By Beth Cole

Here’s a handy big picture website launch checklist to sum up the Website Launch Series that finished last week.

Check out the other post articles here….

1. Laying the Foundation;
2. Content;
3. Design;
4. Promotion.

Here’s the checklist:

Website Planning

1. Define website purpose
2. Define readers (users) in terms of a persona or personas
3. Clarity on primary action(s)
4. Domain name
5. Hosting

Website Function

1. Define technical requirements of the site, for example
   • Blog
   • Ecommerce
   • Forms
   • Polls
   • Member registrations
   • Private areas
   • Photo galleries
   • Event management

Website Content

1. Decide who will be the website manager
2. Create the sitemap
3. Research and choose keyword phrases
4. Create content for each page
5. Incorporate keyword phrases in page titles, page descriptions, page headings, and links
6. If blogging is part of your plan, create an editorial calendar or schedule for posting
7. Create or source video/photo/audio content
8. Choose optin list management tool

Website Design

1. Research industry trends
2. Create wireframe layout of content buckets
3. Choose color palette
4. Create home and subpage layout
5. Approval and signoff
6. Convert design to xhtml/css and/or cms framework
7. Test on development platform

Website Development

1. Add content and functionality to the site
2. Incorporate social marketing tools
3. Cross-browser testing
4. Train user on CMS tool, social marketing, email newsletter if applicable
5. Launch and support!

Have I overlooked anything important? Please do tell.

by Beth Cole

I had a great time last week at Marketplace 2010, the small business conference sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) in Nebraska. I had a hard time choosing from the concurrent sessions. I ended up with mostly sessions on marketing because I always want to improve and grow in this area, for myself and for my clients.

Judging from the packed house in all the sessions I attended, marketing is kind of a big deal for most small businesses.

There was a lot of energy around social marketing, you know, how to do the Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn thing. But there was just as much talk around traditional marketing, knowing your prospects, putting it all together in a plan, knowing how your website fits into the strategy, etc.

In working with small businesses, I have found marketing, especially defining ideal clients, as a stumbling block for many.

So I’m just curious, is there anything about marketing that stops you from doing it?

Please fill in the blank and don’t be shy now.

What stops me from marketing is_____________________________________.

by Beth Cole

“I don’t want to be a Christian dork.”

This is one fear that prevents many believers (myself included)  from stepping into the life and the identity God has prepared for us.

The Vertical Self, by Mark Sayers, is about recognizing this identity and owning it in a way that is the total opposite of dorkiness, a new level of  “cool.”  It is about accepting no substitutes for the best life God intends for you.

This book held me captive from the beginning. I felt like I was sitting at the feet of a gentle story teller as the author gave example after example of what it means to seek an identity from culture or other people’s opinions. I could definitely relate to the evidence of this identity crisis that I see all around me and in myself.

This book gave me a biblical wake up call of who I am in Christ. It made me think. I gained a fresh perspective on what I can hold on to and what I will let go of. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

Read it if you are ready to be challenged and changed.

—
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

by Beth Cole

This is the fourth article in our Website Launch series, here are links to previous articles about laying the groundwork for your site, figuring out your content, and communicating through design.

There are lots of ways to generate traffic to your website. To put these tools in perspective, try visualizing your website as the hub and your marketing tools as spokes in a wheel leading toward the hub.

The marketing tools you use will depend on what works with your target market and your personal preferences. Any tools you choose should be in addition to rich keyword phrases you have already incorporated into your site to gain traffic from keyword searches.

Here are eighteen ideas to help generate traffic to your website:

• Article marketing. In addition to articles you post on your own blog, you can also write articles for articles directories such as Go Articles or Ezine Articles. You will need to be approved as an author prior to posting, but you can place a short bio and link to your website at the end of every article. Your article dashboard will show you popularity and reading trends about every article you write.
• Guest posting. This is becoming more popular and effective, especially if you can forge a relationship with a leader in your industry that will allow you to post occasionally, great visibility!
• Email newsletters. Most professionals include email newsletters along with regular blog posts as standard ways to communicate with clients and prospects. Include a special offer each month to ensure visits to your site.
• Classes and Webinars. All you need is a bridge line to make this work. At the end of the call, give your special offer which can be found on your website.
• Videoconferencing. Tools like dimdim.com or gotomeeting.com make it easy to visually connect and share your desktop or powerpoint presentation, include a special offer so people will visit your website after the meeting is over.
• Email signature. Make sure you are publicizing your website URL at the end of every email that goes out.
• Pay-per-click ads. Google, Bing and Yahoo! all offer pay-per-click advertising opportunities. This works best with a specific offer that you are making to prospects, for example, promoting a class, or a conference, or a FREE webinar or product download.
• Facebook ads. If your prospects are on Facebook, consider advertising there. Like PPC ads, you can set a budget and promote a special offer to prospects.
• Local profile. Google allows you to set up a business profile that is extremely important if you are offering services within a geographic area. Go to google.com/lbc
• Google profile. Your Google personal profile can also help you be found and can send more traffic to your site, set this up at google.com/profiles.
• Social media profiles. All the major social networking hubs i.e. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, ask for your company website. If you are not using these tools, now is a great time to give it a try. Twitter is the second busiest incoming link to my site.
• Business cards. This goes without saying, your website URL should always be on your business cards. Many people keep cards simple these days with just phone number and website, the rest of the info can be found online.
• Speaking. Whenever you speak, whether it is for an in-person or online event, offer a handout with a special offer from your website. This is a great way to build relationships and your mailing list. (By the way, I am available if you need a speaker, here are some of my speaking topics.)
• Print articles. People still read magazines! If you like to write, magazine articles are a great way to build visibility, credibility, and traffic to your website.
• Print newsletters. You can still send a newsletter in the mail, and you are more likely to stand out if it is exceptionally well done. Include your website address for sure.
• Direct mail. I picked up a great tip from teamdavid.com last week, create a special offer that doesn’t expire and print 5,000 of the jumbo postcards to get the best printing rate. Then send 100 a week to your target market. This way you are always doing something to promote your business.
• Tradeshows. This method will cost more, but might yield greater results if your target audience doesn’t spend much time online.
• Networking. This is not about selling, but about giving. Remember the rule of 3: Find 1 person you want to remember, 1 person to remember you, and 1 person to help. Givers gain and website visits will happen as a result.

