I have a new website, now what do I do with it? We get asked this relatively often and decided to create this article to help new site owners get started on the right track.
Security First
We suggest starting with a focus on security. Let’s keep your new website safe and operational so you can receive a return on your investment.
Save a backup of the site
If {DEVADiGM} developed the site for you, we will send you a zip file with a backup of the website files. Store this in a safe place. The site should also be consistently backed up, with the frequency depending on how often you update. We can help create a backup plan that meets your needs.
Change your password on your new website
If your website was built using a CMS like WordPress, you should have access to an admin account. If {DEVADiGM} developed the site for you, we emailed you the login info shortly after the site launch. You should log in and change the password to a unique, secure password that includes lower and upper case letters, numbers, and special characters.
Maintenance
Consistent maintenance of your website is crucial to keeping the site secure and updated. If you have a WordPress website, be sure to update the software often and run security checks to keep your site operating safely and securely. {DEVADiGM} offers WordPress Maintenance Plans to handle this for you, ensuring it’s done consistently and correctly and allowing you to continue to focus on your customers.
Websites Aren’t Like The Field of Dreams
I love the classic baseball movie and the line, “If you build it, they will come”. Unfortunately, this theory doesn’t apply to a new website. People don’t visit sites that they don’t know about and aren’t directed to. Google doesn’t immediately or automatically index sites and rank them. Being displayed in search engine rankings takes effort and time. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your digital presence to increase your rankings on search engine results. One aspect of SEO is digital engagement throughout your online portfolio. Engagement consists of actions such as likes, shares, and comments on social media and your website.
Engage Your Audience
You have resources at your fingertips! Take a few minutes today to post an announcement on all your social media accounts including business and personal (if appropriate) Facebook pages, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If you already have an email list, send an announcement out to your audience. Reach out to your network and ask both professional and personal contacts to share your posts with the link to your site. Do you belong to a networking or other professional group? If so, it may be appropriate to announce your new website launch to your group. You could also submit a press release (or have {DEVADiGM} do it for you).
Digital Advertising
A great way to get your new website in front of a larger audience quickly is to advertise. Marketing campaigns on Facebook, Google, or Bing can get your ad in front of many people and should be directed towards your target audience. To start with, consider boosting the Facebook post you made to announce the launch of the new site (see above) to promote the announcement. You can do so for as little as $5 which should get your post in front of a couple hundred users. The more you pay, the more users that will see your post.
{DEVADiGM} works with clients to create and manage digital marketing campaigns to help clients find more customers and generate more leads and sales.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing is a great way to create and maintain top of mind awareness with your audience. As mentioned above, if you have an email list, send out an update letting your audience know about your new website. If you don’t have an email list or would like to increase your audience, {DEVADiGM} can help you. We are adept at working with Mailchimp and Constant Contact and help our clients setup email marketing campaigns.
Keep Your Content Fresh
An important aspect of maintaining your website is to keep the content fresh. Potential customers can be quickly turned away by seeing outdated hours of operation, specials, or other information. Keeping the content on your site updated and relevant ensures your site remains a good resource for your audience.
Blogging
Blogging is a great way to generate engagement and get people onto your site and talking about it. The type and frequency of articles you write will vary depending on what kind of business you have and what your goals are, but the main rule to keep in mind is that the information should benefit your target audience. For example here at {DEVADiGM}, the information in the content of our articles is geared towards business owners and entrepreneurs who have, or should have, a digital presence.
In Summary
As you can see, there is a lot of work to do to create and maintain a successful digital presence. There are a lot of resources to assist you in this endeavor, including us. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you’d like help with any steps along the way.
