I wish someone would’ve been kind enough to sit me down and hand me an online store launch checklist when I was just starting out.
With so many moving parts to ecommerce, there’s no denying it would have been majorly helpful.
What actually happened was, I found myself drowning on the internet, desperately searching for ecommerce marketing ideas – all while losing time, money and hope.
Happy days.
All’s fair in love and ecommerce, I guess. But now? Well now… I’ve worked the formula out for myself.
That’s why I’m excited to share this monster guide with you.
Designed to improve the Shopify success rate of new ecommerce entrepreneurs, it’s the online store launch guide I wish I’d had.
Fair warning though, this online store launch checklist is a beast of a resource, so I’ve had to split it up into 5 chapters.
The guide and chapters follow a logical order, but you may wish to do some tasks in a different order. That’s totally up to you. It’s your launch, your way.
With actionable tasks laid out each step of the way, it’s fair to say this is way more than just another mega long blog post.
It’s an online store launch blueprint you can actually use to get out of ‘wannatraprenuer’ mode, and open for business. So let’s get started.
ONLINE STORE LAUNCH CHECKLIST: CHAPTER GUIDE
**Use the chapters and hyperlinks to move around the guide at your leisure
Online store launch checklist chapter #1: Ecommerce start-up basics that matter
- Validate your business idea
- Create a customer profile
- Get feedback from your ideal customer
- Install analytics to your website
- Install your Facebook pixel
Online store launch checklist chapter #2: Social media, listing building, and pre-selling (my fave)
- Build up one social media channel
- Build your pre-launch email list
- Run a pre-sale to see if you have a product/market fit
- Optimise your product descriptions
Online store launch checklist chapter #3: How to develop a website designed to delight and convert
- Build and speed check your website
- Check how your online store displays on mobile
- Check that apps are set up properly
- Test your checkout before you launch
- Design and order your brand packaging
- Decide on your shipping options
Online store launch checklist chapter #4: Optimising for search engines, building trust, and saving lost sales
- Prepare your social media posts in advance
- Make sure you have quality images
- Add a chatbox to your website
- Research your SEO keywords
- Optimise your image SEO
Online store launch checklist chapter #5: Converting visitors into buyers, content creation, and email sales funnels
- Write your email sales funnel
- Write content for your static web pages
- Add some content to your blog
- Run a video add campaign for brand awareness
Follow these steps and you’ll be off to the races, but… if you want access to even more launch success secrets – those I only share with my 1:2:1 coaching clients, I suggest you sign up to be notified for The Launch Code. Coming soon. Limited access. Join the list.
24. Make sure you validate your business idea
This may seem like a boring, time consuming tasks when you’re high on entrepreneur juice and just want to get started. But spending a few days, weeks if necessary, validating your business idea is one of the smartest things you can do if you want to launch a (successful) online store.
What you’re looking for is a product/market fit, that sits nicely at the intersection with profit.
In other words, you have a product that people want, at a price they are happy to pay – which still allows you to make a profit. Jackpot
TAKE ACTION:
- Create a mood board that represents your brand, write your brand’s unique selling point, then ask 5 people related to you what they think of the concept. More on mood-boarding in point #19
READ MORE:
- How to validate your business idea (4 questions you must ask yourself)
- 6 ways to validate your business idea
- 3 ways to validate your biz idea (that are nearly free)
23. Make sure you’re crystal clear about who your ideal customer is
If you’re here reading an article about how to start an online boutique, you may be giving me the side eye as you read this sentence.
But the hard reality is, most of the people I see having major issues getting their brand to take off – even those with a fabulous product – are having those issues because they don’t really know who they are selling to.
When asked who their ideal customer is, they say things like: Women from 18-30 who like fashion.
And it’s at this point that, in the nicest possible way, I end up giving them the side eye. And here’s why–one of the most important elements of a successful online store launch is having a crystal clear vision of who your ideal customer is.
Without this, you’re trying to sell to everyone. A surefire recipes for imminent disaster.
TAKE ACTION:
Download this free customer profile worksheet, then spend time thinking about and researching the questions, before filling it in. Print it out and keep it close by. Return to it when you lose your way.
READ MORE:
- How to create buyer personas for better marketing
- Customer profile worksheet: Free download
- How to find your ideal customer on social media
22. Get feedback from your ideal customer
Now maybe you’re thinking – “how the heck do I get people to give me feedback on my business ideas and products? “
We’ll the place to start (but definitely not the place to end) is with your family and friends.
But there’s a caveat in this…
Remember, friends and family can often be bias – sometimes towards the negative. And while their opinion is valuable, it’s not always the most objective.
