How to Launch Your Website… Even If You Don’t Have Anything to Sell Yet
Updated July 2021
There’s that saying that sometimes progress matters more than perfection and I have to say that it really rings true when it comes to launching a new website. I often see new entrepreneurs struggle to know when to “go live” with their idea or find out that they’ve been putting off launching a website because they are waiting until everything has all come together to do so.
The beauty of modern web platforms like Squarespace is that they are infinitely scaleable. This means they can grow with you but this also means that they’re ready to work even if you don’t have anything - or everything - ready to sell just yet. You might be wondering what to put on a website for a business that is still in the pre-launch stage in which case… keep reading! The best news is that these methods are proven to help you:
Get more customers,
Charge higher prices, and
Generate more leads when you are ready to flip the “eCommerce” switch!
First Step: Set up a Coming Soon Page with an Email Opt-In Form
A coming soon page with a simple description of who you are and what you’re all about makes for a great stand-in for a full home page. After all, people do business with other people so there’s no time like the present to introduce yourself.
The secret to making this successful is to include an email/newsletter opt-in form so that the page isn’t a complete dead end. Email marketing is the highest converting sales channel above all others so start building your list and come launch day, you’ll have a long list of people who are already eager to buy what you’re selling.
Don’t overthink what needs to go on this page. A few sentences about your or the company + a rough overview of your general industry and how you plan on being different than the rest are all you need. The goal is to create a place that your business can start to call home.
Create A Freebie or Lead Magnet That Previews Your Product or Service
You’ll have a much better time getting people to give you their email addresses if you also include the promise of a small freebie or offer. This would be most effective if this is a small teaser of your future product or service but it could also be a coupon code that they can use once your store launches or a resource that your target demographic would find helpful.
Setting up an automated email to deliver your freebie doesn’t have to be an expensive or complicated process. My preferred tool for this is built right into Squarespace: Email Campaigns! This is a great option because it’s completely free to build your list of any size and when you are ready to start sending emails you can send your first three for free.
Send Regular Updates of Your Progress
Not only is this great accountability to help keep you on track and focused on launch day, but it can also help create a sense of excitement and community around your brand that you can build on later. Remember, email is the #1 tool in your sales arsenal so any work you do building your list on the front end will pay dividends after you go live.
Helpful Email Marketing Tips for Beginners
Consistency is important so if you email your list every Friday for 3 months and then ghost them for the next three, they’re going to retaliate by marking your messages as spam when you decide to show back up. The frequency that you send messages out doesn’t matter as much as just creating a schedule you can commit to.
Use your emails as a way to casually poll or gauge interest in your products or services. Basically, if you want to know what your target audience wants, just ask them! Most people will gladly provide you with feedback or answer a simple question or two if they feel like they’re helping you create a solution that solves their problems.
Give behind-the-scenes updates and previews of what’s happening in your business even if it feels mundane or overly personal. Remember, people are there because they’re interested in what you have to offer. Show them what you’re working on even if it’s not perfect yet!
If all else fails and you don’t feel like you have much to say of your own yet, start training subscribers to look to you to be the expert in whatever it is you do by sending industry updates or links to other information on the web you think they’ll find valuable. This will help build trust with future customers that you’re willing to share about products and services that aren’t your own in order to help them.
Start a Blog
Blogging seems like it’s going to be overwhelming but it’s a great strategy to adopt for any new business. There’s no time like the present to get in this great habit! Use some of the same advice from the emails section above and create a consistent posting schedule that’s something you can stick to. Post on industry topics if you don’t have much of your own stuff to share just yet.
I’ll also tell you that there’s a secret behind-the-scenes bonus to getting your website live early even if it’s just a coming soon page + a blog: you’ll start building domain authority and SEO street cred right away! This is awesome because SEO is definitely a long game proposition. Any head start you can give yourself will really take the pressure off trying to get noticed once you launch your site and have the added pressure of needing to see the sales start rolling in.
Create waitlists for products or offer pre-sales
Pre-launching products by letting customers know that they are coming soon is a great way to validate your ideas and build on that growing email list you’re already working on. It also can generate a little bit of buzz - similar to when people excitedly wait for the release of the latest book in a popular series or try to score early access to concert tickets.
You have a couple of different options for this and I think the best one depends on how close you are to launch day. If you’re pretty far out, Squarespace makes it easy to create product waitlists where customers can sign up to be notified by email when products they are interested in become available. Once you get closer to launch, you could allow people to actually preorder - just make sure you are super clear about when products will be shipping to avoid frustration or confusion!
For more on the built-in selling tools available to you on Squarespace, check out this post.
Bottom Line
The bottom line here is that it’s ok to launch a super small, scaled-back version of what your future website will actually be. Doing so allows you to start building your audience, testing ideas, getting feedback, and building habits that will help ensure your success whenever you are ready to fully launch. Remember that progress matters more than perfection and just start! Every eCommerce business started as someone’s simple idea and it’s ok to flesh it out bit by bit as things come together. Since adding features and content to a website is so easy these days, there shouldn’t be any fear about waiting to get all your ducks in a row before just diving right in.
