What is Involved in a Website Launch, Part 2

The second phase of launching a website builds on the foundation you have set in Phase 1 and it is all about content. Notice, we haven’t spent an ounce of energy on design yet, for the designer can’t possibly know where to place that “Contact Us” button if he doesn’t know your primary actions.

Create a Sitemap

One way to get clear about your content is to create a sitemap. There are many online tools to convert your existing content into a sitemap, but what I am talking about is a planning tool, a simple Word document that has a SmartArt flowchart of what pages your site will include. It is like a roadmap of sorts. You could use a Word document or you could use an online app like Creately or a download like Omnigraffle.

The sitemap will:

• Help you think out loud and visually so you can communicate with your designer;
• Allow you think through classifications and hierarchies of content, i.e. what is a parent page and what should go below that, and are there any branches from the child page.
• The sitemap also becomes a tool for organizing keywords when you start the copywriting phase of the project.

Create a mockup

The mockup or wireframe is the next phase of the launch, this is where you layout the content containers, placeholders if you will, so you can see how your content will flow from page to page. Notice, we still haven’t touched on the design elements of your website. It is so important to get clear about your content before the design can spring to life.

Again, you can use text boxes and a Word document to create your wireframe, but there are online tools that will help you do this, too, try Mockingbird,  or Mockflow, or Jumpchart.

Core Words and Content

Now finally, we are getting to the actual content of your website. Before you begin writing your pages, think about your primary reader (prospect). Can you imagine this person in your head?

I think it helps to create a persona for your imaginary reader, find a picture that works, create a name, give your person a location and a background. Then, whenever you are writing, you can write directly to your new friend and prospect, let’s call her Penelope.

Think about what Penelope would want to do when she comes to your site. Make a list of the features in which she would be interested, note to self – it’ not really YOU, I mean she might be a little interested in you, but she is more interested in herself and what she can get accomplished by visiting your site. Remember, readers are impatient, they are looking for an action to take.

Penelope’s interests and tasks form the basis of the core marketing words you will use on your site. You can test your core words (ie, your keywords) by using a free tool from Google. Some phrases will have more traffic than others. This tool will help you refine the phrases you want to use on your site.

The most important part of your website content is the offer. You probably wrestled with this in the beginning when you settled on your website purpose, action and results. Now is the time to bring this into play. Convert your main action into an offer.

What will your offer be?

Next up, What is Involved in a Website Launch, Part 3, but meanwhile what are your thoughts?