Creating your website is one thing, but making sure that your website has a solid audience is a completely different matter. Launches are meant to be exciting by nature. Having a big launch is a great way to start your new project with a bang, but building an audience to anticipate your new project isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you’re planning on launching a new website, then it’s best to start building excitement around its release at least a month or two before the big day.

“Shouldn’t a post or two about the release be enough?” Not really. The engagement that you gather from these posts may contribute to the initial traffic that your site gets once it has been released. However, if you’re looking to maximise your traffic and drive a high volume of sales on the first day of launch, then you will need to build a good amount of hype ahead of time. More traffic means that you have a higher chance of making a sale, and that will always be a good thing.

So, how exactly can you advertise a new website launch? We’ll be discussing some of our top tips that you can use to get people excited about your big day. Read our full guide below to learn more!

Release Teasers and Excerpts

Everyone loves a good sneak peek before a launch. You can show a few snippets of your new website by posting a screenshot or showing a glimpse of some of the pages. Get creative with it! You can even take things to the next level by posting these snippets as if you’re telling a story to your audience. Pair the screenshots or clips with a catchy caption. Let everyone know the story behind your website, how it came to be, or if you had any inspiration in mind while designing it. Adding these elements to your snippets gives them depth and could make your audience feel more invested in your release, which causes them to anticipate your new site and start feeling excited about the launch.

Start a Countdown

If you already have a considerable following, then you can start by integrating a countdown tool or a coming soon page on your website. Take note that this should only apply if you’re launching a brand new website and not just relaunching an existing, redesigned platform. If you transform an existing site into a coming soon page, then you may be throwing all of your hard work in SEO and ranking out of the window.

Instead, you can try posting a countdown on your social media accounts. These countdowns can be executed through visual art, like pictures or short videos, and posted every day as you lead up to your launch. This can serve both as reminders that you have a launch coming up soon and as informative posts that express why people should be looking forward to it. It’s a great way to build brand recognition and awareness as people become more interested in your new website.

Create a Trailer

Creating a trailer or a highlight reel to show off your website’s best features is one way to get everyone pumped up for its release. If you have some skills in video editing, then feel free to do it yourself. If you don’t, then working with a professional is a good choice. Remember, you’re using this trailer to build hype around your website, so it’s most likely going to be shared a lot as you continue promoting the launch. Incorporate eye-catching elements into your trailer and showcase the best parts of your website. Try not to give out too much though! Just share enough to keep your audience on the edge of their seats as they look forward to the big reveal.

You can make one long trailer or separate mini trailers into parts. We recommend posting them through platforms that specialise in this kind of format, like Instagram reels or TikTok.

Launch a Giveaway

Whether you’re launching something new or just want to boost your engagement, a giveaway is a foolproof way to maximise your reach on social media. It’s a given that everyone loves free stuff. You can give away one of your products, a few special discount vouchers, or pretty much anything you’d like. For this to be effective, you need to add sharing and engagement to the mechanics. Some effective methods include asking your audience to share the giveaway post, tag their friends, or both. You can also ask them to set a reminder for your website launch or opt-in to your newsletter.

Lastly, make sure that you’re linking to your new site at the end of each post so the purpose of the giveaway is crystal clear.

Utilise a Limited Time Offer

Limited-time offers and deals build a sense of urgency, which is a great way to get people excited about your launch. You can basically do anything you want with this. You can try hosting a flash sale for your products that last only for the first few days of your launch. Buy 1 take 1 promos and other combination deals are also neat ideas. Some businesses even choose to launch limited-edition, new products just for the launch of their new projects. If you decide to make a limited edition item, then people will definitely be rushing to your website to grab their own before stocks run out.

Announce it weeks or even a month before the launch and be sure to mention the offer as you post your reminders. This way, your website will experience a good amount of traffic even on the first day of its launch.

Collaborate With Influencers

Influencers are basically social media prophets. They deliver the news and it spreads like wildfire across the internet. Partner up with content creators and influencers to spread the word and reach a wider audience. For small businesses, it would be best to work with content creators that influence your target or local audience. For example, we are a web design company in Johannesburg. Since we want to target leads from Johannesburg or South Africa, then we would reach out to content creators popular in these areas.

