Social networking sites such as Twitter have increasing importance in marketing a brand.
A badly planned website launch can have disastrous results, turning your optimism to disappointment and losing your users as quickly as you've gained them. Learning the basics of creating a successful launch will gain your website an advantage among competitors and help to attract an audience right at the beginning of your venture.
Instructions
Prepare
1. Get a pen and paper and write down everything essential to the marketing of your website. Remember, your website is a brand. In whatever form suits your creativity--a diagram or a list. For example, note your purpose, your message and the unique selling point that will make your website a success with users.
2. Buy an effective domain name. Make the name as short as possible and relevant to the content of the website. If the site has Hollywood news and reviews, for example, include "movies" or another keyword in the domain name. Purchase the domain from a website such as GoDaddy.com, DomainNamePeople.com or Domain.com, for an annual fee of between $10 and $20. Choose a service that offers automatic renewal since good domain names can be taken over by competitors if not renewed in time.
3. Set a budget, gain start-up assets and ensure your business fulfils all the necessary laws in your state. A budget states how much money you have and how much money you will need for specific aspects of the launch. Assets may include technology, premises to work from and money to pay staff. Visit Business.gov for more information on business laws in your state.
4. Set a launch date and stick to it. To set a realistic date, ask yourself whether you truly have the time, money and expertise to make the website ready for the projected date. If you have doubts, allow more time. This date may become a major feature of your promotions, e.g., "Countdown to January 1, 2012."
5. Upload a holding page to the website, hiding the actual website from view while it is being developed and tested. The content may be as simple as a logo, a slogan and the launch date. Make it informative and unique to the site, rather than using an "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon" graphic that web users have seen before.
Promote
6. Set up accounts with leading social networking sites such as Facebook.com, Twitter.com and MySpace.com to start promoting your website and its brand. Post regular updates and make the time and effort to interact with other users, rather than just "spamming" them with advertising.
7. Write and distribute a press release that includes essential information such as what the website is about, why the content is relevant to readers and the launch date and details. Focus on the website's unique selling point--what makes it different from competitor sites. Email it to newspapers, magazines, websites, bloggers and other media, especially those with an audience and content similar to yours.
8. Promote your website directly through your own media. Make videos to post to YouTube.com, set up a simple blog with Blogger.com, or create podcasts to be shared through your social website accounts.
Launch
9. Hold a "real-life" website launch event. Invite the media, members of your target audience, potential advertisers and sponsors and anyone else relevant to your brand and the content of your website. Features of the launch event may include a short multimedia presentation, entertainment and refreshments.
10. Hold a simultaneous online launch. You may want something highly interactive, such as live-streaming of the launch event or live chat. To keep it simpler, you may simply announce the launch simultaneously through your social networking site accounts.
11. Keep on interacting and promoting your brand. Do not stop with the launch. Continue to market through social websites, blogs and other media. Listen to feedback from your users and maintain personable, professional relationships with people in the media.
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