TOC # 107: I've Been Dying To Show You This
(Jan 10, 2023) Decisions You Need To Make Before Launching Your New Website
I'm not gonna lie to you, I feel *extra* pressured to send a really good story in today's newsletter…
Because there are 2 very special new subscribers I'm tryna impress.
The first is the lovely Frank Appleyard, who, despite being a good friend of mine, and someone I've known for almost two years, had yet to subscribe until I forced him to over a glass of (very LA) orange wine this past weekend.
(His wife is an avid reader, so I assumed he was, too. He apparently needed some bullying convincing, which I successfully did, although I think his decision to stay subscribed might be contingent upon him receiving a worthy story this morning. Sry, Francis. I won't be offended if you leave the newsletter-reading to Xanthe, as long as you still respond to my audio messages.)
The second is my new friend Harry, who is potentially the coolest person I've ever met face-to-face, not because he runs a ridiculously thriving 7-figure business at age 22, and not because he knows Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington personally, but because he listened to me talk for a full six hours on our flight home back to Boston yesterday, foregoing the lay-flat seat and a long nap for red wine and deep conversation with me.
(Harry, I told you that you weren't safe from becoming newsletter content.)
I was planning on using my flight home to write an extremely witty, belly-laugh-worthy, expertly-integrated-into-today's-topic story for you.
I even justified an upgrade to first class because of it.
(Okay, that's a lie. I was gonna do that anyway. But still.)
Clearly, that didn't happen. You can blame Harry.
(Or you can blame me, because I'm the one that looked over at his computer 4 minutes into the flight, noticed him using Gusto, asked him if he liked it, and then talked his ear off for the duration of our time in the air.)
Either way, today, I'm a storyteller without a story. It's shameful.
But, to make up for it… how about I show you my brand new website? 😏
What's New On The BTL Site + Why!
Am I wild for launching a completely brand-new (huge) website when my old one was perfectly fine and beautiful? Potentially.
But I wanted to be completely, irrevocably, head-over-heels in love with my website—and I hadn't been feeling that way for a while.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with my old site; Sarah killed it.
But I've changed! I've added new services, created new resources, made exciting updates… and my previous website (and some of my previous website copy) didn't feel like it fit me anymore.
Now, though? I feel 100% confident sending my site to anyone and everyone, confident that it'll resonate with the people who fit my idea of ideal.
(Whereas before, I was reluctantly sharing it with them, feeling the need to justify it, and promising the launch of my new site, desperate for them to know “it's gonna be even better than this soon, I swear!”)
So… what's new on the BTL site?! Oh, you mean aside from everything…?
The design and a lot of the copy is brand-spanking-new on pretty much every single page, but I've also *added* lots of new things, like:
My brand new offering: Email Marketing VIP Week
Individual pages for every single freebie (like this one!)
Dedicated waitlist pages for Site Series and Sales Series
A ridiculously long love letter to Tonic Site Shop, because duh
New-and-improved marketing resource library
Andddd about a trillion other things. I cannot wait for you to check it out! 🥳
But that's not all for today—you KNOW I'd never just leave you hanging without a marketing tip to match, and today, I want to chat with you about all that goes into launching a brand new site… because, DAYUM, that shit was a lot.
Decisions You Need To Make Before Launching Your New Website
Let me tell ya, launching a new website is not for the faint of heart. Whether it's your first-ever site, or the 29487th iteration, so much work goes into it that you don't even realize when you start the project.
I wrote a blog post for you about the 6 steps it takes to launch a site—click here to read!—where I answered website-related FAQs & shared a quick-and-dirty explanation of the essentials you'll need for your site launch, but here are some other decisions you need to make:
LOGISTICS:
Which website hosting platform will you use? (If you're deciding between Showit and Squarespace, read this!)
When does your site need to be live by?
How long will it take for you to finish your copy?
How long does your designer need to work on it / how long will it take you to implement your copy into a website template?
AESTHETICS:
How do you want your website to look and feel?
Do you want to work with a designer, or purchase a template, or design the entire thing yourself?
Is there an element of design you really want to include on your new site? Does your website builder let you do it?
Does the aesthetic of your blog fit your fantasy? (Check out Ryan Moreno's plugin if not!)
FUNCTIONALITY:
Which pages do you need for your site and what are their purpose?
Do you have a CRM or software for managing inquiries?
Are there any confirmation pages you need to be set up for people who opt into freebies, make purchases, or need more details about a service you're providing them?
How much do you care about your site's load speed?
Is it easy for your readers to navigate?
& like I said, these are just SOME of the questions you'll need to ask yourself / decisions you'll need to make before launching your site. 🤯
It's nothing to get discouraged over, though—especially when there are lots of people (myself included!) who are willing to help you: copywriters, designers, tech support teams from your website builder, etc.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any Qs about launching a brand new website! But first, check out the blow post below - I think it'll answer a lot of 'em for ya.
So… what do you say, wanna work together in 2023?!
It's been a longgg time, but… THE BTL BOOKS ARE FINALLY OPEN AGAIN!
My Jan + Feb plans are full of website copy (med spa, wedding planner, family travel blogger, and luxury film photographer!), but the second the cal turns to March, I'm your girl.
(However, I do have some availability for email marketing VIP weeks in Feb, and I have the space to take on one more 1:1 mentee!)
I'm so, so thankful that I've been able to work on such awesome, fulfilling, exciting projects with fun, respectful, cool-ass clients, who have been keeping me busy for months—but now that Spring is around the corner, I *finally* have availability to take on new work & I can't WAIT to find out whose website, sales page, course launch copy, or email sequences I get to write this year.
Will it be yours?! 👀 (Are you one of my dream clients?!)
Here's how we can work together in 2023:
Done-for-you website copywriting
Done-with-you website copy audits
Sales page copywriting
Email marketing (New VIP Week! Been testing this one out for a few months before making the official announcement, and I've been loving it!)
1:1 mentorship for copywriters
Or, if you have something else in mind—e-commerce product copy? brand messaging? course launch strategy? a dif project?—tell me what you wanna work on when you fill out my inquiry form, and we can talk about it!
I'm next-level pumped about potentially working with you. HMU if you feel the same.
P.S. One of my clients told me the other day that she has to Google half the acronyms I send her, and we were dying laughing about it. Typing “HMU” just now made me think of it, and… do I really say that many acronyms?! Hit “reply” to this email & let me know if you (like me, apparently) also accidentally speak in code? Lmao
Love u mean it,
—Sara
Hi, I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. Thanks for reading this edition of the Tuesday Table of Contents! If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client. ;)
Read my blog. It’s home to everything from copywriting tips, to marketing education, to freelance advice, to portfolio-worthy projects… if you like this newsletter, you’ll love the blog. Here’s a quick roundup of my most popular posts.
Sign up for my web copy course. Actually, it’s not *only* about website copywriting—I also teach modules on copywriting basics, developing your target audience, search engine optimization, blogging, and email marketing.
Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.
To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!