New Website? Now What? Post-Launch Strategies to Help Your Site Succeed
So here you are: after months of planning you’ve finally launched your brand new website. Congratulations! Now that it’s up and running, what’s next? How will you attract visitors? What are your overall goals in the weeks and months ahead? If your answer to these questions is an uncertain shrug, it’s best you start thinking about creating a web strategy. There’s a false perception that by simply launching a website, you’re guaranteed business success. But the thing about websites is that even after they’re up and running they still need lots of attention. Websites are work, and you only get as much out of a site as you put in. Check out our list of recommended post-launch strategies.
Content Is King!
What’s the point of having a website if no one can find you? Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to a building a successful site. You probably made sure to include keywords into your page descriptions, copy and titles while building your site. (And if you haven’t, you should.) Great! Now it’s time to think about content. Adding fresh content to your website or creating a blog is a great way to increase your search engine rankings and ultimately pull in more web traffic. And yes, we know you already have too much on your plate, but trust us: blogging, even once or twice a month, will up your search engine rankings. And if you’re truly strapped for time, ask for help. Have fellow team members shoulder the work load by contributing content.
Social Media
One fatal mistake many businesses make after launching their website is to plunge headfirst into social media without planning how to integrate it into their business. Venturing into the world of social media requires time and effort. Start with the big three: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Each have their own perks, and all of them help connect you to potential customers. Plus, they’re free resources. If you have the means, assign one person the sole responsibility of monitoring and operating your social media outlets.
At Desert Rose Design, we have an internal notification process that alerts our staff of weekly posts to our blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts. In turn, our employees push out the content through their personal accounts. It’s a simple process to help saturate and provide a wider range of visibility for our company. If no one is available to take on this responsibility, or you want to call in someone who really knows what they’re doing, you may want to consider using a marketing firm to handle your social media needs.
Spread the Word & Have Fun
Treat your new website like a newborn baby. Let people know! Be proud of it! Show it off! Write up a press release. Email clients and customers. Post tweets and status updates and write up an announcement on your blog. You may even want to host a marketing event around the launch. One of our clients, Miller Industrial, kicked-off their website with a live, in-store marketing event. Check out the details here.
Web Analytics
Web analytics is a term used to refer to capturing data about how users access and engage your site. Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools, and Google Places are three free tools that offer a simple approach to measuring your website’s activity and increasing your site’s traffic. How you decide to track and use this information depends on the type of business you operate, but regardless, it’s a good idea to grab yourself a Google account and check out how these resources integrate with your site.
Managing a new website is a multi-faceted job. From social media to live in-store marketing events, we’re here to help promote your site and get you started on the right foot. Give us a holler today at theskinny@desertrose.net.