Youre launching a new product online and youre expecting success. Youre excited and happy. But, unless youve done some preliminary planning, you may fail, even though your product is a strong one. Here are five things you must do before you launch. 1. Dont launch before your messaging is ready I know you are eager to get the product out there, but if your messaging isnt clear, your customers wont buy. Ask yourself whether your website headlines support the products main benefits. Does your new product make the process faster or easier? Does it help simplify a complex process? What are you really offering your customer that they dont have now? If you dont present the message clearly, they wont search for it and youve missed an opportunity. 2. Dont launch before you have checked your shopping cart This sounds simple doesnt it? I assure you that after working with businesses on the internet for over 12 years, its not. Its probably the single biggest reason products fail. Shopping carts are hard, sometimes impossible to buy from. Make it easy! Not only do you need to make sure the cart process is simple to understand, make sure it WORKS. You know this is a problem because you shop on the internet yourself. Make sure this is perfect before you launch. Hit or miss isnt good enough. 3. Dont launch before youve planned your advertising and PR Oops, this one can be very challenging. That doesnt mean you can skip it. You need to have the basics in place. Are you buying an ad in a newsletter? Are you writing an article to submit to content websites? If your budget is limited, its ok to start small, but you cant ignore this completely or you wont stand a chance. 4. Dont launch without explaining to your employees what you are selling This is important. Dont assume they will know what you have in mind for the product unless you tell them. They are ambassadors to your customers. If they dont understand the marketing pitch, they cant explain it to your customers. Dont assume theyll read the materials you hand out. Meet with them and discuss it. 5. Dont launch without planning to send discounts to current customers Did you forget your current customers? They need to receive special treatment. They are predisposed to buying from you and they could provide good word of mouth. This entitles them to a discount, or special offer. Send them an email or special newsletter with the offer. Make sure you track the results so see how well your message worked with your current customers. |
