Launching a new website: Further considerations
A companion article to this also exists which highlights the key points of launching a new website.
Once you have attended to the key points needed to launch your site and you are in the fortunate position of having more time to improve the launching of your new site – you may want to consider the following with your web designer:
- Optimising your site for Google (SEO: Search Engine Optimisation) There are many things you can do to improve your rankings in Google so that people can find your site more easily when they search. These can involve structuring your content and what you say in a particular way, to using key words. Your web designer will be able to advise you on this or at least point you in the right direction.
- Save current users links: Re-directions If you are launching a new version of a website that already exists, there are likely to be pages and content that are the same or at least are similar in purpose. Users often bookmark links to pages they like, and when a new site launches often these links change so a users bookmarks can get ‘broken’ which can be frustrating for previous users of your site. This can be remedied by creating ‘re-directs’ where people using links to the old site get redirected to the most relevant link on the new site. Your web designer can assist you with creating these re-directs.
- Help Google find your site: Google webmasters As well as working with your site content to improve your rankings in Google searches, you can make it easier for Google to find your website and its pages in the first place. Google Webmasters is a facility that allows you to notify Google about your website – your web designer will be able to assist you in doing this.
- Use supporting social media If you use social media such as Twitter, Facebook or Blogs elsewhere you can use these to publicise the launch of you’re new website, and attract new visitors.
- Populate your news sections Often websites have sections that hold news articles, having at least a few articles (rather than just one) can present a more favourable impression that this is a site where things are happening!
Your web designer or web design agency should be able to advise you on all of these points and more to ensure a successful launch to your new website.
Pranath Fernando