Depending on the terms of your collaboration, you can either pay them or send complimentary gifts such as a sampler or a PR kit. If you send them a gift, then they can also talk about this in their content. This gives you a chance to promote both your site and your products. It’s a win-win!

Start Building a Network

Similar to reaching out to local influencers, you can also promote your site by building your network. Of course, you should always start with your family and friends. Once you’ve informed your closest companions, then branch out and try collaborating with other businesses. Again, it’s best to reach out to nearby businesses so that you can target local leads.

Let’s go back to the example from before. We’re a web design agency from Johannesburg that is building hype for our new website. In this scenario, you could try reaching out to businesses that would benefit from your partnership. For example, you could reach out to other small businesses in Johannesburg or South Africa and offer your services. You could create websites or graphic designs for small businesses and in turn, they could promote your launch on their handles.

Affiliate Programs

Spread the word and build a larger audience by starting an affiliate program as you prepare for your launch. First, you could reach out to existing customers and offer them a cashback or discount voucher. They can receive the rewards if they successfully invite someone to tune in to your launch, set a reminder, or opt-in to your newsletter. You can track this by adding a field to input referral codes whenever someone opts in. Get creative with how you want to execute this! It’s similar to hosting a giveaway but the key difference is that you are nurturing old clients with this method. These people can vouch for your product, which can encourage others to try your brand out as well.

Start an Email Campaign

Email marketing is another good method to advertise your launch. In a way, it’s similar to posting countdowns and reminders on social media. However, email marketing allows you to take on a more personalised approach. Customers and leads may appreciate this, as it shows that you took the time to get to know them and reach out to them personally. It also gives you a direct way to contact them directly. Being able to contact leads individually through email gives you the chance to utilise different tactics and strategies to encourage them to look forward to the website launch.

Create a Customised Hashtag

Hashtags are a great way to organise your content while building brand recognition with your audience. Use the hashtag in all of your posts, such as your countdowns, trailers, announcements, and other relevant content. As people see the hashtag frequently on your feed, they will eventually come to recognize your brand and possibly take an interest in your launch. Just make sure that your hashtag is catchy, unique, and related to your brand. Avoid using common or generic hashtags, as other brands may have used them first. This can cause confusion with your audience and could divert attention away from your launch instead.

It’s Never Too Early To Start Promoting Your Launch

Building up hype around your new website requires a lot of time and effort. Don’t miss out on any opportunities by starting late or procrastinating. Try out these tips to boost your next website launch!

High-Quality Web Design Services in Johannesburg, South Africa

Can’t figure out how to build your website? We’ve got you. We are a web design company in Johannesburg that specialises in all things involving digital marketing, search engine optimization and web design. Feel free to take a look at our offers or contact us to learn more about how we can help you!

South Africa has approximately 41.19 million internet users, with Johannesburg as the biggest city and metropolitan municipality. These numbers show that small businesses in the city should look at the potential of website design for marketing and building a customer base.

Websites are all about driving visitors to your site and providing a good user experience once they’re there. They must also reflect the image you want to project for your business. How do you ensure all of that with website design?

By following simple website design do’s and don’ts, you can create a website that will support your marketing goals. Guarantee that your small business website is everything it should be!

The Do’s

Choose a Good Domain

Start by choosing a good domain name for your website. It should be short, easy to remember, and relevant to your business. Use keywords that describe what you do in your domain name to make it easier for people to find you when they’re searching online.

Plan Out Your Website

Everything works better if you plan, and website design is no different. Define your goals for the website and what you want it to achieve. Knowing what you want your website to do will help you design it to do just that.

Focus on User-Friendliness

Your website should be easy to use and navigate. Everything should be where users expect to find it, and it should all be easy to understand. Use clear and concise language, and pack only a little information onto one page.

Go for a Consistent Interface

If you use a particular typeface for your headings, stick with it. If you have a specific way of displaying links, use it throughout the website. Consistency makes for a much better user experience!

Use Fonts and Colors That Match Your Brand Style

Your website’s fonts and colours should match your brand style. If you need a brand style guide, now is the time to create one. This step will ensure that your website has a consistent look and feel that matches your company’s image. You can get a graphic designer to help you with design services.

