Launching a new website can be an exciting venture. But in the midst of your enthusiasm, it’s important to be aware that there are a variety of common mistakes that can tank your success and keep you from experiencing results.
As your launch nears, here are five pitfalls you must do your best to avoid:
Not Capturing as Much Data as Possible
From day one, you should capture as much information as possible from every customer who visits your site. Analytics data can show you how a customer first wound up on your site and track their behavior as they navigate it.
You’ll also be able to determine how long customers spend on each page to help you figure out which products and content most resonate with them. It’s important to get set up with analytics quickly to ensure you can align your content, design, and marketing with what customers want most.
Not Focusing on Search Engine Optimization Early On
It’s a good idea to build your website from the ground up with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. At first glance, you may think that SEO is solely about researching keywords and optimizing your content or getting backlinks to your site. That’s certainly part of it, but there are more tasks to consider.
For example, you’ll need to submit your site’s “sitemap.xml” file to Google Search Console to ensure your site is properly indexed and crawled. You’ll also need to optimize page speed, check for errors, and fix broken links, as all of these things affect rankings.
Neglecting Your Security Obligations
For your website launch to be successful, you need to build trust with your customers. Having a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate installed is a big step in that direction. It will encrypt data as it passes between a user’s browser and your web servers, ensuring hackers can’t steal it. Not only that, but it will prevent Google’s search engine rankings from penalizing your site and warning your potential customers that it doesn’t have one.
Not Having a Call to Action
It’s always important to have a goal in mind for those who visit your website. Having a call to action (CTA) lets users know what steps you want them to take when they visit your site. It can be something as simple as signing up for your email list or taking advantage of a special offer. Whatever it is, make sure it is prominently displayed, and keep your language succinct to avoid confusion.
Not Optimizing for Mobile Users
These days, mobile devices account for most search engine traffic, and that’s why your site needs to have a responsive design that’s optimized for mobile users. If you want them to stay, your site needs to look clean and load quickly on their devices. You should also ensure that navigation works well on touchscreens of varying sizes.
You Don’t Have to Navigate a Launch Alone
Launching a new website can be a daunting task, especially with so many moving parts to juggle. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert in all of these things to create a successful site.
Our team has extensive experience designing and launching engaging websites that drive visitors and sales and help business owners maximize every potential lead. Whether you’re looking to enhance your brand, establish thought leadership, or increase conversions, contact Net Profit Marketing for a free consultation to see how we can help you reach your goals.
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