Irregardless of what your family/friends say to you, the next step is to go back to your customer profile and start to seek out communities where those people hangout online, and reach out to get their feedback. Understanding your customer intimately is the hidden secret to selling online.
TAKE ACTION:
Using Facebook groups, forums, chat sites and other methods, find 5-10 people who fit your ideal customer profile, share your mood-board and mission statement with them, ask for their feedback.
READ MORE:
- What is the purpose of a focus group
- How to use social media as a ecommerce focus group
- How to do customer interviews that reveal priceless insights
21. Install Google analytics to your website
The more data you have about your website, the better you’re able to understand what exactly is going on with your business.
I totally understand that when you first enter the Google analytics tool it can feel very intimidating. For me it was like the Starship enterprise, and I wanted to run.
But once I started to learn the tool, and became aware of all the information that was available to me – which I could use to make positive change – I was hooked.
I’m now obsessed with understanding Google analytics better.
TAKE ACTION:
Set up your Google Analytics account, make a note of your unique ID code (you need to enter this into Shopify). While you’re at it, go ahead and set up Google webmaster tools.
READ MORE:
- Getting started with Google analytics
- How to make Google index your website SUPER fast
- Google analytics for beginners guide
20. Install your Facebook pixel and set up custom audiences
Whether you plan to use Facebook ads or not as part of your launch strategy, it’s definitely a good idea to get your Facebook pixel installed and tracking data.
This way, when you are ready to run ads you can do it directly to all those people who have already visited your online store.
And considering how much work it takes to get people to your online store in the first place…you really don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.
TAKE ACTION:
Set up your Facebook business manager account, then get access and make a note of to your unique pixel code – this will need to be added into Shopify later.
READ MORE:
- How to install your Facebook pixel
- Sneaky ways to use custom audiences
- Facebook remarketing rules to guarantee your success
19. Build up one social media platform
You probably already realise how important social media is to help break a new brand.
So with that being said, it stands to reason that you should have at least one platform that’s poppin’ prior to launching.
Unless you have deep pockets I suggest that you avoid Facebook altogether (at least to start) and focus on Instagram and Pinterest.
Want to know more about why I love Pinterest to drive traffic to your online boutique? Let me know in the comments.
I’m going to assume that you’ll choose Instagram.
But at this stage you may come up against the problem that you don’t have great branded images to share – at least not on a regular basis.
That’s where moodboarding comes in handy.
Moodboarding is simply finding imagery that you feel represents your brands’ intended look and feel. And which you feel will also appeal to your ideal audience.
TAKE ACTION:
Create your brands Instagram business profile. Write your Instagram bio, and seed your feed with 10-20 mood-board images. Don’t forget to always tag & credit the original photographer/profile.
READ MORE:
- Instagram 101: How to build an audience for your brand
- How to create a cohesive moodboard for your brand
- How to grow a massive Instagram following quickly
18. Build your pre-launch email mail list
A pre-launch email list is pretty much a non-negotiable when it comes to launching your online store. Why? Well it’s pretty simple really…
Having a mailing list of people interested in what you have to sell (or say) stacked up BEFORE you open for business, means that you have a captive audience to share your launch with.
Unlike Instagram and other platforms – where you’re vying for attention with other brands – having access to your ideal customer via their email highly increases your chance of converting that attention into a sale.
But here’s what I really love about building an email list prior to launch.
Even if someone doesn’t buy on launch day, because they’re on your mailing list you now have the opportunity to stay in contact with them for weeks/months/years. Pretty much until or unless they unsubscribe or you unsubscribe them.
Saying that, I’m also a big fan of cleaning your mailing list every 90 days. Otherwise you could end up paying for disinterested people for years. No bueno.
TAKE ACTION:
Research what email service providers integrate well with Shopify and fit your budget. I recommend Klaviyo because the functionality is designed for ecom – but there are costs to use this service.
READ MORE:
- How to build your email list from scratch (a step-by-step guide)
- How to capture 600 emails (spending only $90 on ads)
- How to start an email list that grow your ecommerce business
17. Run a pre-sale to see if you REALLY have a product/market fit
If you’ve worked hard to build your email list from scratch with people who are excited to see what you have coming, then now is the time to have a pre-sale.
What is a pre-sale?
A pre-sale is where you offer a discounted price for those willing to buy in advance of the item actually being available.
Now there are some caveats and rules to this. But the beautiful thing about a pre-sale is, not only do you get a clear indication of whether you REALLY did get that product/market fit.
You’re also able to generate some cashflow to make your wholesale order or manufacture your products. See why I love a pre-sale? Everyone wins.