Make It Easy To Scan

Most website visitors don’t read every word on a website, they scan it. Use headings and subheadings to break up the text, and use bullet points to list information. Your visitors will thank you!

Publish Excellent Content

Your website’s content is what will really set it apart. Publish well-written, accurate, and relevant content for your target audience. Find the balance between SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) keywords and an engaging read, and proofread everything before you publish.

Include Just Enough Choices

The more choices your visitors have, the less chance they’ll actually make a choice. For example, if you’re selling products on your website, just include a selection of your best-selling products. Stick to the essential website pages, and focus on providing quality over quantity.

Make It Mobile-Friendly

Perhaps the most critical website design tip is to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. According to DataReportal, South Africa has 28 million social media users, meaning most website visitors will access your site on their mobile phones. Ensure your website is responsive and easy to use on a mobile device.

Test Your Design

Lastly, once you’ve designed and built your website, test it! Test the website on different browsers and devices. Check if all the links work and that the website loads quickly. Testing will help you catch any potential problems before your website goes live. Your web design company will be able to help you with this.

The Don’ts

Make Your Visitors Wait

Your website should load quickly, or you risk losing visitors. As said by Portent, the first five seconds of page-load time have the highest impact on conversion rates. Use a website speed test tool to check your website’s load time and make necessary improvements.

Use Too Many Fonts or Colours

Using too many fonts and colours can overwhelm website visitors and make your website look unprofessional. Use two or three fonts and no more than four colours to create a cohesive website design that is easy on the eyes.

Use Stock Photos

Instead of using generic stock photos, use high-quality original images. These could be photos of your products, team, or office. If you need good images, hire a professional photographer to take some for you.

Autoplay Background Music or Videos

Autoplay music or videos may only serve to vex website visitors. If you want to include audio or video content, let website visitors choose whether or not to play it.

Show Automatic Pop-Ups Right Away

Website visitors may not want to see pop-ups right away. If you must use pop-ups, wait until website visitors have been on your site for a while before displaying them.

Use Flashing Text

Flashing texts or animations can be jarring and difficult to read. They can also trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. If you want to include animation on your website, use it sparingly and make sure it doesn’t flash.

Hijack Scrolling

Scrolling is a natural website navigation method, so don’t try to hijack it. For example, don’t make website visitors scroll horizontally or click to advance to the next page. Horizontal scrolling makes website content difficult to read.

Ignore Web Standards

Web standards are the rules of website design. Ignoring these standards will result in a website that is difficult to use and may only work properly on some devices.

Spam Content With Keywords

The days of keyword stuffing are long gone. Not only is it bad for website visitors but it will also penalise your website. When you publish content, make sure it serves a purpose to website visitors. Don’t do it just because!

Prioritise Beauty Over Usability

Your website may look good, but if it’s not easy to use, website visitors won’t stay. Prioritise usability over beauty, and ensure website visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.

Key Takeaways

Remember: small businesses can have a great website without breaking the bank. With these do’s and don’ts, you can create a beautiful and usable website to help you reach your business goals.

Focusing on website design in Johannesburg will help you create a professional website that’ll attract and retain customers. Prioritise optimisation, loading speed, and website standards to take your small business to the next level.

If you need help with your website design, don’t hesitate to contact us today!

Websites are an essential part of any small business owner’s marketing strategy. If you’re a business owner from Johannesburg, South Africa, your website provides a space to showcase your products and services and gives potential customers a way to learn more about your offer. When executed correctly, websites can be a powerful tool for attracting new clients and growing your business.

But how can you make sure that your website is effective? What makes a website good? And how can you ensure that it meets the needs of your target audience?

This article will explore what makes a website good from a website designer in Johannesburg’s perspective. We’ll discuss the importance of navigation, user experience, website copy, and more. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how to create a website that is both effective and appealing to your target audience.

Navigation

Navigation is one of the most important aspects to consider when designing your website. It should be easy to understand and use so that users can find the information they are looking for quickly and easily.

