Starting your own website sounds like a fun aspect of becoming an entrepreneur. While it actually is, this process is much harder than you think, especially if you are not as familiar with the digital tools that are allowing some many people to become successful in different fields.
If you’re new to the entrepreneurial world, it may be easy for you to make a variety of mistakes that can end up costing you time and money, whether it’s through the way your website functions or how you advertise your products and services. So here are the three steps that you need to take before launching your own website.
Form an action plan
When it comes to marketing your products and services online, you’ll need to form a plan of how you want your site to look and run. This will include listing exactly what you’re trying to advertise and who you’re trying to appeal to, which will lead to discovering best ways to market yourself to certain demographics. The more people you are able to provide your services to, the better your business will be able to do as time goes on.
The technical aspect of this process will include determining which website platform will suit your site. You’ll have a variety of options to choose from, including WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. If you’re able to find a platform that lets you set up your site for free, this will help you save money for running other parts of your business. It’s also important to research domain names that are being used by potential competitors. This will help you avoid lawsuits and make your website stand out from the rest. Set up a calendar for when to take care of certain tasks, and be sure to give yourself time so that you don’t rush the process and can give birth to your perfect site.
Tease your site
Giving consumers a taste of what you have to offer before you launch your site will not only let people know that you’ll have something to satisfy their needs, but it will increase the chance that you’ll have a set number of visitors that will arrive to your page once it comes to life. This is where your “Coming Soon” page comes in, as it will get consumers excited the same way they do when they see a trailer for an upcoming superhero movie. You won’t have too tough of a time setting up this page, depending on the form you want the teaser to take, such as a poster, video, or both.
While being simple with the page’s design will save you time and add to the mystery of your site, including something like a countdown will make people look forward to its launch even more. A “Coming Soon” page is also helpful if you had an original draft but realized that several improvements were needed and want to spend some extra time rebuilding it to look the best it can. Luckily, there are Orlando SEO experts who can provide you with digital marketing tips to help with online advertising. With this page, your customers will know when to expect your launch to take place and be ready when the day comes.
Test all aspects
Any entrepreneur’s worst nightmare is their product(s) not working on the first day of their launch. That can be a big issue for those setting up their first website, especially if they aren’t tech-savvy. In order for you to make a great first impression, keep current visitors and obtain more in the future, you’ll need to test every aspect of your site to make sure that it works like it was created by a professional. This includes having your hyperlinks send visitors to the right pages and that your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media pages are connected properly to spread awareness of your site.
Autoresponders, CRM systems, RSS feeds, and other parts of the site should go through multiple tests so that you don’t miss over anything, which can be easy if you only check systems once. You’ll also want your email lists, forums, and other pages to work if you want to increase customer engagement, as well as go over the contact information of staff members in case people have questions. The content should be easy to read so that visitors know what you’re offering and how to get their hands on it. It’s best to test your site days to weeks in advance so that your launch goes off without a hitch.
Put these steps into practice so that your website’s debut leads to a successful future.
