Developing a new website for your law firm is no easy feat. When it’s launched, you’ll likely head into celebratory mode, relishing in the fact that the writing, meetings with your website developer and revision reviews are now a thing of the past. But don’t kick up your feet too fast; the launch of a new website is just the beginning of a successful online marketing campaign. If you’re on the verge of launching a new website or have recently introduced a new site to the World Wide Web, review the following checklist to make sure you’re setting your site up for success.
- Submit a sitemap to the major search engines. This is important step to introduce your site to Google and the other search engines, and can easily be done through webmaster tools. At Amicus Creative, we do this for you so you don’t have to worry about the technical side.
- Set up Google Analytics. This free program tracks traffic patterns and visitor behavior. It’s important that you set this up right away so you don’t miss any valuable data for your site, and can measure success from day one. The creation of a new account only takes a few minutes.
- Announce the launch. Don’t assume anyone will know about your new website. Take time to actively promote it by sending out an e-blast to contacts, including an announcement in your email signature or even highlight it on the screen in your office’s reception area.
- Update your profiles throughout the web. If your website has a new domain name, it’s absolutely critical that you take time to update all of your online profiles to include your new web address. This may entail updating your LinkedIn profile, listing with the local bar association and paid directories. Even in cases where the domain name isn’t a new one, take time to identify new places where you can share this information. A good way to do this is by Googling your name and seeing if there are any listings where you haven’t shared your firm’s web address.
- Schedule updates. A successful website is dynamic, frequently updated to share new content with visitors. Prior to launching your site, take some time to develop a schedule for updates and make sure that you stick to it. You should update your site at least once per week with a new blog post, article or even by sharing a link of interest with visitors.
By taking the steps above, you can make certain that your website gains traction and visibility among your contacts, and that you have a plan in place to ensure continued momentum.