situations: the lunchroom. But guess what? This isn’t high school (halleluiah), and we already told you – we got your back!
You don’t have to worry about not knowing anyone at school – if you are smart and make connections ahead of time.
In website-speak that means you’ve laid the groundwork to be connected (aka visible) online. You’ve claimed and updated important business directories, listings, and review sites; you’ve determined which social media platforms you’ll use to spread your message, and have created social profiles; you know what tactics to use to bring traffic to your website. In short, you’ve established relationships with others on the web.
Think of a relationship as a pathway to your website; another avenue for visitors to find you online (other than through the search engines like Google). This is important for establishing your online presence, getting indexed for key phrases, and ultimately bringing traffic to your website.
- Connect to others through social media
- Upload your email list to Facebook
- Publish relevant, useful content
- Keep your profiles consistent and up to date
- Find websites that are not in competition with you, but in the same industry
- Is there a way to connect with these websites via links or articles?
- Publish on your blog
- Write engaging articles that your target audience will actually read
- Create premium offers that you can use to convert your blog traffic into leads
Keeping Up
Guess what? It never ends! Well, if you’re in school, you do graduate eventually and move on in life, but that doesn’t mean you stop interacting with people.
It doesn’t mean you never have to buy another pencil again because you bought one on the first day. Nor does it mean that you stop updating your wardrobe or communicating with others.
It’s the same thing for your website – unless it’s your goal to become that weird, creepy hermit that lives at the end of the block, you’ve got to stay interesting to your target audience.
The point is, your wonderful online adventure has only just begun! Once you’ve launched your website, a whole new set of exciting opportunities and challenges await.
The best way to prepare for this is to have a strategy planned out ahead of time. Here are just a few questions to answer for yourself before your website launches:
- Who will host my website? Purchase my domain name?
- Who will make updates and edits to my website?
- Who is in charge of social media and email campaigns?
- How will I bring targeted users to my website?
- How will I convert my website visitors into leads for my business?
- Are my online directories up to date?
- Do I have any poor reviews online?
Before you freak out, remember, Artonic is here to help you with all of these challenges!
Support for Your Website
We offer an extensive Support Plan for our clients which includes domain name management, hosting, a CMS so that you can edit your website, plus 2 hours of updates a month at no additional charge. (To learn more, check out our 2-part blog series: Artonic’s Website Support Package for Clients and Additional Website Support Perks: For Geeks Only.)
Support for Your Bottom Line
Artonic also employs a talented team of web design and marketing experts, including SEOs, Inbound specialists, and social media gurus, to name a few. No matter what your question is, we’re here to help you answer it!
Contact Us
If you’d like more information, please contact us:
517-902-7851