TAKE ACTION:
Considering your budget, think about whether holding a pre-sale would be a great launch tactic for your brand? Remember this though, a pre-sale isn’t to make profit, but to gauge genuine buying interest and generate cashflow.
READ MORE:
- How to get thousands of pre-sales before your product launch
- 8 steps to developing a successful pre-launch campaign
- How to use a pre-sale to generate cashflow
16. Optimise your product descriptions for search engines
The way Google knows which websites to serve up in a Google search is by assessing which and, how many, of the keyword phrases a searcher used – aligns with the keyword phrases on your site.
Let’s use this description from Just for Kix as an example.
If a potential customer was searching for a black, sleeveless, full length sequin disco dance top – Google may not know that they sell this as the product description and image aren’t optimised for SEO.
And here’s the thing, the average online boutique – especially those without a blog – has far less content than other types of website.
That’s why it’s even more important that you optimise your product descriptions (and the other pages) on your website for search engine recognition.
What I like to do is, write for my customers first, then, go back and optimise those descriptions to include my keywords for Google.
TAKE ACTION:
Take 5-10 of your products and practice writing SEO product descriptions. There’s no need to keyword stuff or write in a robotic way. Write for humans first, and search engines last. Use your descriptions to breath life and colour into your products.
READ MORE:
- How to write better product descriptions for your online boutique
- A simple guide from writing exceptional meta descriptions
- Basic onpage SEO optimisation for online stores.
Okay – so let’s check back in.
At this point you should have developed your website with best practices in mind, but we don’t stop there. Nope, the online store launch checklist continues.
Keep reading to find out the next phase of essential launch tasks.
Online store launch checklist: Phase Two
15. Build, then speed check your website
When it comes to launching your online store quickly, my favourite platform has got to be Shopify.
With their wide range of themes, apps, and great customer support – they’re the ideal option for most new brands who don’t want to fuss around with expensive web development.
That being said, we all know how frustrating a slower than molasses website can be.
And even if you use a hosted site like Shopify, it’s still important to make sure you’re reducing your product images to the smallest size possible – without seeing any change in image quality.
One of my most used tools for this is TINY PNG.
Would you like to see all the products & tools I use to help me run my physical and info product businesses?
I wrote a post detailing my favourite ecommerce marketing tools which I think you’ll love.
TAKE ACTION:
Pick your theme, then start building your website. Don’t be afraid to reach out to support if you get stuck. And don’t forget to run all your images through Tinypng and reduce the file size so that your store loads quickly.
READ MORE:
- How to speed up your website and increase conversion by 7%
- Getting started with Shopify: step-by-step tutorials
14. Check how your online store displays on mobil
A quick look in analytics, and you’ll soon see just how much traffic is coming to your online store from mobile and tablets – well at least you will once you’re actually launched.
With that being said, you really can’t afford to ignore your customers mobile experience.
In fact, the amount of websites I see with horrendous mobile experiences in 2018, shocks me.
The secret to having a great mobile experience for your online boutique is to choose a theme that is designed for mobile optimisation. Or, to hire a developer to tweak your favourite theme.
Personally, I’d go for the out of the box option – but that’s just me.
TAKE ACTION:
Shopify have a large library of free and premium themes and most are optimised for mobile. Research their library and select your favourite theme – then check the mobile experience using the demo option.
READ MORE:
- How to make your online store mobile friendly
- 11 cutting edge ecommerce website designs
- 21 responsive Shopify themes
13 . Check that any apps/pop ups are set up properly
This has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to new online stores.
They overload the website with lots of apps and plugins, but they don’t know these slow your website down, as everything needs to load before you can see anything.
Worst still, they don’t check whether these apps clash with one another, or how they work on mobile.
Let me ask you… would you prefer me to be stuck on your mobile email pop-up – blocking me from accessing your products. Or, would you prefer me to access your content or product?
If you can’t get an email popup that works well on mobile – then it’s better not to have one. And where possible, keep all popups exit intent only.
The Shopify app library is quite extensive and there are lots of free and freemium options. Before downloading any apps think about what functionality you need, why, and how that functionality affects sales and conversions.
READ MORE:
- Is Google penalising websites with popups?
- How to make your email popup convert browsers into subscribers
- Why you should be using popups on your online store
- The best Shopify apps to increase sales
12. Test your checkout BEFORE YOU LAUNCH
I really can’t emphasis the importance of this point enough.
Before you open the digital doors to your customers make sure you’ve gone through your checkout process.
Keep your checkout process simple with as few clicks to make payment as possible. Make sure you have different payment options available – and that transactions go through smoothly for each method.
