Congratulations - It’s… a website!
Your business’ fresh new home is ready and available to the public. Are you ready to show it off?!
I chatted with my friend Megan Ashbrenner for some pointers to get you going in the right direction.
Say It Loud And Say It Proud!
Let your audience know about the new site. Share it far and wide! We worked hard on this together, and you’ve earned the right to brag a little. If you have an email list, now’s the time to reach out to them about your new look.
KISS - Keep It Simple + Searchable
When you’re looking for a product or service online, there’s nothing worse than info that’s hard to find or out of date. Make sure that when something changes in real life, it changes on your website, too.
Tell Them Why It’s Good For Them
While the old adage “show, don’t tell” is generally a good rule to live by, we want to do the opposite here. Those visiting your website may be excited about the new design... but then what? Highlight the new features that apply to them. Improved, easy to use contact form? “I can’t wait to hear from you!” Better checkout process? “We’ve made checkout easier and more streamlined to get your goodies to you even faster.”
Put Yourself Out There
The world is a big web of people helping people, so don’t be afraid to network! Partner with a local site and do a guest blog. Inquire about getting on an upcoming list article with a cultural publication. Send an email on over to a local news or radio station and see if they’re interested in something you’re working on. It doesn’t have to be scary, and it’ll never hurt to have them keep you in mind!
Give ‘Em A Reason To Come Back
It’ll be exciting to get people coming to your website, but how do we bring them back? Offers, a contest or a small discount code can go a long way. Start a blog to keep everyone up to date on what you’re up to, news about the shop, and events you’ll be at. It’s a great glimpse into the workings of your business, and it doubles as interesting social content.
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener - But Sometimes, It Is
Stay up to date on trends. Visit websites of other small businesses in the area, as well as those that are similar to yours, but in other areas of the country. What are they doing right? What are they doing that could be better? Do your research, and use it to better inform your website updates.
Show up!
Submit your business and website to online directories, like Google, Yelp, the Yellow Pages, and any relevant local groups or publications. Encourage your followers and past customers to leave reviews and testimonials. Doing so will lend credence to your business and help you show up further toward the top of search results.
Search Engine Optimization is important, so whether you get an outside consult or decide to take it on yourself, it’s a good thing to know and help grow your business.
Use Your Resources
There are an infinite number of free classes on any subject you could imagine, related to marketing and growing your business. Here are a few we like:
Google Skillshop: Learn SEO, email and video marketing and more.
Facebook Business: A wide variety of general courses on both Facebook and Instagram.
LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning has a lot of courses on marketing, but also other business subjects (bookkeeping, HR, etc.).
If you need help getting started with any of these tips, reach out and we can work through them together.