Live with a new webshop, where to start?
Going live with your brand new webshop is quite exciting and certainly not something you do every day. There are many things to check before live, as well as technically as in communication to your customers and all parties involved. A trap can be that you don’t go live before it is 100% perfect, if you don’t have a list of when it is 100% perfect for your company, it will delay the go live.
Also remember; so many people so many opinions. Most likely they don’t even see the “imperfections” that you do see. Every day that you are not live, the new shop costs money and doesn’t make any mony.
So time to go live! That’s easy to say, but how ?
Phasing can be a solution to go live quickly. For example, if the shop is in multiple languages, the secondary languages to be implemented later. Translating takes a lot of time, if the majority of your users are English speaking, it is an option is to go live with only one language and to add the other languages later. It is therefore also advisable to have Google Analytics set up in the “old” shop. That way you know which languages, browsers, devices and products generate the most traffic and you can focus on those.
In the blog “build your own shop in 4 steps” you can read more about what is involved in setting up a shop.
Despite the phasing, you can still struggle with going live. Besides the focus on your products, it is not a daily occurrence to bring a piece of technology live. To help you on your way with going live, we have a checklist to download for Free. This check list can be opened in Word, so you can add your own extra steps.
Still need help?
IT Doel can also help to go live, contact us bij e-mail:info@itdoel.nl or contact form.
Checklist go live
1 to 2 weeks for live
- Create an action list
- Make sure everyone knows what and when something is expected of them.
- Inform the provider/ system administrator about converting the domain to the new webshop.
- Make sure they are available on the live date.
- The DNS change can take 24 hours before it is visible worldwide, inform the customers about this.
- Process test ordering process
- A process test is the testing of the entire process of looking up an item, ordering it and delivering it after simulating. This is based on test scenarios This way you can see whether the process runs smoothly in all areas and does not face any surprises when going live. This step is a must have if you have integrated the shop with an ERP, POS or financial system.
- Pay method of test mode pickup
- If the test is approved, remove the payment methods from the test mode and
- Check the ordering process with the Live payment method
- Check the performance of the shop
- Provisioning redirects, redirects refer old URLs (links) to the new pages in the new shop. In this way, visitors who click on an “old” link via Google do not end up on a 404 page.
- Inform customers
- Inform the customers well in advance that the webshop goes live and whether it is off the air for a certain period of time, so that one has the opportunity to make the online orders for this.
- Put a telephone number or e-mail address on the under construction / password page to let customers temporarily place an order in an alternative way.
1 to 2 days before live
- Transfer the shop accounts from the old shop to the new
- Mail to customers about live
- Inform customers by e-mail that the webshop goes live on date x
- Google Analytics / Tag Manager setup
Live
- Remove password from the shop or turn off the under construction page, check the accessibility of the menu, hompage etc.
- DNS record change (this can take up to 24 hours for it to be visible worldwide)
- Check the domein
- Check if the webshop is accessible
- Inform customers that the shop is live
- Tip: send a discount code to generate traffic to the new shop
- Inform existing customers with instructions regarding the new shop account
- Promote the live webshop on social media
Shortly after live
- Yes, you did it! Let’s celebrate!
- Generate sitemap
- Setting up Google search console and sign in sitemap
- Continue to promote the shop with promotions, blogs etc via social media
Would you like to know more about successfully and quickly implementing a webshop?
Contact us bij e-mail: info@itdoel.nl or contact form.
