You've done the hard yards... you've slogged through all the website building "to-do's" with your designer and now it's time to make that website LIVE!!
But now what?
It's kinda up to you to get the word of mouth, social media announcements and general "I-have-a-website-come-and-look-at-it" thing going. Yep. Some good old fashioned hard work, because I hate to break it to you - no one is an overnight success just because you clicked the 'Go Live' button!
I've got you sorted with some tips though! Read on to learn more!
Organic Social Media
By far the easiest option, all it takes is some clever thinking about HOW you want to advertise your new website to your followers. When I say "Organic", I'm talking about the natural ways we all use instagram - not in a monetary advertising sense. If you have a new account, be alert that it can take some time to build up an engagement and a following - Instagram doesn't happen overnight!
Social media can include Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest etc
- Tease them with a coming soon / sneak peek
- Build up anticipation with some Work In Progress shots as you go
- If you have an online store, get them to sign up to your newsletter for a welcome code or launch discount
- Show them your new site (because it'll look good on mobile!)
- Create more than one feed/grid or story post about it, but mix it up so they're not one after another
- Add your new URL to your bio link
- If you have the budget - paid advertising is always another option to help spread the word.
Email Newsletter
Hopefully while we've been building your website, you've been building up your email database with a newsletter system like Flodesk or Mailchimp. These are a great way to capture your audience with a mass mail out.
- Tell them about the new site
- Give them a discount code or incentive to shop if you have a new store
- Remind them a few weeks later, by sharing a recent win or success story from launching
Tell your mates
Never underestimate the power of a mate who loves what you do! Tell everyone you know about your new site, share your URL link around and get some traction going. You don't have to "sell" to your mates, but letting them know what you're up to business-wise can be a great way to support one another.
Network!
If you're in a region where there are networking groups - join! It'll be a handy place of support a with like-minded people, but it also gives you access to a range of events that you wouldn't normally go to. Business cards come in really handy at these events - even more so if you've got your website address on it!
Google AdWords
Work with an experienced Google AdWords campaigner for some serious results - but it'll cost you! Particularly if you are in a highly competitive field or product market.
