Launching a new website is an exciting time for any business, no matter whether you’ve built a new website from scratch or you’ve given your existing site a makeover. It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work from multiple departments, so getting the launch right is crucial for its success.
With so many moving parts and details to consider, having a website launch checklist in place can help streamline the journey to your new website launch. In this blog, we share our checklist to launching a new website to give you insight into how we launch a website efficiently and effectively here at Fifteen.
Why is it important to get a new website launch right?
Getting the launch of a new website right is so important for several reasons. Firstly, it sets the tone for your brand and leaves a long lasting positive impression on your visitors. Secondly, a well-executed website launch attracts and engages users, which drives more traffic to your new site and potentially sets your conversion rate on the right track.
As well as this, a successful website launch helps establish credibility and trust with your target audience, which sets a strong foundation for attracting and retaining customers, as well as increasing engagement and conversions. Therefore, taking the time to get the launch right from the outset can save you time and resources in the long run.
Our checklist for launching a new website
As we’ve mentioned, launching a new website is an exciting venture, but it can also be a challenging one. Here’s our website launch checklist that will help set your launch up for success and captivate your audience from day one.
Run through the essentials
With any new website launch, it’s extremely important to have a strategy in place as this will allow you to run through the essentials. For example, we have a pre-launch checklist that we run through before we launch a website. This allows us to ensure the website has the possibility to perform to its maximum potential.
Here are some key essentials you should run through before you launch:
- Is your website engaging enough? Ensure your new website has a good amount of engaging CTAs, quality content, and social share buttons for example.
- Does it include a newsletter sign up? This keeps your audience informed about your business, products and services, and important updates, meaning they’ll continue to return to your site.
- Is it optimised for SEO? Ensuring your site is fully optimised allows for maximum reach on search engines like Google when you launch.
- Do you have your ‘legal’ pages ready? This includes pages like your Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and Terms and Conditions pages.
- Is it mobile-friendly? If you’ve designed your website mobile first, this shouldn’t be an issue but it’s crucial to ensure your site is mobile-friendly before you launch.
These are just some of the essentials we run through before a new website launch. Running through essentials like these makes sure you’re on the right path to a successful launch.
Connect to Google Analytics 4
One essential step to launching a new website is connecting it to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This powerful tool provides valuable insights into your website’s performance, user behaviour, and traffic sources. You can track key metrics such as page views, engagement rates, and conversion rates to better understand how users are interacting with your site.
This kind of data can help you make informed decisions about your website’s content, design, and digital marketing strategies. Setting up GA4 for your website is quick and free, and there are plenty of resources online to ensure your setup is correct.
Create a social media strategy
A great social media strategy is a key part of any new website launch as it provides an excellent opportunity to promote your new website, connect with your audience, drive traffic to your site, and build brand awareness. Some tips to creating an effective social media strategy for your website launch include:
- Select your chosen social media platforms – aim to choose your best performing channels, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
- Identify your target audience for each of these platforms – different social media platforms cater to different demographics, so make sure you understand where your audience spends most of their time.
- Establish your goals – whether you’re wanting to increase web traffic, generate leads, or boost engagement, having specific objectives will guide your strategy.
- Plan a content calendar in advance – consistent posting is key so be sure to outline your content topics and schedule your posts accordingly.
- Engage with your followers – be sure to respond to comments and messages promptly to build relationships and foster loyalty.
- Monitor and analyse performance – this data can show you how well your strategy is performing and whether you need to adjust it.
Implementing a social media strategy for your new website launch is also a great way to gather feedback from your audience. Ask them what their thoughts are on the design or the ease of use of your new site. This will help you gauge how well it’s performing and whether you need to make any improvements.
Add a cookie consent banner
Adding a cookie consent banner to your website is essential in ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations like General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). This banner informs visitors that your site uses cookies and asks for their consent before any cookies are placed on their devices. Including this banner on your site shows you demonstrate transparency and respect for user privacy.
Make sure the banner is clearly visible, easy to understand, and gives users the option to accept or decline the use of cookies. You should also include a link to your full cookie policy to provide your users with more information on how you handle their data. There are plenty of cookie banner options to choose from but we use CookieYes here at Fifteen.
Launch your website!
An obvious addition to your website checklist is to launch your new website! When you launch your site, it’s important to make sure people know you’re launching a new website. As well as implementing a social media campaign, you could schedule a series of email marketing campaigns to let your database know about your launch, or consider carrying out some digital PR activity to spread the word.
If you’re launching an ecommerce website, you could run a flash sale or promotion or offer free shipping to incentivise people to visit your site. If you want to be really creative, you could create a limited edition product to promote and sell specially for your new website launch. Whatever you choose, just make sure you shout from the rooftops about your launch to drive as much traffic as possible to your site.
Plan for constant evolution
In today’s fast-paced digital world, staying stagnant is not an option, which is why you should plan for constant evolution once you’ve launched your new website. Regularly updating and improving your website is key to keeping it relevant and engaging for your audience.
When you set up GA4, you can use the data to determine what updates are necessary for your website. For example, you might need to review and update content, change the colour or placement of your CTAs, or edit fields on your online forms.
Just because you launch your website now, doesn’t mean you should forget about it. That’s why combining user data analysis and ongoing testing ensures your website remains a dynamic and effective tool for reaching your target audience.
Speak to our experts for help with launching your website
We understand that launching a new website can feel like a daunting task, but with our website launch checklist you can ensure you’re on the path to an effective and successful launch.
If you’d like help with your website launch, or you’re considering a new website, we can help. Our team consists of award-winning web designers, web development specialists, and digital marketing experts and together, can walk you through every step of the launch process, ensuring complete success for your new website. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today to learn how we can help you.