Hit the Ground Running on New Website Launch Day

Updated: 7.26.2024

Launching a new website is like opening the doors to a brand-new store. The excitement is palpable, but the preparation behind the scenes is what makes the grand opening a success. To make sure your website hits the ground running on launch day, a well-thought-out strategy is essential. Here’s how to make sure your website shines from the moment it goes live.

Table of Contents

• What To Do When Launching a Website
• What Should You Do When You Relaunch Your Website?
• How To Push Your Relaunched Website Live
• Selecting a Web Development Company To Launch a Website
• Experience the DOM Difference in Web Development
• Key Takeaways

What To Do When Launching a Website

Launching a website is a big deal for your organization. Meticulous planning and execution are essential. Here are things to consider that may help your launch be smooth and successful:

• Final Testing and Quality Assurance Before Launching a Website

Before your website goes live, conduct thorough testing. This includes checking for broken links, ensuring all forms and buttons work correctly, and verifying that images and videos load properly. Perform cross-browser testing to confirm that your site looks and functions well on all major browsers and devices. Pay particular attention to mobile responsiveness, as a significant portion of your traffic will likely come from mobile users.

• SEO Optimization for a Website Launch

Search Engine Optimization helps people organically find your website. The goal of SEO is to craft pages to answer common user questions and concerns.

Implementing on-page SEO is a great way to make sure your content contains relevant keywords, meta titles, and descriptions—all of which helps search engines understand that your site would be good to show to people searching for those topics.

It’s also crucial that your images have descriptive alt text and that your URLs are clean and readable. You should create and submit an XML sitemap to search engines to help them crawl and index your site efficiently. Establishing 301 redirects for URLs that are changing can prevent broken links and preserve your SEO efforts from any previous site versions.

• Analytics and Tracking When Launching a Website

Google Analytics is a powerful tool you should consider setting up to understand your site’s performance from the start. With an analytics platform monitoring your site, you can define and monitor key metrics such as page views, bounce rate, and conversion rate to track how effective your site is.

Implement tracking pixels for social media and ad platforms to get insight into user behavior and the performance of your campaigns. This data will be invaluable for optimizing your website and marketing strategies.

• Marketing and Promotion Around a New Website Launch

A well-coordinated marketing campaign is essential to drive traffic to your new website. Leverage your social media channels to announce the launch and share compelling content that highlights the benefits of your site. It’s a good idea to email your subscribers about the new site, offering with a sneak peek or exclusive offers to encourage visits. Consider using press releases to reach a broader audience and gain media coverage.

• Launch Day Monitoring of a New Website

On the day of the launch, monitor your website closely. Keep an eye on real-time analytics to track traffic and user interactions. You should be poised to tackle what issues will inevitably arise. Engage with your audience on social media and through your website’s chat or support features. Prompt responses to questions and feedback can enhance user experience and build trust.

By following these steps, you can implement a successful website launch that attracts visitors and drives engagement. Take the time to build a firm foundation for your online presence.

What Should You Do When You Relaunch Your Website?

Relaunching a website is an opportunity to refresh your brand, improve user experience, and enhance your online presence. Here’s how to approach a website relaunch effectively:

• Conduct a Thorough Audit Before Relaunching a Website

Start by auditing your current website. Try to determine what’s working well and where there are opportunities for improvement. Analyze your website’s performance metrics, such as traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rates. Ideally, you’d solicit feedback from actual users to understand the real-world pain points and preferences they’ve come to on your site. Such an audit will inform your strategy and check that your new site addresses any existing issues.

Need help conducting a website audit? We can help.

• Update Your Design and Content When You Relaunch a Website

A relaunch is an excellent opportunity to revamp your website’s design and content. Use a design that is modern, user-friendly, and aligned with your brand identity. Improve navigation to enhance user experience and make it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Update your content to reflect your current offerings, values, and messaging. Incorporate high-quality visuals, compelling copy, and clear calls-to-action to engage visitors.

• SEO and Technical Enhancements During a Website Relaunch

Revisit your SEO strategy so your new site is optimized for search engines. Update your keyword research and integrate relevant keywords into your content, meta tags, and URLs.

Improve site speed and mobile responsiveness, as these factors significantly impact SEO and user experience. Implement technical enhancements such as structured data, which can improve your site’s visibility in search results.

• Plan a Marketing Campaign When Relaunching a Website

A successful relaunch requires a well-coordinated marketing campaign. Announce the relaunch on your social media channels and email list. Create engaging content that highlights the new features and improvements of your site. Think about doing special promotions or offering incentives to attract visitors. Paid ads are a further way to get a wider set of people to interact with your new site.

• Post-Launch Monitoring and Optimization

After the relaunch, monitor your website closely to check that everything is functioning as expected. Analytics tools can be a good way to track KPIs and user behavior. Collect feedback from visitors to identify any issues or areas for improvement. Conduct A/B tests on different elements of your website to surface areas where you can make the user experience better. Continuously update and refine your website based on data and feedback—it needs to remain effective and engaging.

These ideas can be a boon to your relaunch, a relaunch that revitalizes your brand, enhances user experience, and drives better results.

How To Push Your Relaunched Website Live

Pushing your website live is the culmination of your development efforts and requires careful execution. Try these things for a smooth and successful launch:

• Review and Testing

Before making your website public, conduct a final review and thorough testing. Check for any remaining issues such as broken links, missing images, or incorrect formatting. Test all interactive elements, including forms, buttons, and navigation menus, to see they work correctly. Perform cross-browser testing to confirm compatibility across different browsers and devices. It’s a must that your site be optimized for mobile: a significant portion of your traffic likely comes from mobile devices.

