Going Live Guide
After the site launches, what’s next? We remain busy working on your website through our Website Care Service, but there’s plenty you can do too! Check out our 4 tips to get the most out of your new website.
Spread the Word!
When your website goes live, the most important thing to do initially is drive traffic to it. This will help Google index it faster and start building your SEO rankings. Here are some ideas 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 those around you! Get their opinion and see what they think about your new online presence. That’s valuable feedback that may come in handy when considering changes and additions to the site moving forward.
- Social Media — Use your network of Facebook friends, family or co-workers to get the word out. You’d be surprised how far one post can go when it’s shared and liked. Also, if you’re active on LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat or other social networks, share away!
- Email Newsletter — If you have a newsletter or email list, be sure to let them know that the new site has launched and even more importantly, how it can help their business or add value to them. MailChimp is what I use and highly recommend for email newsletters.
- Marketing & Advertising — If you’re serious about driving traffic to your website, you might consider paying for online advertising, such as the paid “ads” on the top of Google search results. We can connect you with excellent local marketing specialists.
Ask for Reviews!
Online reviews are now more important than ever. Particularly for businesses being Googled and found online, a user will look at reviews almost immediately. Quality online reviews will also improve your search engine ranking. There are many different ways to get reviews, such as:
- Google Review — This is highly recommended as Google reviews are generally what will pop up when somebody finds your site with an internet search. You can either have your customers Google your business and leave a review, or ask us and we’ll generate a special link for you to send directly to your happy customers. This link will take them directly to the review form.
- Facebook Reviews — FB reviews are also great and are now a more reputable spot for customer reviews. If your new customer is active on Facebook, send them a link to your Facebook review page. When potential customers check out your Facebook page, they’ll be impressed by a few 5-star reviews on there.
- Testimonials on Your Website — Once you’ve collected some 5-star reviews, we can setup a Testimonials page on your website. This page will list your carefully curated reviews. Testimonials should be easily accessible on your new website. We recommend asking customers to review you on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, or a similar website, and then we will copy those reviews to your website.
Keep the Site Fresh & Updated!
After your website has been live for awhile, we recommend doing some things to keep it fresh. Here are some suggestions:
- Gallery Photos — If your website has a gallery page, keep it updated with your recent projects / work. Whether you’re a roofer or a cake designer, make sure you take high-def photos of your work before moving on to the next project!
- Page Content — If things in your industry change or your services change, be sure to update your site accordingly. Even adjusting content by a few words can show Google that your site is being updated and is not stagnant.
- Contact Information — If information, hours, address, phone, email, staff or anything else changes for your business, be sure to change the website too! This should be the #1 most accurate source of information on your business. There’s nothing worse than having wrong information on a website. Or having a staff member’s picture on the page when that person doesn’t work there anymore. Keep your website updated and streamlined to your business.
Add New Site Content!
A website is viewed by Google as being “alive” or “dead.” An “alive” site is driving traffic, getting new and existing users, being updated, and posting new blogs and content. If your site is “dead” – e.i. not being managed, updated or taken care of – it can impact your SEO ranking dramatically. Here’s some options on how to build your website content:
- Blog — Blogging can be a challenge for some (since we’re not all writers), but the facts remain: websites with blogs generally drive 30-40% more traffic to their sites than their competitors. Google will sometimes even pick up blog posts before picking up major website pages. If you can contribute good, lasting content that is well thought out and valuable to your customers, you will drive more traffic. Don’t be afraid to use social media and your network to get the word out. Do you hate writing? We can connect you with excellent content writers and copywriting specialists.
- New Pages — It’s generally good practice to not only update your images and graphics, but also your content! If you have more services to add to your site, do it! Google LOVES seeing that a site is being built onto. New, fresh (and most importantly, quality) content is golden for SEO.