TAKE ACTION:
Run a transaction through your checkout as if you were a customer using your credit card – and don’t forget to make sure shipping is being calculated correctly.
READ MORE:
- 4 checkout conversion killers that drive customers away
- Ecommerce check page optimisation tips
- 40 checkout page strategies to improve conversion rates
11. Design and order your brand packaging
With so much to do when you’re getting ready to launch, you’re bound to forget something.
You know what I forgot?
Packaging. Welp!
Getting a nice flush of orders only to realise you don’t have anything to send the product out in is not fun. Trust me.
Depending on what you’re selling you may have different packaging needs. But I like to have everything wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap, and then to add a branded sticker to the packaging.
TAKE ACTION:
Decide how you want to pack and ship your product. And don’t forget that this opening/unboxing experience is your customers first contact with your brand – think about how you can make this experience memorable?
READ MORE:
- 5 ways to increase inserts to increase customer loyalty
- How to create a memorable and sharable unboxing experience for your brand
- Tips for packaging jewellery when selling online
10. Decide on your shipping options
Are you gonna offer free shipping? Free over a certain amount. International shipping.
7 day. Next day?
Yep, there’s so many options and things to consider when it comes to shipping that you can feel like you’re going crazy.
The thing is, if you don’t get this part of your business right you can end up not only upsetting your customers, but also sucking up all your profit.
So take the time you need to research your options, and do your calculations to make sure you can fulfil your customer needs while still making profit.
TAKE ACTION:
Decide what zones you will ship to, then research different courier costs and delivery times. If possible, try and have a super-fast and snail mail option so customers have a choice.
READ MORE:
- Everything you need to know about epackages (dropshipper guide)
- Introducing UPS for Shopify
- Shipping & Fulfilment 101
9. Prepare your social media posts in advance
When you’re up to your neck in launch mode it’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything you need to get done.
That’s when you start slipping on the essentials – such as keeping your social media content consistent and your engagement high.
That’s why I highly recommend that you create a store house of content to post in advance, and get it scheduled to go out at optimal engagement times.
If you can, try and get at least 7-days worth of content in the bag.
TAKE ACTION:
Using the image editing tool of your choice (I love Canva), create a batch of visual content that you can get scheduled to go out while your launching. Think carefully about the objective for each piece of content you create. Create content with purpose.
READ MORE:
- 50 shortcuts to create visual content for social media
- How to schedule up to 350 social media posts at once
- How successful entrepreneurs batch create their content
8. Make sure you have quality images – with a zoom function
Put your consumer hat on for a second, and think about your own online shopping habits.
I don’t know about you, but I always zoom in to see stitching, cut, patterns – the detail.
That’s why it’s not only important to have quality images, but to also make sure your site has the ability to zoom in and see detail.
And unless you have the budget to have a professional photographer on standby, then notching up your own photography skills is a great idea.
Online boutiques live or die based on their imagery, so you need to make sure you have the best images you can. And remember this: you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
TAKE ACTION:
Don’t already have a quality camera, some lighting, and a backdrop? Price these out, as they are essential tools for any visual brand and need to be budgeted for. Swat up on your product photography skills, and don’t forget to choose a theme with a built-in zoom function or find an app.
READ MORE:
- FREE mobile photography course for online stores
- The beginners guide to product photography
- How to use quality lifestyle photography to boost sales
7. Add a chatbox to your website
This is a tip I wish someone had told me earlier, as since I’ve done this I’ve seen an increase in sales- and here’s why I think that is.
As potential customers are able to ask their questions in real time and get answers, it helps them trust your business and speeds up the buying decision making process.
There are free and paid chatbox options, but remember what I said above about making sure all your apps render properly on desktop and mobile.
TAKE ACTION:
Think about whether a chatbox will help your customer? Remember, not only do you get to answer questions, but you can also ask your customers questions. Check out the Shopify app library for chatboxes with easy integration.
READ MORE:
- Top live chat apps for Shopify
- What bots can & can’t do for your ecommerce business
- How to use chatbots to spark sales
Before you get to the stage of developing your online store you need to know which core keywords you’d like your online store to rank for in the longterm.
This can be a task that’s really easy to overlook, or to underestimate the importance of.
But without paying attention to this, for the most part (unless something goes crazy viral) your website will be invisible to Google and other search engines.
TAKE ACTION:
Google’s keyword planner tool can help you research keywords for your brand. Think holistically, how would customers describe your products, brand, blog content, etc. I like to type a search term into Google and check the suggestions.
