What to do After You Launch Your Small Business Website
June 27, 2022
Every modern small business needs a website. It’s where prospective leads and customers go to learn more about your company, what you do and why they should work with you. It’s a key part of effective small business marketing and your home online.
But, here’s the thing. Having a website is just the first step. It’s not the conclusion of your marketing strategy — it’s the foundation.
All too often, small business owners have a “if we build it, they will come” attitude about their website. Not only is this not even the real Field of Dreams quote, but it’s also far from the truth — at least far as your website is concerned.
Your website is a lot of things, but it’s definitely not a passive marketing tool. You need to take an active role in promoting and maintaining it if you want it to be effective.
You’ve spent days, weeks or even months painstakingly selecting every image you display on your website and getting your website content just right. Don’t let all of that hard work go to waste. Make the most of it.
Here is your guide on what to do after you’ve developed a great website for your small business:
So, you’ve developed a small business website — now what?
Connect website analytics tools
Rarely — if ever — are small business websites perfect out of the gate. And, even the ones that are perfect won’t remain so forever. They need to be updated regularly to keep up with the changing trends and times.
This is why it’s critical to connect website analytics tools as soon as your site goes live. These tools will show how people find and interact with your website, so you can make changes accordingly.
For example, if you see that most of your website traffic is coming from organic searches, you’ll know that your SEO (search engine optimization) strategy is working well. But, if you see that people are leaving your site after only visiting one page, you’ll know that you need to work on keeping them engaged.
There are a number of great website analytics tools available. Here are a few basics to get you started:
Google Analytics
One of the most popular website analytics tools, Google Analytics is free to use and relatively easy to set up. It provides a wealth of data on website traffic, including how people are finding your site, what they’re doing while they’re there and how long they’re staying.
Search Console
Another Google-based website analytics tool, Search Console is specifically designed to help you track and improve your website’s SEO. It provides data on how often your site appears in Google searches, what keywords people are using to find it and more.
Marketing 360® Intelligence
Marketing 360®’s all-in-one marketing software includes website analytics tools that clearly show you how people are interacting with your site. See channel comparisons side by side, monitor your performance month over month and more with easy-to-read reporting.
Your website is the foundation of your small business marketing strategy, and it’s important to get it right. Use these website analytics tools to track your progress and make sure your site is performing at its best.
Promote your new website
Just because your website is live, it doesn’t mean people will automatically find it. You need to actively promote your website if you want it to be successful.
There are a number of ways you can promote your website, and the best method will vary depending on your business, audience and goals. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
#1. Send an email announcing your new website
Email marketing is a fantastic way to get the word out about your new website with your existing leads and customers. You can announce your new website in a regular newsletter or send out a special email blast. Just make sure to include a link to your website so people can easily find it.
Here are a few tips for designing an effective marketing email:
- Personalize it – Incorporate the recipient’s name into the subject line or body of the email to make it more personal.
- Make it scannable – Keep your email content concise and easy to read with clear headlines and bullet points.
- Include a strong CTA – Tell recipients what you want them to do, such as visit your website, and make it easy for them to do it with a hyperlinked CTA.
- A/B test it – Try out different subject lines, email content, send times and more to see what gets the best response from your audience.
#2. Post about your new website on social media
Social media is a great way to promote your new website to a wider audience. Post about your new website on all of your social media channels and encourage your followers to check it out.
Consider boosting your website announcement post to get it in front of a much wider audience.
Here are a few tips for creating a social post that stands out:
- Use images – People are more likely to stop and read a social post that includes an image, so make sure to include one with your website announcement.
- Keep it short and sweet – No one wants to read a long, drawn-out post on social media. Keep your message concise and to the point.
- Include a CTA – Just like your email, include a CTA in your social post telling people what you want them to do, such as visit your website.
- Hashtags – Use relevant hashtags to help people find your post.
#3. Update your marketing materials to reflect your new site
If you have any existing marketing materials — business cards, flyers, etc. — make sure to update them with your new website address. This will help people find your website even if they’re not on social media or in your email database.
Plus, the last thing you want is to send someone to a website that’s no longer active.
#4. Add your website to online directories
Online directories are a great way to help people find your website, especially if they’re looking for businesses like yours. Having a profile with a link to your website on these directories helps more people in your area find your business, and it’s an important part of local SEO.
