Going Live Guide
After your site launches, what’s next? We keep working on your website through our Website Care Service, but there’s plenty you can do too. Here are 4 tips to get the most out of it.
1Spread the word!
When your website goes live, the most important first step is driving traffic to it. That helps Google index it faster and start building your search rankings. Here are some ways to get the word out:
- Word of mouth. Word of mouth is still the most powerful referral. If you’re as excited as we are when your site launches, tell the people around you! Ask what they think of your new online presence; that feedback may come in handy for future changes and additions.
- Social media. Share it with your Facebook friends, family and co-workers. You’d be surprised how far one post can go when it’s liked and shared. If you’re active on Instagram, LinkedIn or other networks, share away!
- Email newsletter. If you have an email list, let subscribers know the new site has launched and, more importantly, how it helps them. I use and highly recommend Mailchimp for email newsletters.
- Marketing and advertising. If you’re serious about driving traffic, consider paid online advertising, such as the sponsored results at the top of Google. We can connect you with excellent local marketing specialists. (Read is your website producing leads?)
2Ask for reviews!
Online reviews are more important than ever. When people search for your business, they look at reviews almost immediately, and quality reviews also improve your search ranking. Ways to collect them:
- Google reviews. Highly recommended, since Google reviews are usually what appears when someone searches for you. Customers can search for your business and leave a review, or we can create a special link that takes your happy customers straight to the review form.
- Facebook reviews. Facebook reviews (now called recommendations) are also valuable. If a customer is active on Facebook, send them a link to your page’s reviews. Potential customers will be impressed by a few 5-star reviews there.
- Testimonials on your website. Once you’ve collected some 5-star reviews, we can set up a testimonials page that showcases your best ones. We recommend asking customers to review you on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn or a similar site, and then we’ll feature those reviews on your website.
3Keep the site fresh and updated!
After your website has been live for a while, keep it fresh:
- Gallery photos. If your website has a gallery, keep it updated with your recent projects. Whether you’re a roofer or a cake designer, take high-resolution photos of your work before moving on to the next project!
- Page content. If your industry or services change, update your site. Even adjusting a few words shows Google your site is maintained, not stagnant.
- Contact information. If your hours, address, phone, email, staff or anything else changes, update your website too. It should be the #1 most accurate source of information about your business, for customers and for the AI assistants that answer questions about you. There’s nothing worse than wrong information, or a photo of a staff member who no longer works there.
4Add new site content!
Search engines treat a website as “alive” or “dead.” A live site attracts new and returning visitors, gets updated and publishes new content. A dead site, one that isn’t managed or updated, can see its rankings drop dramatically. Ways to build your content:
- Blog. Blogging can be a challenge (we’re not all writers), but websites that publish helpful articles generally attract more traffic than those that don’t, and Google sometimes picks up blog posts before major pages. Good, lasting content that’s valuable to your customers drives traffic, so share it on social media too. Hate writing? We can connect you with excellent copywriters. (Read how blogging helps your business.)
- New pages. Update your images and your content! If you add services, give them their own pages. Google loves seeing a site grow, and new, high-quality content is golden for SEO and for ranking in AI tools.
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Ready to start your website?
Tell us about your website. Leighton responds to most messages within 24–48 hours.
- Call(865) 308-2887
- Emailcontact@pioneer.media
- Based inLouisville, Tennessee, serving Knoxville and East Tennessee