The following is a list of items that will help you plan and achieve a successful website launch.
1. Find an available domain name
I like to use networksolutions or godaddy for this. They have a nice tool to let you brainstorm and see what possible name combinations are out there and available. They are too expensive to use for registering though. Go to the next step when you find the name you like that is available.
2. Register the domain name
do not let anyone register your domain name for you. It is vital that you register this in your name only! For registering domain names, you can't beat Dot You.com for this. Register here
3. Setup web hosting account and email accounts
your web design firm will take care of setting up your email account(s), setting up the domain name so your site will come up when it is entered into a browser. In general taking care of one of the most confusing parts of the web development process. They can also help you choose a reputable company to set up your hosting.
4. Setup temporary homepage
Use your logo, or just use text to put a "coming soon" page up with your email address so people can still contact you while your site is being worked on. Again, your web design firm will take care of this for you.
5. Design logo
Work with your web design firm for this. I have helped several companies with creating their brand and identity. Do not ignore the importance of a good logo.
6. Design homepage layout
Work with the web design firm to get the look and feel you want for your business. (This includes the developement of photoshop layouts and web-optimized pages as well as any backend programming.)
7. Identify keyword phrases for the website
there are several tools out there to identify keyword phrases that are relevant to your business AND are bringing in the number of searches per month that makes sense.
8. Write text using keyword phrases and gather images for inner pages
this is about half the work of a website: getting the content together. Copywriters can dramatically reduce the amount of work that you will have to do. Your web designer can also pull together some stock photography that is available for purchase.
9. Combine content with programming and templates
10. Test test test
we can't stress this one enough. You think you found all the errors, but look again. You will be happy you did.
11. Soft launch for friends and family to test
Get your friends and family to start working for you!
12. Hard launch to general public
This is where all the hard work pays off
13. Continue to add more content to website
after you launch, it never ends. Websites are living breathing things and you have to feed it at least monthly.
By following these steps exactly, I can assure you that your website project will go off without any problems. Give me a call if you have any questions and would like me to help you.