Launching a New Website Checklist
What you need to know about launching a website
Launching a new website or refreshing an old one may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Many business owners tend to put it on the back burner and throw it in the "too hard" basket, using an "out of sight, out of mind" strategy.
However, it doesn't have to be that hard, and operating with an outdated or non-existent website is an even worse strategy. So here's our list of things you need to do (and it can actually be surprisingly fun!).
Step 1. Organise a Brand Photoshoot
Sorry, there's no way around this - you need professional, updated brand photos before you do anything online.
No, iPhone photos or photos that were taken 2+ years ago are not good enough. Stock photography can be used sparingly as "fillers," but at the end of the day, authentic, high-quality photographs that illustrate your brand messages are what will present your business in the best possible way. And that's what you want, right? To put it simply, unprofessional photos equal an unprofessional-looking business. And an unprofessional-looking business means people will click straight off your website and go somewhere else.
Step 2. Think About What Pages You Actually Need?
Don’t overthink this - what are your visitors really looking for?
Too often, we sit down with clients who list off 20 or more pages they think they need. But we're here to tell you that this isn't the case. Your website is your digital storefront, so at the very least, you need a home page, an about page, a page that lists your services or what you do, and a contact page. Remember, you can always add more later, or when you have the free time, you can add that blog you think you're going to update every week. But for step one, keep it simple.
Step 3. Think About What Content Needs to Be On Your Pages
A picture says a thousand words but a thousand words makes people run for the hills!
Nobody has time to read long blocks of text; we have short attention spans and we want information delivered to us quickly, easily, and ideally, beautifully. Even better, if that information is delivered to us in a way that makes us "feel" something - like making us laugh, smirk, feel emotional, or (and this is where you really hit the jackpot!) has us nodding our heads in agreement - then you've got us hooked! Fortunately, we offer copywriting with all our websites!
Step 4. Think About Ways You Can Encourage Visitors to Engage With Your Website
Now this is where we get tricksy…we want to know who’s on your website so we can reach out and talk to them right?
Right! This is where all those words you've heard about - "lead magnet," "downloadable freebie," "lead generation tool" - come into play. They all refer to the same thing: a piece of free content that visitors to your site can access after providing you with their email address. You can then send them the free piece of content to their inbox (even better if it's automated through an email marketing platform) and, in return, grow your mailing list for future marketing purposes! Win-win!
Some great "Lead Magnet" ideas are:
Checklists, Worksheets, or Cheat Sheets
eBooks
Webinars or Email Courses
Quizzes
Challenges
Planners
Giveaways
