Congratulations! Your website is now live! An exciting milestone that opens the door to new opportunities for your business. But what happens next? A live website isn’t the finish line; it’s just the beginning. To make the most of your investment, you’ll need to take a few important steps, from learning how to manage your site to ensuring it gets found online. Let’s dive into what comes next and how to keep your website running smoothly.
Training Time: Learning the Basics
At West Cove Creative, we provide training to help you confidently manage your WordPress website. This training could be a live call, a recorded video, or a PDF guide covering all the essentials.
You’ll receive two user accounts:
- Administrator – Gives full control over the website, including backend code access.
- Editor – Designed for everyday use, allowing you to update content without the risk of breaking critical functions.
While the admin account is essential for full control, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we recommend using the editor account for routine updates and edits.
Getting Found Online with SEO
Once your site goes live, it won’t instantly appear on Google since search engines need time to index new websites. There’s no guarantee of landing on the first page right away, but there are steps you can take to speed up the process.
Start by setting up Google Search Console and adding your website. This allows Google to start collecting data, including keywords, impressions, and ranking positions. If you’re unsure how to do this, check with your web professional, they may have already taken care of it for you!
This data will help guide your SEO strategy, showing what’s working and where improvements are needed. If you don’t want to handle SEO yourself, talk to your web professional about managing it for you.
Tracking & Analytics
While setting up Google Search Console, it’s also a good idea to install Google Analytics. These tools work together to provide valuable insights into your website’s traffic and performance. The sooner they’re set up, the more data they’ll collect, helping you or your web professional make informed decisions to improve your site.
Content Updates & Blogging
Keeping your website fresh with new content is key to growth. Regularly updating important pages like service pages should be part of your monthly website review.
Blogging is another great way to boost SEO. Adding new blog posts gives search engines more content to index and improves your chances of ranking for relevant keywords. Generally more high-quality content means more opportunities to attract the right audience to your site.
Ongoing Support & Website Maintenance
One of the biggest advantages of working with an agency or freelancer is having ongoing support. As your business grows, you may want to add new features or make design tweaks. Think of your website as a living, interactive online document, it should evolve with your business.
Regular maintenance is also essential:
✔️ Check for updates – Keep your plugins and software up to date.
✔️ Monitor performance – Ensure everything runs smoothly.
✔️ Keep security tight – Protect your site from potential threats.
A well-maintained website helps you stay ahead and keeps your business looking professional.
Conclusion
Your website is a dynamic part of your business. Staying on top of SEO, analytics, content updates, and maintenance ensures it continues to perform at its best. Whether you handle these tasks yourself or rely on your web professional, investing time into your website will pay off. Keep it updated, keep it optimized, and let it work for you as your business grows.