After only just going through a website launch process myself (yet again) and approaching it at a very different pace (I was the snail this time) I was reminded of some of the eye-glazing tasks that we all try to skip over, BUT are crucial to making your website work for you.
Branding, photography, copywriting, website design, and of course SEO…there is a lot that goes into making your website launch sexy (and successful), and you and me, are about to talk website launch strategy. How the strategy that was both intentional and unintentional has worked out for me. And after a week, I’m not disappointed.
Website launch - What to consider
My now-live website was a little idea I had at the start of 2024, where I saw a new name for myself, a new way forward for my business, so I let it brew. Not executing it straight away. Giving myself time and space to see how I wanted this to evolve (this was key).
I hinted and teased my audience, I asked family and friends what they thought, and I slowly, but surely started to make changes.
This going slow pace, normally makes my eye twitch, but this change was one I didn’t want to have to make any time soon (or ever again), so I wanted to be sure.
So I…
Put my creative idea to digital paper and draw out my logo (yes, mine was a rebrand and a new website - can’t do things by halves).
Did the smart thing and checked if my domain and social handles were available. Then didn’t take a breath if they were, I snapped them up.
Invested in a website copy course that had a bit of personality. Cue Dirty Copy’s Dible.
Slowly changed my social tile look
None of this is groundbreaking, but it was building the idea, the visual, rather than just running straight at it with no clue. It helped me build my plan to take it forward.
It helped me to…
Take me on the journey before 100% committing to it.
Analyse people’s initial reactions to the slight changes (a little bit of market research thrown in - never a bad idea).
Check to see if it was actually doable
Make investments in areas that I felt I was weak in
Like I said. I was taking it slow (like that relationship).
This might not be your situation. Maybe you are just doing a website refresh, but my website launch example highlights taking a beat before actually taking the leap. It might seem frustrating and not that ‘cool’, but let me put it to you this way, are you doing this because you think you should? Is it because you saw something shiny and thought why not? Consider WHY you need to do this and what purpose does it serve.
Now the work begins
After slowly laying down some foundations, I took a deep breath and got to work. Here is how my own website project went down:
Website wireframe
Before designing and writing even began I got clear on how I wanted things structured. None of this I will just do whatever BS. No. I looked at what I offered, how I ran my business and the future plans I had brewing. Because I knew, that if I kept chopping and changing it was not going to be a good time for either my SEO or for my user experience.
Page by page
Because I had already been working on the branding prior, I already had an idea of how I wanted things to look, so I started working on one page at a time, breaking it up by blocks. Yes, I could have had some sick artsy fartsy ‘I’m Cool’ wannabe site, but I had already decided that I wanted something that represented me and that I could tweak easily. Let’s be clear - there is a party of one over here doing the do, I was being realistic.
As I was designing I was working out the copy, which is where Dirty Copy’s Dible was a bloody lifesaver - no need to think!
On-page and technical SEO
After my loving husband and I had checked, and then checked the website again for broken links, weird typing errors, and just making sure my badassery shone through, I got to the exciting bit. On-page and technical SEO. There was already a rough idea of how this was all going to look, but now it was time to make it official. I broke out Excel, and mapped out my pages and what to track. Interested in doing this yourself? Use this template as your base. Then I cracked into the keyword research, making sure the phrases I was picking were useful. From there it was making sure all the technical bits were set up right and I had scattered the phrases throughout the page appropriately.
Not sure what the basic technical SEO bits are? I gotchu…
URL
Title Tag
Meta Description
I have to say I was very grateful for WIX’s setup at this point because I was going cross-eyed trying to double and triple-check my own work.
Double-check your URLs
If there is ONE thing I advise you do before hitting that ever-appealing publish button, is to check and then check again what ALL your URLs look like. We want to avoid having to create redirects further down the track and changing the URL. It not only undoes any SEO traction you’ve gained but means you have to either change the URL everywhere or wait for people to catch on.
NOW you can hit publish.
You’re not done yet
Sick, your website is now live. Does that mean your website launch is now done? Hell no! Now you’ve got to make sure things are set up to serve you.
Set up Google Analytics and Search Console
Get both Google Analytics and Google Search Console accounts set up ASAP. Even if your website hasn’t been quite registered by the internet yet. This is to set you up for success. You can start measuring your data from day dot. Follow their instructions to get it set up correctly and the first task you want to do on Google Search Console (if your website provider doesn’t do it for you - thanks WIX). Is to ask Google to index your pages, and I tell you how to do this via this Insta post. Already having this in play, made my life easier, but I still had to do it!
Google Business Profile
With a GBP already set up, I didn’t want to just leave it as is. I went in and adjusted what I could straight away. Because I wanted Google to make the connection of what is going on, in more ways than one. PLUS make it clear as mud for my clients. Don’t have one? Get one! My motto when it comes to Google offerings? Do em. Do em all! If they’re telling you to sign up for this or do that, it’s because they’re trying to help you (aka they want you to for SEO).
Update backlinks and profiles
I had actually hit pause trying to create backlinks or any further profiles for my previous website and business name because I knew…I would be creating a WHOLE pile of work when the change eventually happened. So, once I was live, I didn’t wait. I went to the couple of profiles I had and to the few places I had backlinks and adjusted. Not only does that mean one less headache down the road, but it was also again telling the search engine Gods of the change…and it’s a change to notice.
Spend time checking in
Now I could have done the website launch and forgotten about it, but we’re not insane, we’re not going to repeat the same patterns over and over again. We’re going to tell people it’s live. We’re going to come back every day that first week and check the small things i.e. links still working, are things connected etc…and the data.
From my past examples that were less than stellar, I was expecting nothing, nada, zip in the stats department. BUT low and behold…what I tell everyone else to do and have finally done for myself actually works. 24 hours after launching I started to see data bits coming through. I WAS SHOOK. Not only that, I was starting to see longer strategies being formed, ideas, and better yet HOPE that my idea actually was going to work.
If you do your website launch and your data doesn’t represent all the hard work you put in? Then we should probably talk. Because you are too good to be hidden away on page whatever. Look at my service options to see what works best for you.
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