How to Promote a New Website
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A new website is a significant investment of time and money, and the weeks immediately after it goes live are a fantastic opportunity to announce the launch and start to see that hard work pay off. If you’re wondering how best to promote your new website, read on.
Reminder: be sure to leave your site status as new website coming soon until either you’ve done all the checks listed here, or your website professional gives you the thumbs up to start announcing your new website.
In the meantime, you can be making a marketing plan for your website launch.
Here’s a list of suggestions for website launch communications, that I offer my clients
You can pick some or all of these, and obviously work on them gradually if that feels more manageable.
Prepare a simple website launch marketing plan
If you’re an author or solopreneur, you probably don’t need a rigid or burdensome website launch marketing plan.
However, do prepare by selecting launch announcement ideas from the following lists. As mentioned above, don’t go public with your news until your website designer confirms all is ready.
Since pictures get more attention than mere words, aim to make a few website visuals to support your communications too.
I provide a few mockups for sharing, to all of my custom clients. See how to work with me here.
You can also use tools like Canva, Smart Mockups, TechSini, and GoFullPage to make quick and easy visuals.
Related: mockup tools I love, for books and other graphics
Plan for your energy levels for when you’ll make website launch announcements. Chances are, you’re trying to run a business or write your next book at the same time. Whenever you reach out to others, expect that at least a proportion of them will respond!
Share the news: website launch announcement ideas
Add your new website address to:
Your bio for social media accounts, including Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkTree, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and BookBub
Your Amazon author page
Medium, Substack, your online course platform, and anywhere that you have a regular “guest” column
Your profile in any online memberships or networking groups, your alumni association, and your real-life Meetup profile
Your email footer
Your standard out-of-office email response template
Standard templates for newsletters, invoices, and letterheads
Bookmarks, business cards, and other fan / client materials
The back matter of your published books
Any lead magnets, white papers, resources or other PDFs that you distribute to your audience
Your upcoming holiday card letter or end-of-year news roundup
Your company vehicles, or car magnets, if applicable
Share your new website, ideally with a screenshot or mockup visual, as an update on the platforms mentioned above
Send an email (newsletter) to friends, family, current, and past clients. They’ll enjoy seeing your online home, and several of my clients have reported immense joy from the renewed conversations this creates.
Related: Does an author still need an email list?This is an ideal time to update the banner images on your social media accounts, to match your new website branding
Tell Google about your sitemap. Here are easy instructions for doing this, if your website is built with Squarespace.
Consider running a promotion or giveaway to celebrate your new website and to drive traffic there. Make sure the prize appeals to your ideal audience, not everyone. For example: a prize of 5 books from authors you love in your genre would be better than giving away Amazon credit.
Collaborate for a win-win website launch
This is an excellent time to collaborate with others, especially if you think about what’s in it for them and their audience, not you. For example:
Your alumni association magazine is likely looking for interesting updates: your new website can be the jumping off point for a wider article about what you’re doing these days
Ask anyone else involved in launching your website (for example, your web designer, copywriter, and brand photographer) to share the new site too. It’s a win-win for getting all of you in front of new people.
Ongoing website opportunities and reminders
Get into the habit of mentioning your website — especially if it offers useful resources — during in-person conversations, when someone shows genuine interest in learning more about your work. Obviously, don’t be obnoxious about it, but don’t be shy, either.
Set calendar reminders to review your web pages and make updates. How often you need to do this depends on your business, the amount and frequency of news you want to share, and whether or not you’re blogging. As an absolute minimum, aim to review your website text once a year.
Related: Is blogging still worth it?And depending which website platform you’re using, you might need to plan for regular backups and updates, too. This is one reason I love Squarespace (they do it for us!) but if you’re using WordPress, be sure that you, or someone you pay, is taking regular care of your site.
Related: How to choose between WordPress and Squarespace
Open the champagne (or your special tea)
Your new website is a vital cornerstone for your online marketing. By investing in it, you’ve created a solid foundation for everything else that you do. And you’re sending a powerful signal to both yourself and the rest of the world that you’re serious and professional.
Remember to celebrate your website launch, whether that’s with something bubbly in a glass, your favorite blend of tea, or a special sweet treat.
Beyond that, you have plenty of choices for how to promote your new website. Pick the things that feel right for you, and know that it’s fine if you take several weeks to work through your website launch marketing plan.
In the previous article in this series, I gave you tips on essential tasks to do, right after publishing your website.
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Would you like me to design and build your Squarespace website?
My job is to make you, your work, and your business, look amazing. If you’re reading this article, you might be nearing the end of your journey to create a new (or improved) website. But if you’re still wondering about what’s involved with planning, designing, building, and publishing a new website, I can help.
As a full-time professional specializing in strategic websites for authors and solopreneurs with books, I’m an expert in the features you need for a website that connects with your audience and gets business results. If you’d like niche expertise, top quality design, and your technical headaches solved, consider hiring me.
After careful preparation together, I’ll finish your new website in just 2 weeks. Learn more, and then schedule a complimentary consultation.
