How to Prepare for Your Website Launch (Even if you’re a Total Beginner)

If you’re about to launch a new website or update an existing one, then you need to pay attention to this…

First off, let me start off by saying congrats on making such a huge decision! Launching a website for your business is essential and, if done correctly, it’s going to be game changer!

But, before you jump straight into the design process, regardless of whether or not you’ve decided to DIY or outsource to a web designer, there are a few things you’ll need to prepare for ahead of time.

So, let’s dive in!

What exactly is a website launch?

A website launch is simply the first day that your site is live and visible to the public. It is often the most critical day of your entire website existence. That’s why it’s important to have everything ready to go on that first day so you can start getting the word out about your new website and begin generating some buzz right from the get-go.

Preparation goes a long way when it comes to website design and I want to help you save your sanity along with hours of your time so you can focus on other important tasks (like growing your business and enjoying life).

There are three main components to a website launch:

• pre-launch
• launch
• post-launch

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about launching a new (or revamping an old) website.

Website ‘pre-launch’ stage

The website pre-launch is the time you spend getting ready for the launch of your website. During this stage, you want to make sure your site looks good, is functioning properly, and you’ll want to make sure it’s search engine optimized.

You’ll do everything needed to make sure your site is a success. This includes checking spelling, grammar, optimizing images and videos, testing mobile friendliness, and so forth.

Four key things to do DURING the pre-launch stage:

• Know what the purpose of your website is

When building a website, you must get clear on its purpose. Do you want to sell your services/products? Grow your email list? Or, simply inform the public? Whatever the goal – you must keep it at the forefront of your web building process.

Once you (or your web designer) understand the purpose of your website, you’ll be able to create content and design a site that meets both you and your audience’s needs.

• Know who your ideal client is

Being aware of your ideal client is a key factor in any business. Once you know the purpose of your business, it’s time to understand your ideal client.

Really understanding your ideal client goes deeper than their age, location, marital status, and all the other demographics that really don’t matter… it’s about getting to know them on a more personal level.

I’m not saying that demographics aren’t good to know but it is more important to know what your ideal client’s struggles and roadblocks are as well as their desires in life/business.

Knowing this information allows you to customize your website in a way that positions you as an expert who can provide exactly what they are looking for.

• Purchase your domain & hosting

If this is your first time building a website, you’ll need a domain name and a hosting plan. A domain name is your website address, and hosting is where your website files are stored online.

You can register a domain name and sign up for a hosting plan at HostGator (my recommendation), Bluehost, Namecheap, or Siteground, all of which offer competitive prices.

• Have your graphics & copy ready

I personally find it easier to design around content so you can adjust as needed. Having your website copy and graphics ready before designing a website or working with a designer will eliminate some of the design revisions because you won’t have to keep adjusting the design once the content once it’s added in.

When creating your content, don’t forget about the Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Disclaimers, and other legal pages you may need. There are free generators (like this one) you can use to generate terms that are specific to the content and purpose of your site or you can use a site like Termageddon (recommended).

Termageddon is a Privacy Policy generator that will automatically update your website’s policies whenever the laws change. Termageddon is the only Privacy Policy generator listed as a trusted privacy technology vendor by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP.org).

For $10/month or $99/year, you will receive the following policies to protect your website:

• Privacy Policy;
• Terms of Service;
• Disclaimer; and
• End User License Agreement.

***Save 10% off your first year using code VIVIDPIXEL at checkout.

***This does not constitute legal advice; all final legal terms should be reviewed by a legal professional.

As for graphics, you should have the following:

• Logo
• Hero header images that span the full-width of the page
• Photos with blurred backgrounds, solid color graphics or subtle patterns for backgrounds
• Photos that represent your business/services
• Photos of you and your team (if you have one)
• Mockups of your products/services or any downloadable materials that you offer

Website ‘launch’ stage

Launch! Launch! Launch! is what every entrepreneur wants to hear, isn’t it? However, website launches can be stressful. Your entire business may be resting on the success (or failure) of the website you just launched. Therefore, it’s vital to have a clear focus during this period.

During your website launch, you’ll want to spread the word by telling your friends, family, and clients. Post about the launch on your social media platforms and build up the hype. Continue spreading the word about your website to develop regular visitors.

Four things to focus on DURING your website launch:

• Set realistic expectations.

Don’t expect to have immediate sales from a new website. It may take months or even years for your site to start generating revenue.

• Measure everything.

Keep a close eye on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important to your business. These will help you determine if the launch was successful or not.

• Adjust as necessary.

This is when the rubber hits the road. If your KPI’s aren’t improving, then you need to make some changes. The most common change is to adjust your marketing strategy.

• Enjoy the ride.

Launching a new website is like getting into a rocket ship and taking off. Once you get going, there’s no turning back. So, enjoy the ride. It’s going to be over before you know it.

Website ‘post-launch’ stage

Your website’s success depends on your ability to maintain and increase its profitability. After your website has been up and running for some time, you need to make sure it doesn’t get stale. A great way to do this is to introduce new and different kinds of content that aren’t related to the initial launch of your site.

This type of content can be anything from a testimonial about how a previous customer enjoyed using your product or service, a case study about how a client overcame a particular challenge, a new blog post, or any other type of promotion that makes your website more interesting and less likely to become stagnant.

Four things to focus on AFTER you launch your website:

• Monitoring the analytics.

Once you have some traffic, start collecting website metrics like average time on page, bounce rate (how many people just visit the first couple of paragraphs and then leave), pages per visit, and so on. What’s the traffic like? What’s the conversion rate like? Are people finding what they are looking for? If not, make changes to your site and keep testing.

• Keeping your website updated.

There are two sides to keeping your website updated:

One side is the maintenance side where you will focus on keeping your website functioning properly. This will include security updates, monitoring your site to make sure it’s running smoothly, and making sure your plugins, themes, and widgets are up to date.

The other side is the marketing side where you will focus on bringing new visitors to your site. This will include keeping your site fresh and interesting for your visitors. After all, if you don’t have any new visitors, then you don’t have any new customers.

• Generating more traffic.

Traffic is the lifeblood of any website. Without it, you’re literally starving your business to death. That’s why it’s so important to learn all you can about generating traffic to your website.

• Improving your SEO.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a long-term game. It’s an ongoing process which makes it important to stay on top of all the latest changes.

However, there are certain ‘hacks’ you can use right now that will give you a jump start on the competition. Here are a few hacks you can use today to improve your search engine rankings:

• • Test different meta tags and titles for your website.
  • Create unique content that is long-tail (in-depth) and informational.
  • Repurpose (rewrite) your content into other formats.
  • Link to internal pages within your site.
  • Add relevant social media sharing buttons.

Final Thoughts:

As you can see, launching your own website is a big undertaking so it’s important to have a clear plan in mind in order to prepare for a successful launch, especially if you’re a beginner.

I know it can feel like there’s a lot of information out there and you might be getting a bit overwhelmed, but when you take all the necessary time to prepare for it properly, it will actually put less pressure on you in the long run. Once you’ve got everything in order, your website won’t just look great, it’ll come together faster too!

if you are ready to get started on your own website, then you’ll want to grab my FREE Beginner’s Guide to WordPress below!

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