The Only Checklist You Need for Launching Your Startup’s Website - Quick Sprout
The Only Checklist You Need for Launching Your Startup’s Website - Quick Sprout |
The Only Checklist You Need for Launching Your Startup’s Website Posted: 19 Sep 2016 07:02 AM PDT Ah, website launches. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are something every business needs to do. I've been through a ton of website launches, so it's kind of a ho-hum process now. But even if I go into a website launch with a nonchalant attitude, something usually happens—something unexpected.
I could go on and on. Here's the thing—website launches are important. And more often than not, there's something wonky that happens. These wonky surprises can destroy your SEO and cause your entire website to flounder from the start. Even if you're fairly experienced with the process and have built multiple sites, launching a new website can still be overwhelming and stressful. There are a lot of components involved in a website launch, and there's a lot of potential for hiccups along the way. Overlooking even a few subtle elements can have disastrous consequences. What if there are blatant typos? Or what if your visitors get the dreaded "page not found" error? It's going to be a poor reflection on your company and could send would-be customers running. The bottom line is that no one is perfect, and even the top professionals can overlook a few details. What I've learned from launching multiple sites is that it's crucial to follow a formula that forces me to leave no stone unturned. This way I can cover myself and ensure that the entire process goes off without a hitch. The best way to accomplish this is to follow a checklist and work your way through it step by step. Here is the only checklist you need for launching your startup's website. LayoutFirst things first. You'll want to cover the basics in terms of web design to ensure your site looks great and is easily navigable. Visitors should have a seamless experience without needing to think too much about how to get where they need to go. Here are things to attend to at this stage:
CompatibilityToday's Internet users access websites from a variety of devices and browsers. In particular, the use of mobile devices has become increasingly common: 80% of people are using smartphones, and 47% are using tablets. That's why it's crucial to avoid fundamental glitches that can create compatibility issues. Make sure that:
FunctionalityIt should go without saying, but users expect a fluid experience. Any glitches or malfunctions can increase your bounce rate, and it'll be much more difficult to nurture leads. With 55% of visitors spending fewer than 15 seconds on a website, you need to cover all the bases and optimize your site's functionality to keep your visitors browsing and minimize your bounce rate. Make sure that:
Site speedTime is of the essence when your website is loading. The longer it takes your site to load, the higher your abandonment rate will be. If it takes longer than three seconds to load, you've already lost 40% of your visitors. That's no good. Here are just a few other eye-opening stats. A one-second delay in page load time yields:
That's why I can't stress enough just how crucial it is to check the speed of your site and do whatever it takes to optimize it. Ideally, you'll be able to get your loading time under three seconds. Here are some specific things to look into:
This should cover the basics, but you can get a lot more ideas about speeding up your website by checking out this resource. ContentIt's been said time and time again—content is king. Content is arguably the lifeblood of your website. Any lack of professionalism or mediocre quality will hurt you in the long run. Providing A+ content is important not only for maximizing average session duration but also for your overall conversion rate. That's why you need to be borderline obsessive about dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s in this department. Make sure that:
Understanding and implementing the fundamentals of on-site SEO is incredibly important. This is your ticket to getting found in search engines and driving a consistent stream of organic traffic to your site. When it comes to SEO, a lot of elements need to be covered.
AnalyticsRight from the get-go, you need to be diligent about keeping tabs on your traffic. You want to be able to analyze visitor behavior, ways you are acquiring your traffic, length of time visitors are staying on your site, your bounce rate, and so on. Doing so is essential for spotting patterns and trends and ultimately making key adjustments to optimize conversions. That's why I recommend setting up some type of analytics platform when launching your startup's website. I think that Google Analytics is sufficient for generating the basic data needed for most startups, especially during the initial stages. However, you may also want to utilize a more comprehensive platform such as Crazy Egg so that you can visually see where your visitors are clicking. One of my companies, Kissmetrics, is another helpful tool for better interpreting your data. Here are some essential analytics-related steps to cover:
SecurityDid you know that "the number of U.S. data breaches tracked in 2015 totaled 781?" According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, “this represents the second highest year on record since the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) began tracking breaches in 2005." Website security is no joke, especially for companies in the business sector, health/medical industry, and banking/financial/credit sector because these industries have reported the highest number of data breaches on average. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, the catalyst for the majority of cyber attacks was hacking. It's important to remember that no one is completely exempt from an attack. If it can happen to big name companies like Sony and Target, it can definitely happen to a small startup. I'm not trying to freak you out, but website security has never been more essential than today. If your data is ever compromised, it can quickly open a can of worms. It can tarnish your reputation, lead to costly downtime, and even result in costly penalties from the government. Some specific points you'll want to check off include the following:
ConclusionThis checklist should serve as a way to foolproof the process of launching your startup's website. By having a systematized sequence of steps to follow, you'll know for sure you're not missing any important details. Once it's actually time to launch, you can rest easy, knowing your visitors will have the best experience possible. Your site will load quickly and have plenty of aesthetic appeal; visitors will be able to navigate your site with ease; and security won't be an issue. When it's all said and done, you can keep visitors on your site longer, efficiently move them through the sales funnel, and, most importantly, maximize your conversion rate. Which elements do you think are the most important to address when launching a new website? |
You are subscribed to email updates from Quick Sprout. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States |