10 Steps to a Successful Website Launch
Launching a website is an exciting time for a business, as you have the possibility of introducing your product or service to the world. However, the process isn’t as simple as just clicking ‘go’ — you have to plan carefully and follow best practice guidelines. Here we present 10 steps you need to complete for a successful website launch.
1. Perform a Website Audit
It’s important to carry out a website audit before taking any action, to ensure it is as user-friendly and error free as possible.
This audit should include:
• Checking every page to ensure all links, text, images and videos are working correctly.
• Checking the website speed and performance.
• Performing a mobile review, to make sure the website is optimized for all devices.
• Checking for any broken links.
• Ensuring coding standards are up to date and SEO friendly.
2. Establish Your Brand
Creating a brand identity is an important aspect of launching a website. Your brand identity should be clear and consistent across all channels and messaging. This includes your brand name, logo and color palette. It’s also important to create a unique value proposition, tone of voice and content guidelines.
3. Create Content
Content is king when it comes to website launches. You need to develop content that resonates with your target audience and is also useful and informative. High quality content will help site visitors learn more about your product or service and establish your brand as an industry expert.
4. Design Your Site
It’s incredibly important that your website is easy to use and visually appealing at the same time. A user-friendly design should be your top priority, and this includes ensuring the site is mobile-friendly, has a clear navigation, and is visually appealing.
5. Test Everything
Before launching your website, you should thoroughly test everything, including the functionality of all the features and pages; a good place to start is with an A/B testing tool. You should also test any integrations such as third-party plugins or services, and check for any potential bugs.
6. Measure Your Website
To ensure your website launch is successful, you need to measure its performance. There are various analytics tools available that you can use to track user engagement, website traffic, and conversions.
7. Promote Your Launch
Once your website is ready to go, it’s time to promote it! Create an official launch announcement and share it with your target audience and in relevant online forums. Additionally, you should reach out to potential partners, influencers and affiliates who can help spread the word about your launch.
8. Monitor Your Website
Once your website is live, you should monitor it closely to ensure it continues to perform as expected and address any problems in a timely manner. Using web analytics tools can help you identify any issues and take the appropriate action.
9. Evaluate Feedback
It’s important to collect feedback from your target audience about the website launch to identify any areas for improvement. This feedback can be collected through surveys, questionnaires or interviews.
10. Update Your Website
It’s essential to keep the website up-to-date and ensure all content is fresh and relevant to ensure it remains engaging and informative. This may include adding new content, updating existing content, and making changes to the design and features.
Conclusion
By following the 10 steps outlined above, you can ensure your website launch is a success. However, it’s important to remember that website launches are never static, and you should continue to optimise and improve your website to ensure it remains engaging and user-friendly.