10 steps for a new website

Website launch & website relaunch: 10 steps for a professional, new website

Every marketing manager and webmaster knows the feeling: the launch of a new website or the relaunch of an existing website is an extremely multi-layered and complex process that requires a lot of planning and preparatory work. In the following, we therefore summarize the 10 most important rules and relaunch tips so that the (re)launch and the new website are a complete success.

1. Research and Analysis

Every new website and every website relaunch is based on a specific cause or objective. Perhaps the interface is no longer up-to-date or new content such as SEO websites needs to be created. No matter what the reason, research and analysis of the status quo is necessary to uncover weaknesses and to better define the purpose of the website.

2. Target

While a new website from scratch allows more room for experimentation, analysis tools should be used before relaunching an existing website. Perhaps a certain area of ​​the website is getting less attention and therefore needs to be revised? Analysis tools like *Hotjar help users to analyze vulnerabilities on the current website.

Depending on the goals, key figures or key performance indicators (KPIs) should also be created in order to make the success of the new website measurable. This can be traffic, sales figures or the conversion rate from visitors to buyers when running a web shop.

Common website relaunch goals:

• More Traffic: Creating SEO websites to generate organic traffic
• Conversions: Improving conversion rate through a new customer journey
• Expansion: Multilingual content for the new website
• Technical goals: More accessibility, usability and new functionalities
• Rebranding: As soon as the brand changes, the website, including layout and content, must also be adapted
• Minimize website costs: Automation can be used to minimize costs while improving the user experience

3. Divide project phases

Once the current weaknesses have been located or the objectives for the new website have been established, the next step is to initiate the project phases. Most of the phases are the same in each project, but the content differs significantly depending on the project. The individual phases for the website relaunch can be roughly divided into a planning, implementation and completion phase, each of which is divided into further sub-phases.

4. Create project plan

Based on the previous considerations, the project plan can be created. He receives all the information that is important for the parties involved. In addition to the research, analysis and goal setting, the plan should also contain all project phases, including the people involved, the areas of responsibility and the respective deadlines. This is where using tools like *Gantt Charts can be helpful, as some tasks can only be started after other sections have already been completed.

As with any other project, the same applies here: The better the website relaunch is planned, the easier it will be to implement. It is important to plan a time buffer between the individual task areas so that the project can be implemented within the schedule, even if there are delays in between. The project plan should also not only be approved by the project manager, but if possible by all those involved, so that everyone can meet the deadlines.

5. Implementation

As soon as the planning phase is over, the implementation begins. To ensure that project managers always have an overview of the current status, it makes sense to use project management software such as *Asana. This not only helps to keep track, but also promotes cooperation among the individual team members. This is all the more important when the work takes place across departments.

6. Test environment

Before the site can go live, it is essential to verify it in a test environment. The main aim here is to eliminate possible errors before they reach the end user.

The functionality of the website is tested in literally every test environment. This includes responsiveness. For example, is the website optimized for all screen sizes? In addition, it is tested whether the website is compatible with all common browsers, including smartphones. As soon as all sources of error have been eliminated, the website can finally go live.

7. Jumping into the live environment

As soon as the page is live, it is important to inform customers, suppliers and all other stakeholders. This can be done through traditional channels such as email newsletters or social media. In order for the traffic to continue to be maintained, all external links or backlinks that refer to the domain should also be adjusted in advance. To be on the safe side, the website should also be tested extensively in the live environment.

8. Project analysis

Was the website relaunch a success or a failure? This entirely depends on the objective and the previously created KPIs. Could more traffic be generated? Has the conversion rate increased? The more accurate the tracking tools used to measure, the better the analysis can be completed.

Many project managers today no longer see website optimization as a one-off project, but rather as an ongoing process. Once the project analysis has been completed, further research can be undertaken to start the next project.

9. SEO Websites

No matter what goal the website is built for, a targeted SEO campaign can significantly improve the quality of the website and lead to more organic traffic. This is one of the most important KPIs in almost every project. Therefore, an SEO campaign should always be part of a (re)launch in order to increase the effectiveness of the website in the best possible way.

In addition to the right content strategy, for example by creating a blog aimed at the respective target group, well-structured internal links should also be used. Other useful measures include the use of *canonical tags and tracking tools such as Google Analytics or the Google Search Console. Here it is particularly worth hiring a web agency or an SEO expert so that the Google ranking is improved in the long term.

10. Create a website?

Creating a website Costs: Should you create a website yourself or hire a web agency or internet agency instead? This is an important question that many freelancers and start-ups ask themselves.

It all depends on the financial possibilities and the needs of the company. *Shopify or *Wix allow companies to create modular websites with a relatively small budget.

On the other hand, if you want to set up a new page from scratch, you have to reckon with website costs in the five-digit range. However, complete flexibility without restrictions is possible here. We recommend new companies in particular to conserve their resources as best as possible in order to achieve the greatest possible effect with the least possible effort.

Your web agency in Frankfurt

If you are looking for a reliable partner for your next project, we are at your disposal. blackHound is a web agency based in Frankfurt that supports companies such as E.On, Mercedes-Benz, Hugo Boss and IKEA with innovative web, app and 3D solutions.