READ MORE:
- The beginners guide to ecommerce keyword research
- How to do keyword research for an ecommerce store
- 2017 guide to ecommerce keyword research
5. Optimise your images for SEO
When you’re building out your online store in preparation to launch it’s really smart (and important) to consider SEO (search engine optimisation) right from the very beginning.
Trust me, if you don’t you’ll have to go back and do it later, that is, if you want to rank in search engines and benefit from free traffic down the line.
Start with optimising your images for SEO. This is as simple as naming your product images with the most descriptive keywords before you upload them to Shopify.
TAKE ACTION:
Check out my free SEO 101 course for store owners. This will show you how to optimise descriptions, images, meta data and alt tags.
READ MORE:
4. Write your email sales funnel and customer nurture sequence – check everything works/flows
This has got to be one of the most important points on this whole list.
I advocate building your email list above all platforms. Yep, that’s right it’s above Instagram, I said that!
Take the time build an email list of subscribers waiting to be notified when you launch, and make sure you have a pre-written sales funnel that new subscribers go through before moving across to your email nurture sequence.
** Want more in-depth content on email sales funnels & nurture sequences? Let me know in the comments.
I like to make sure that I have at least 6-10 emails set up to be sent out automatically to that list of people.
I share the emails that I send here in this training.
TAKE ACTION:
Start thinking about your email sales funnel? What emails will you send, what will they say, how will you segment subscribers based on their actions, or, inaction? Create your first draft.
READ MORE:
- The smart content marketing funnel
- 7 automated emails you need to be sending
- Ecommerce sales funnels for beginners
3. Write content for your static web pages – about/faq/toc/shipping & returns/sizing
It always surprises me when I got to a new online store and I hop on over to their about and sizing pages… and find crickets.
I’m like, don’t you understand the fact that I’m here and not just cruising your products means I’m REALLY interested in you as a company!?!?
But if you don’t have these pages, or you do, and their filled with lorem ipsum from your theme – well you just make me think you’re an amateur, and straight away I’ve lost trust in you.
TAKE ACTION:
Think about the other pages on your website aside from your homepage and product pages. What pages you need, what do you want to say? Use your webcopy to continue offering a branded experience, and don’t forget to sprinkle your keywords.
READ MORE:
- 10 rules for writing a compelling about me page
- How to create an FAQ that increases sales
- How to write a shipping information page
2. Add some content to your blog
Just like your static pages, if I take the time to go searching for your blog and find you don’t have one, or you do and it’s seriously out of date, you subconsciously lose some social proof.
That being said, I don’t recommend you take up blogging unless you’re committed to it in the long term.
Content marketing and blogging are not short term strategies, so if you don’t approach them with the long view in mind you’re really wasting your time.
And if you don’t have the long pockets to get started and stick with Facebook advertising until you the winning formula?
In fact, even if you do, you’re crazy if you don’t make content marketing a big part of your marketing mix.
Don’t just take my word for it though. Check out this 30 day traffic growth spurt – purely driven by content and nothing else.
TAKE ACTION:
Make a list of 5 evergreen posts you can create for your brand. Evergreen content is the sort of content that continues to drive traffic and sales to your business, weeks, months years after creating them. Don’t forget SEO.
READ MORE:
- 47 (profitable) blog post ideas for 2018
- Ecommerce blogging – everything you need to know
- How to create an Ecommerce content strategy that converts
1. Run a video add campaign for brand awareness 2-3 weeks before
Video still remains one of the cheapest types of paid advertising methods on Facebook, and it pays-off to start getting the word out about your up-and-coming brand as early as possible.
This is why one of my favourite pre-launch marketing ideas is to spend $10-15 a day on Facebook video ads designed to build brand awareness among those most likely to care
The added bonus of this is, you’ll also get additional Facebook fan page likes – which means you’re building an audience of people you can retarget conversion ads to later.
TAKE ACTION:
Log into your Facebook ad account and take a look at the different types of ad you can run. Video ads don’t need to be a Hollywood production – your video ad could be as simple as slides over music. Decide you want to run a brand awareness ad? Start planning the video.
READ MORE:
- 142 best Facebook add examples – all niches
- Six steps to a killer brand awareness campaign
- Building a brand awareness campaign – how to get it right
So we’ve finally come to the end of the definitive online store launch checklist.
No doubt there will be a handful of store launch marketing activities I didn’t cover, but I hope you found the guide insightful, and inspiring? And I’d love to answer any questions or hear your thoughts down in the comments.
If you loved this online store launch checklist and you found the store launch ideas valuable, it would make my day if you shared it in other ecommerce communities you’re part of.
And finally, let me reminds you that if your follow these steps in this online store launch checklist, you’re good to go.