In addition to using Google Analytics on your website to track your visitor statistics, be sure to ask every new prospect how they found your website so you can track what marketing techniques are working.

So let me ask you this, what are your favorite ways to promote your website?

This concludes the four part series on launching your website.  I will post a Website Launch Checklist next week that will hopefully be a great resource to help you hit the ground running on your next new website project. Tally ho!

Anyone can apply to be a book reviewer, after acceptance you will be able to choose a book to review and in exchange you agree to write a short review on your blog.

The books I will be reviewing may be business related, but they will more likely pertain to the bigger picture of life. I am hoping these reviews will be an encouragement to you, much like I have been encouraged by other people’s reviews.

My first review will be The Vertical Self, by Mark Sayers, and I am looking forward to sharing it with you. I may review other books that aren’t part of the BookSneeze program, too.

What do you think, are you going to become a book reviewer, too?

**Please note** This is not a paid endorsement of my company, this is Mary’s opinion, but I want to say thank you in advance for the positive feedback she shares in the interview.

Take it away, Mary!

Q1. What aspect of your website launch took the most time for you?

Gathering the content—which required attention to branding image, tone, flow, relevancy, phraseology, and proper grammar usage. We had three writers and creating “one voice” was vital.

Q2.  What surprised you the most about the process?

The amount of detail that comprises a site and the needed concentrated focus it demands. One main surprise element that we discovered was the smooth process that is possible with a knowledgeable, organized, and efficient website designer who leads the process from beginning to end. Beth Cole guided us every step of the way and we knew step by step what we needed to complete. She was observant if she felt an important element was missing and knew how to create and develop what we needed. She knew what questions to ask us and was collaborative throughout the process.

Q3.  If you had it to do over again, would you change anything?

My experience was superb and I wouldn’t change anything except allot more time in my schedule to tend to the website process.

Q4. What is your top piece of advice for someone who is considering a new website or website makeover?

Ensure that your website designer is knowledgeable, organized, and an efficient manager who can lead the process from beginning to end, pays attention to detail and someone you can count on and enjoy working with on the project.

Thanks to my team (including the best Joomla wrangler ever, @vivclark) and the entire team at CCE!

I am hunkered down over my keyboard click clacking away and I hear this bumping sound which I can’t quite put my finger on.  There isn’t a word to describe how it sounds (think bird beak on glass) but maybe kinda like shlack, shlack….shlack.

I go back to clacking and pretty soon, there is the shlack, shlack, shlack again and this time it is really close and I see this little bird head, black with a yellow beak, and he is shlacking my office window, trying to fly through the glass for pete’s sake.

He started at the bedroom window, worked his way around the house to the laundry room window, now he’s at my office window – trying to flying through the glass. Lack of success doesn’t stop him. He gets a run at it and tries again at least two or three times.

This has been happening intermittently for at least the last two months. I don’t know if it’s the same bird but you would think after so many fails he would find a new game.

I can relate to this bird in a strange sort of way. Because there are so many times in my life where I have tried to fly through the window over and over again, of course, going nowhere. Sometimes I just change windows. Like the bird.

I read somewhere this is the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

The beautiful lesson here is that as business owners and wives and husbands and moms and dads and sons and daughters we don’t have to fly into the same window. We can change marketing language, service offers, conversations, boundaries and quality time spent together. We CAN change. Unlike that little bird. Think of the possibilities.

So what windows are you flying into? What can you change to get a better result?

Tell me about it.

[Image Flickr Chefranden]

The WebServant team met our website needs with competency, attention to detail, promptness, along with stellar customer service. The website process from beginning to launch was seamless. Their follow-up process is commendable—providing service as CCE grows and evolves. Thank you, Beth, and the WebServant team.
–Mary Verstraete, Center for Coaching Excellence, CEO & Co-Founder

Thank you CCE for choosing the WebServant for your website project!