There are a few things to keep in mind when designing the navigation for your website:

• Understandable: The labels should be clear and concise so that users know where they are on the website and what they can expect to find in each section.
• Usable: Users should be able to navigate the website without difficulty. The navigation should be intuitive and logical so that users can find the information they need without getting lost.
• Responsive: The website should be easy to use on all mobile phones and tablets. The navigation should adjust to fit the screen size so that users can still find the information they need even when on the go.

User Experience

When making a website ‘good,’ user experience should be one of your top priorities. Why is user experience so important? Well, simply put, if your website isn’t easy to use or looks terrible, people aren’t going to stick around for long. In the age of the internet, where there are millions of websites to choose from, you can’t afford to lose potential customers because of a poor website.

Many factors go into creating a good user experience. Navigation is vital — your website visitors should be able to find what they’re looking for easily. The layout and design must be visually appealing and easy on the eyes. The website copy should be well-written and concise, and the website should be compatible with all devices (including mobile).

But perhaps the most crucial factor is ensuring the website is user-friendly. This means taking into account things like page loading times, ease of use, and how intuitive the navigation is. If people spend too much time trying to figure out how to navigate your website, they will get frustrated and leave.

How do you go about improving the user experience on your website? Here are a few tips:

• Make sure the navigation is easy to use and intuitive
• Use clear and concise website copy
• Keep page loading times as short as possible
• Make sure the website is compatible with all devices
• Use easy-to-read fonts and colours

Colours

The colours you use on your website are essential for two reasons: they can impact the user experience and influence how people perceive your brand.

When it comes to the user experience, it’s essential to use colours that are easy on the eyes. Bright colours may be eye-catching, but if they’re too overwhelming, they can be challenging to look at for long periods. Stick to softer colours or a limited palette so that your website is easy to look at for extended browsing sessions.

The colours you use on your website will also influence how people perceive your brand. Different colours evoke different emotions, so choosing colours that align with the message you want to communicate is essential. For example, blue is often associated with trustworthiness, while green is associated with growth.

Here are a few tips for choosing the right colours for your website:

• Choose a limited palette of two to three colours
• Consider the meaning of each colour and how it will impact the perception of your brand
• Use light colours for the background and dark colours for the text
• Make sure the colours you use are easy on the eyes

Website Copy

The website copy is the text on your website that explains what your business does and what you offer. It’s vital to ensure it is well-written and easy to understand. Avoid using technical jargon or long, complicated sentences. The copy should be engaging and appeal to your target audience.

It’s also essential to keyword-optimise the website copy. This means including relevant keywords and phrases your potential customers are searching for. Including these keywords will help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it more likely that people will find your site.

When writing website copy, it’s essential to:

1. Write in a clear and concise manner
2. Use easy-to-understand language
3. Engage with your target audience
4. Include relevant keywords and phrases
5. Avoid using technical jargon
6. Keep the website copy updated regularly

Conclusion

Website designers in Johannesburg, South Africa, should keep these tips in mind to create a good user experience. These factors will help ensure your website is easy to use, engaging, and visually appealing. Creating a good user experience is essential for keeping website visitors on your site and converting them into customers.

Navigation, design, copy, colours, and user-friendliness are all critical factors in creating a good website. By considering these factors, you can create a website that will appeal to your target audience and help you achieve your business goals.

Building an effective landing page requires effort but is not rocket science.

To succeed online, you need to understand what makes a strong landing page that converts visitors into paying clients in Johannesburg. You’ll need to put more thought into the process than just making something that looks pretty.

So, how can you take the mystery out of it all and introduce a successful landing page to the World Wide Web? This article will teach you how to increase the conversion rate on your website to bring in more customers. Let’s dive right in.

What Is a Landing Page?

A landing page is made to meet the needs of people who come to the page with particular objectives in mind. It’s a special webpage made just for a certain advertising campaign. Any time a user clicks on an advertisement, whether it be in an email, a search engine result page, or a social media post, they are directed to a landing page designed to collect data in exchange for something of value. This could be anything from a discount at a local store to B2B insights in a white paper.

A successful landing page has one objective and caters to one type of visitor. It offers unique insight into a topic that interests your audience and goes into depth about it.

Landing Page vs Home Page: What’s the Difference?

Learning the differences between a landing page and a homepage is crucial.