Some of the most popular online directories for local businesses include Google Business Profile, Yelp and Top Rated Local®.
Here are a few tips for making your listings stand out:
- Choose the right category – When you’re creating your profile, be sure to choose the most relevant category for your business. This will help people find you more easily when they’re searching for businesses like yours.
- Include high-quality photos – Most online directories allow you to include photos with your listing. Be sure to add some high-quality photos that showcase your business in the best light.
- Add as much information as possible – The more information you can include about your business, the better. Be sure to fill out your profile completely, and include any important details, like your website address, hours of operation, etc.
#5. Optimize your website for search engines
SEO is a process that helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher your website ranks, the more likely people are to find it when they’re searching for businesses like yours on search engines, like Google and Bing.
Here are a few quick tips to help you maximize SEO and increase your organic visibility:
- Do keyword research – The first step in any SEO strategy is understanding which keywords your target audience is searching for. Once you know which keywords to target, you can start incorporating them into your website content.
- Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions – Be sure to include your targeted keywords in your website’s title tags and meta descriptions. These are the elements that show up in SERPs, so it’s important to make them as keyword-rich as possible.
- Add alt text to images – Whenever you add an image to your website, be sure to include alt text. This is the text that appears if an image doesn’t load, and it’s also used by search engine crawlers to understand what an image is all about.
- Have a blog – Blogging is a great way to add fresh, keyword-rich content to your website on a regular basis. This helps improve your website’s SEO and can also help you attract more visitors.
#6. Get website traffic from advertising
If you want to jumpstart your website traffic, consider running a targeted ad campaign. Advertising can be expensive, but if you’re strategic about it, you can get a lot of bang for your buck.
For example, Google Ads is a great way to get targeted website traffic from people who are already searching for businesses like yours.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your advertising budget:
- Target the right audience – The first step is to make sure you’re targeting the right audience with your ads. This includes defining your target audience and understanding where they are spending their time online.
- Choose the right platform – Once you know who you want to reach, you need to choose the right advertising platform to reach them. There are a lot of different options out there, so it’s important to do your research and choose the one that will work best for your business.
- Test your ads and monitor your performance – Always test your ads before you launch a full campaign. This will help you fine-tune your ad strategy and ensure that your ads are performing well. Once you launch your campaign, be sure to monitor your performance so you can make changes as needed.
#7. Publish a press release
Another great way to generate website traffic is to publish a press release. This can be a great way to get some free exposure for your business.
When writing a press release, be sure to include:
- A catchy headline – The headline is the first thing people will see, so it’s important to make it attention-grabbing.
- An interesting story – A good press release tells a story that will interest your target audience. Be sure to include all the relevant details, including who, what, when, where and why.
- A call to action – Include a call to action at the end of your press release so people know what you want them to do next.
Promote your website and grow your business with Marketing 360®
Not only does the Marketing 360 Websites app make it easier than ever to develop a beautiful website for your small business, but Marketing 360 also has all of the tools you need to promote your website and grow your business, including:
- Email and text message marketing – The Nurture app makes it easy to create and send newsletters, coupons and other promotional materials to your email list. You can also create, launch and monitor text message marketing campaigns to stay in touch with leads and customers.
- Social media management – The Social app allows you to schedule and publish content to multiple social media profiles from one place. With the Social app, you can easily promote your website across all of your social media profiles.
- Content marketing and SEO – The Content app allows you to track your website’s performance on search engines and make changes to improve your ranking.
- Ads management – The Ads app allows you to capture market share and get in front of your customer base on the most popular channeling with multi-channel advertising.
- Local listings management – The Listings app helps you manage your business’s online listings on directories, like Google, Top Rated Local and Yelp. With the Listings app, you can ensure that your business is being found by potential customers in your local area.
- Reputation management – The Reputation app allows you to request reviews, as well as monitor and respond to reviews, from across the web. It has everything you need to build a strong reputation for your business.
- CRM (customer relationship management) software – The CRM app gives you the ability to track your leads and customers, so you can nurture your relationships and close more deals.
- Website and marketing analytics – The Intelligence app allows you to track your website’s traffic and see how people are finding and interacting with your site. With Intelligence, you can make changes to your marketing strategy to improve your website’s performance.
Marketing 360 is the only marketing platform that gives you everything you need to build and promote your new website — and manage and grow your business — all in one place.
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