14 Nov
Launching a website is one of the most overwhelming parts of building a business. Add to that social media, SEO, PPC, and endless buzzwords and it’ll seem even more complex.
The reason is, that it’s not just about the website itself. It’s about how you use your website as a part of an overarching online strategy – to attract and convert readers. After all, customer experience is the most important thing to focus on in 21st-century business management.
So, in this article, we are going to outline 7 things you should know before launching a new website. You can use this as a checklist, dictionary, or digital tool – whatever helps you as you launch a website.
What You Need to Know Before You Launch a New Website
Launching a new website isn’t just about building a series of content blocks which reflect your branding and product information. It’s about creating a cohesive experience for the user. It considers the way text interacts with visuals, and how the journey is continued from social media to your website. It looks at usability and accessibility. And it finds a way to tie all of that into a cohesive and structured digital strategy.
Without further ado, here are the 7 things to keep in mind before the big launch.
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1. Create a Content Strategy
We explore the value of a strategy in this blog – but what about content as a specific strategy of its own? A content strategy works by building a journey from attracting the right audience to your website to converting them into customers. What kind of content are you going to use to attract your target audience?
From that first touchpoint, the content needs to engage visitors to keep them moving through the customer journey. The best way to achieve that is to create high-quality and engaging content before launching. You can use this content as landing pages to form marketing content. They will also let users know that you know what you’re talking about and whether you are a reputable brand in your industry.
Some of the best examples of great content use different types of it to create and keep the interest of the users. Try to combine standard blog posts with images, videos, and even audio or musical content. This strategy should stretch beyond your website and encompass all online touchpoints to create a truly effective plan.
2. Don’t Forget About SEO
SEO is one of those frustrating terms which pop up everywhere. We know we need to pay attention to it, but there are so many business owners who don’t know what that means.
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s about how you use keywords and user experience to drive organic traffic to your website. In today’s online world, SEO should form part of even the most basic website creation. From layout to navigation, content, visuals, and buttons, SEO needs to be considered if you want to rank highly on search results.
And that starts and ends with the user experience and how effectively they can navigate through your website. Luckily, there are many SEO tools, like Semrush or Ahrefs, that can help you improve the website ranking results and drive more traffic.
3. Get Users to Sign Up or Subscribe
Having a very clear CTA (Call to Action) is crucial when you launch a website. You don’t want users to find your site, look, and then forget about it, right? Find a way to encourage them to sign up for a mailing list.
One of the best way to do that is to offer a free eBook, or another piece of content, or create a launch giveaway for those who give an email address. This will immediately give you a database of contacts to use and tap into when you have a product launch or offer. It will also help you better assess the reach of your website and how effective your marketing and content strategy works.
4. Use Analytics Tools
If you’re going to launch a new website, Google Analytics is the best friend you didn’t know you needed.
Google Analytics is a tool which lets you know how much traffic you are getting, from where, how long visitors are staying on your site and many other useful things. It’s free to use and gives you tons of insights which will help with future marketing. Plus, it shows you how many return visitors your site gets – which is great for tracking the effectiveness of your mailing list.
5. Have a Goal in Mind
This may seem odd, but it’s an important thing to know before launching a new website. Your website will not be able to tick every KPI in the digital world – so decide what matters to you the most. When you set and identify the end goal for your website, you will be able to create content that delivers on that goal. It will make your advertising and copy more direct and will help create effective CTAs.
More than that, it will help you feel a sense of achievement when things really do go according to plan. So, clearly define what your website is for, and who is it for and then build the content and customer journey from there.
6. Connect Your Consistent Brand Message
Creating a website doesn’t just mean making sure all of the buttons and links work (although that is also important). If you want to succeed and attract visitors, you need to connect your online touchpoints and ensure that the customer experience is consistent across every channel where customers might find you. That includes social media, emails, blogs, and even old, outdated, and unused websites (but keep in mind that it’s not good keeping old and outdated information about you).
Everything you use online should deliver consistent language and marketing messages, as well as the same brand image and customer experience. So, make sure to include your website in your marketing strategy. After all, your website is the main image of your brand and it should clearly show the users who you are.
7. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Website Responsiveness
This is an extremely important thing to focus on when you launch a new website because it considers the user experience across every device. In 2022, more and more users are discovering, reading, and shopping through mobile devices than ever before. That means that if your website isn’t mobile responsive, it might as well not exist.
To ensure that your website is fully responsive, we recommend completing full user checks across every possible device. This means asking members of your target audience to access your website on different devices and screens to assess the experience. You can also work with a responsive web design company that will help to direct the best design according to all users.
To Sum Up
When it comes to launching a new website, keeping all of the above things in mind and adapting your website for them will help you drive early success. Long-term success comes with a long-term strategy, and that’s why getting support in creating the best user experience is so important.
If you need more tips and information for your branding, marketing or design, make sure to visit our blog. You can find a lot of useful advice and insight into different areas of the online world – from e-commerce to design and more. Check out our blog, or get in touch for advice and support in launching your own new website.
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