Your website’s homepage acts as an online storefront or business card. The main goal is to make a good impression so that people will stick around and look at other pages until they find what they need. For instance, it may feature reviews and links to your service or product pages. Visitors can click the provided links to learn more about a given service or product.

On the other hand, a landing page is the main page that caters to the unique informational requirements of your intended audience. Its sole purpose is to attract visitors from a particular channel, such as a paid search ad or an email marketing campaign.

How To Increase Conversion Rate With Landing Page Design

Even though all landing pages aim to increase conversions, there is no foolproof method that can be applied across the board. There are several elements to consider when building your landing pages, such as your target market, your brand’s voice, and your expected conversions. It takes time and effort to learn about your target audience and figure out how to best appeal to them so that you can design an effective landing page.

Not having a tried-and-true landing page template at your disposal is frustrating, but there is a wealth of knowledge out there about what works. Every successful landing page shares a few common characteristics. To help you out, our Johannesburg web agency has compiled this list:

Compelling Headlines

Headlines will be the first thing people see when they land on your page. To gain the attention of your intended audience in South Africa, you need a catchy headline and maybe even some subheadings to back it up.

For a compelling main headline, it needs to be:

• Informative, relevant, and engaging
• Concise, ideally no more than 10 to 20 words
• Easy to understand

And your subheadings need to be:

• Connected to the main headline
• Convincing
• More in-depth

Strong Visuals and Media

Just imagine being sent to a website that consists entirely of text; how would you feel? It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be interested enough to stay. Improve your landing page’s visual appeal by using engaging media and images that showcase your offering and inspire curiosity.

Landing page content can be broken up with images and media to keep the visitor interested. Images are an integral aspect of marketing campaigns, both online and offline, and they are there everywhere we look in Johannesburg these days.

Think about your target audience and what they find compelling when deciding what photos to use on your landing page. Visual elements such as photos, graphics, illustrations, and videos can be used on landing pages to help achieve your goals and promote your offer.

Engaging Copy

It would be a waste of time to put in so much effort to create an engaging headline and compelling visuals only to fall short when it comes to the copy that convinces readers to take action. Your content needs to be easy to understand and should lead the reader to take the desired step. In addition, using “you” and “your” in compelling copy makes the reader feel like the writer is speaking directly to them.

The copy on your landing page should explain how your product or service will help the visitor. Now that they’ve reached the landing page and read past the headline, you need to encourage them to move to the next level, whether you’re trying to get them to sign up for a free trial, buy a product, or download an eBook.

Visible Form Fields

You need to strategically place your form on the landing page to attract qualified South African leads. Having people hunt around your landing page for your form is not a good idea. That’s why it’s best to place your form above the fold. When a contact form is “above the fold,” users can see it without having to scroll down the page.

Don’t get too fancy with the form; keep it short and sweet. In addition, make sure the questions on the form are relevant and helpful to the prospect’s experience with your Johannesburg company.

Clear and Catchy Call-to-action (CTA)

Of all the features on your landing page, the CTA may have the most significant impact on conversion rates. For the CTA button to be noticed, it should have a contrasting colour from the rest of the page. Choose an action verb like “submit,” “download,” or “get it now” to make it crystal clear to visitors what you want them to do.

The Bottomline

All your hard work will pay off on a landing page that converts well. This is where visitors click, customers buy, and you make money. Following the guidelines we’ve outlined above will have you well on your way to increasing the conversion rate on your landing page.

We are a website design company in Johannesburg that specialises in all things involving digital marketing and web design. We can help you design a landing page that converts visitors into customers.

South Africa’s population is over 61 million, with about 67.6% living in urban areas. The country has many smart, economically viable cities where businesses can thrive. Johannesburg, for example, is the country’s biggest city and the chief industrial and financial metropolis. Many industries grow and flourish here, meaning businesses should be at par with the latest marketing trends.

South Africa had 38.19 million internet users in January 2021, and the numbers are continuously increasing. Moreover, there were 25 million social media users, opening up opportunities for businesses to connect with their target markets. If you have a business in South Africa, you need an effective website to succeed in this highly competitive environment.

