Your Website has launched,  now what?

You’ve finally done it – you’ve finished your website! The layout is beautiful! The content is engaging! It’s simple, secure, and search engine optimized to boot! You’ve checked and double checked, and you think you’re finally ready to launch your site and see what it can do for your business. Congratulations!

It’s important to remember, though, that creating a website may be enough to establish an online presence, but maintaining this presence requires – you guessed it – maintenance. Here’s what you need to know to successfully manage and make the most of your site after launching it.

Don’t Expect Overnight Results

While creating a website for your small business can have an enormous impact on your long-term success, these effects might not be immediately apparent. Don’t get discouraged, though. Search engines are particularly critical of new sites as they scan their content and keywords for legitimacy and value. This process frequently takes around 90 days, during which time your site might fluctuate in its search engine rankings and traffic volume.

Rather than anxiously watching as your site is judged by the search engine jury, use this time to adjust your site, continue updating your content, and spread the word about your new site to existing customers and business contacts. This will increase site traffic naturally while also improving your chances of ranking favorably with search engines once your trial period is over.

Create a Plan for the Future

Now that you’ve handled the brass tacks of creating your website, focus on how you want to manage it moving forward. Creating a schedule for future format and content updates can leave you feeling better-prepared to keep your online presence fresh and relevant. You should also plan for periodic scans and backups to ensure you don’t lose the valuable work you’ve put into your website to crashes or viruses.

This is also a great time to consider future expansions, such as establishing a social media presence. Thinking about how far you want your online business to reach and creating plans for this potential expansion will save panic and frustration later by allowing you to start laying the groundwork from day one.

Submit Your Site to Online Directories

Online directories like Google, Bing, and Yahoo are essential for bringing in traffic to your new site. Submitting your site to these directories considerably improves your chances of receiving a higher SEO ranking and makes it easier for potential customers to find you. While some directories charge an annual fee, you might consider this a worthwhile expense for the extra exposure. If not, don’t worry – there are plenty of free options out there, too.

Keep Creating Content

Adding new content to your website keeps it feeling fresh for both repeat customers and new visitors, and that freshness pays off in SEO rankings. Weekly blog posts, monthly specials, and seasonal adornment can all improve the impression that your website leaves on visitors, further enhancing your business. Additionally, each bit of new content you add to your site is an opportunity to implement your marketing strategy, link to other sites, and bring in new traffic. It’s a simple step that can make all the difference in your business’ online success.

I know that this all sounds overwhelming and time-consuming.  That’s where I come in!  Contact me if you’d like more information on my services to get your site listed in directories, content curation, social media management & maintenance.