• Backup and Security Measures

Create a comprehensive backup of your site, including files and databases, before pushing it live. This guarantees you have a restore point in case anything goes wrong during the launch.

Putting security measures in place to protect your site from potential threats is also an essential activity. This includes installing an SSL certificate to encrypt data, setting up firewalls, and using security plugins to monitor and block malicious activity. Secure your server and website admin panel with strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

• DNS and Domain Configuration

Update your DNS settings to point to your new website. This involves changing the nameservers of your domain to those provided by your hosting provider. Be aware that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. To minimize downtime, consider making these changes during off-peak hours. Verify that your domain configuration, including subdomains and redirects, is correct so that there is a seamless transition for your visitors.

• Launching the Website

Once everything is set up and tested, it’s time to push your website live. Use your hosting provider’s control panel or FTP to upload the website’s files to the server. When working with a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, follow the platform-specific instructions for going live. After uploading, double-check that all links, forms, and interactive elements are functioning correctly. Clear your website’s cache; this will enable visitors to see the most recent version of your site.

• Post-Launch Monitoring and Promotion

After pushing your website live, monitor it closely to watch that everything is running smoothly. Again, tracking traffic, user behavior, and site performance is made simple with a solid analytics software. Be prepared to address any issues promptly, whether they are technical glitches or user feedback. Promoting your newly launched site can make sure it gets off the ground—think social media channels, email newsletters, and other marketing platforms. Announce the launch to your audience, and be blunt: point out the improvements that you’ve made that will enhance user experience.

By following these steps, you can push your website live with confidence, ensuring a smooth transition and a successful launch.

Selecting a Web Development Company To Launch a Website

Choosing the right web development company to launch your website is crucial for ensuring a successful online presence. Below are some things to think through before settling on a partner for web dev.

• Define Your Needs and Goals for a Web Dev Company

Before selecting a web development company, clearly define your project requirements and objectives.

Define for yourself the intent of the site. This will make it easier to zero in on a target audience and the features you need to appeal to those people. Consider whether you require e-commerce capabilities, custom functionalities, or integrations with other platforms.

Assemble these needs and concerns in a detailed project brief; such a document will serve you well when you go to try to tell a web designer what you’re trying to accomplish.

• Research and Shortlist Potential Website Development Companies

Start by researching web development companies that specialize in your industry or have experience with similar projects. Look for companies with a strong portfolio, showcasing their past work and capabilities. Check out client reviews and testimonials to get a sense for the company’s reputation and how happy their clients have been. Shortlist a few companies, ones that seem generally in line with what you need, and, just as importantly, that have demonstrated excellence in delivering high-quality websites.

• Evaluate Their Expertise and Services as a Web Dev Company

Once you have a shortlist, evaluate each company’s expertise and services. Consider their technical proficiency, including their knowledge of programming languages, content management systems, and development frameworks.

Assess their design capabilities, ensuring they can create a visually appealing and user-friendly website.

What’s more, check whether they offer additional services like SEO, digital marketing, and ongoing support, which can be beneficial for your project.

• Request Proposals and Compare Quotes on Website Developer Companies

Contact the shortlisted companies and request detailed proposals for your project.

The proposals should outline their approach, timeline, and cost estimates. Compare the proposals based on their understanding of your requirements, the proposed solutions, and the value they offer. Be wary of significantly low quotes. You do tend to get what you pay for. Or you tend to be told you’ll only be charged so much but are then hit with hidden fees and expenses down the road. Look for an organization that lays things out clearly, including a proposal that aligns with your budget and goals.

• Communication and Collaboration with a Website Developer

Communication and teamwork—these characteristics are central to well-functioning partnerships. Assess the company’s communication style and responsiveness during the initial interactions. Choose a company that keeps you in the loop with progress updates, transparent communication, and that empowers your decision-making with their insights. This kind of collaborative approach can get your vision realized, as you work together toward a common goal for your site.

• Review The Support and Maintenance Services of a Proposed Web Dev Partner

Launching a website is just the beginning. Ascertain whether the web development company offers reliable support and maintenance services post-launch. This includes troubleshooting, updates, and security monitoring to keep your site running smoothly. Discuss their support policies and response times to make it clear you have a reliable partner for ongoing maintenance.

By taking the time to address these issues, you can choose a web development company that aligns with your needs, delivers a high-quality website, and supports your long-term online success

Experience the DOM Difference in Web Development

Your website is where you showcase your goods and services. Launching a new site is always a bit nerve-wracking. You know you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Careful planning can ease your site launch tensions.

At DOM, hundreds of companies have trusted us to guide them through launching new sites. We are well-acquainted with the meticulous prep work that makes for a successful launch. And we’ve helped sites recover rankings after shaky website redesigns.

If you need help transitioning your site, consider our Website Migration Services.

Key Takeaways

• Thorough testing and quality assurance, including cross-browser and mobile responsiveness checks, are crucial before launching a website.
• Implementing effective SEO strategies and using analytics tools from day one can drive organic traffic and track website performance.
• A well-coordinated marketing campaign, including social media promotion and email blasts, is essential to attract visitors during a website launch or relaunch.
• Conducting a comprehensive audit and updating design and content are key steps in relaunching a website to enhance user experience and reflect current offerings.
• Choosing a web development company involves defining your project needs, evaluating expertise and services, and ensuring effective communication and post-launch support.