A website is your shop window to the world, so it must make a good impression. It should be well-designed, user-friendly, and optimised for search engines. Even the best website, however, won’t get visitors if no one knows it exists. You need to promote your website to drive traffic to it.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research is essential for website owners who want to rank highly on search engines like Google. You need to identify the keywords potential customers use to find businesses like yours. Once you know these keywords, you can use them throughout your website, from the titles and headers to the website copy and blog posts. This will help your website rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), making it stand out more to prospects.

2. Generate High-Quality Content

One of the best ways to get traffic to your website is by publishing high-quality content. This could be in the form of blog posts, infographics, guides, e-books, or even videos. The content should be well-written, informative, and relevant to your target audience. It should also be optimised for search engines, using the right keywords.

Another tip is ensuring your website is regularly updated with fresh content. It will show potential customers that your website is active and give them a reason to keep coming back.

3. Be Active on Social Media

Nine out of ten marketers believe that one of social media marketing’s benefits is increased website traffic. You must, however, be active on the right social media platforms where your target audience spends time. Use these platforms to share your website content, run social media ads, and even host live events. You can also use social media to connect with potential customers and build relationships. If you’re looking for ways to maximize your website traffic without spending money, learning how to get traffic on your website for free through social media can be a game-changer.

4. Engage in Email Marketing

Email marketing is another effective way to promote your website and drive traffic. If you’re wondering how to get traffic on your website for free, building a strong email subscriber list can be a valuable strategy. You need to build a list of email subscribers who can receive website updates, special offers, and other relevant information. You can add a sign-up form to your website or use a lead magnet to encourage people to subscribe. Once you have a list of subscribers, you can start sending them regular emails. Just make sure the content is high-quality and relevant to their interests.

5. Consider Guest Posts and Collaborations

Guest posting is when you write articles for other websites in your industry. These articles usually contain a link back to your website, so they can help drive traffic. Collaborations are similar but typically involve creating content with another business or website owner. It’s a great way to reach a new audience and get them interested in your website.

6. Exchange Backlinks With Other Websites

Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They’re like a “vote for confidence” from other websites, essential for SEO as they help improve your website’s ranking. You can get backlinks by writing guest posts, collaborating with other website owners, or simply reaching out and asking for them.

7. Allocate Budget for Advertising

Paid advertising is a great way to get website visitors, especially if you’re targeting a specific audience. You can use Google Ads or run social media ads. You can also use traditional forms of advertising, such as print or television. Whatever your advertising method is for your business website, always track your results so you know what’s working and what isn’t.

8. Reach Out to Influencers

Similar to collaboration, reaching out to influencers can help you reach a new audience. An influencer has a large following on social media or another online platform. They can promote your website to their followers, giving you a boost in website traffic. Brainstorm how you can work with influencers in your industry and give your target audience something that’ll drive them to your website. Influencer marketing can be a way to get traffic on your website for free, depending on the agreement between the business and the influencer.

9. Offer Helpful Industry Tools

If you offer helpful resources, such as toolkits or templates, people will be more likely to visit your website. These should be relevant to your target audience and industry. For example, a website design company in Johannesburg could offer a website design toolkit.

10. Submit Press Releases to Influential Publications

Similar to guest posting, submitting press releases is a great way to get your website in front of a new audience. A press release is an official statement from a company or website. It’s usually newsworthy and helps promote something like a new product launch. You can submit press releases to online publications or even traditional news outlets.

11. Keep Your Website Updated

Last but definitely not least, prioritise your website. If you’re wondering how to get traffic on your website for free, it’s essential to continuously improve and maintain it. Add new features and functionality, update your website design, and keep your content fresh. A well-maintained website is more likely to attract website visitors and convert them into customers.

There are agencies for website design in Johannesburg, like ours, that can help you with website maintenance. Keep in mind that your efforts to drive traffic to your website will not work if your website is outdated and not user-friendly.

Key Takeaways

There are many strategies you can use to increase website traffic. South Africa is becoming increasingly digital, so website design and development are crucial for businesses. Before you focus on driving website traffic, however, work on keeping your website up to par. Once you have a website ready to be seen by the world, start implementing other website traffic strategies. It’s easier to get website traffic when you know you have a website people will want to visit!