Wondering what to have in place before going live with your website? Read this post for my best advice!
I recently received an email asking, “What do I need to have in place before I actually go live with my website?”
I thought this was a really great question! Honestly? I think everyone will give you different advice, depending on who you ask.
But in my opinion, here is what I think you should have in place before going live with your website:
1. A website that works.
Obviously, you want to have a website that is up and running and working smoothly.
I also loved this tip from @virginiamdavidsonspeaks: “Have a nice tagline in your title so that people know what you’re all about!”
I totally agree! In addition to making sure your website is up and running, it’s a really good idea to make sure people can instantly tell what your website is about.
You have about 2-3 seconds to convince people they should stay on your website. Make sure people don’t have to scroll down or click around to figure out what you’re all about!
2. At least 5 posts live.
I typically recommend having at least 5 posts live before you go public with your blog, announce that it’s live, and start actively promoting it on social media.
This helps people get a general idea of the types of blog posts they can expect from your site.
It also gives people some content to explore when they’re visiting your site for the first time. You don’t want them to come visit your site, see you only have one post up, and then leave!
3. An idea of your next 5-10 posts.
I also think it’s helpful to have a general idea of what your next 5-10 posts will be.
This helps keep up your momentum and excitement to keep writing and showing up consistently for your audience.
{Having a clear purpose statement helps keep you motivated, too! Make sure you know why you’re blogging. Thanks for that reminder, @thispilgrimlife!}
Also, don’t forget to keep your target audience in mind as you write posts so that you’re meeting the needs of your ideal reader!
Psst! Need some inspiration for what to write about? Ask yourself these 10 questions and check out this post on how to know if your idea is worth publishing.
4. An About page.
Having a great about page is really important, because it helps people know who you are and what you’re all about.
If at all possible, I would definitely aim to have your About page all set up before going publicly live with your site.
And if you plan to work with companies or earn affiliate revenue, be sure to have a really clear disclosure and privacy policy set up. (Thanks for that tip, @hemadeitbeautiful!)
5. Social media set up and linked.
I think it’s important to also have your social media channels secured and linked on your website so people know where to find you.
If you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, I recommend starting with and focusing on just one social media channel in the very beginning.
Speaking of time, @thispilgrimlife sent in a great tip: “Make sure you have an idea of when you’ll work. Blogging is a lot more work than people realize and it requires perseverance.”
I wholeheartedly agree! It’s so important to make sure you’re going to have the time to blog and have a concrete idea of when you’ll be able to get the work done!
BONUS: Email Newsletter Set Up
This is definitely a bonus, but if possible, it’s really nice to have your email newsletter all set up and ready to go!
Want to take it a step further? Have your freebie opt-in all set up, so that people have a reason to subscribe to your newsletter!
Do you have any other ideas on what to have in place before going live with your website? I’d love to hear!
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