My Two Secret Weapons for Launching Your Website On Time

My two secret weapons that most coaches (and sadly, web designers) don’t use to ensure a timely launch.

It’s sooo easy to work on your website forever. There’s so much to think about, to do, to learn, to create, to decide upon … it can go on forever. 

But you don’t have that much time to get your business off the ground.

Your dreams are at stake here. 

Clients are out there struggling and waiting for you to show up for them.

And what little time we do have in this busy distracting modern world, you’ve got to put to the vitals, like launching your website.

Time.

Time is the asset you’ve got to make the most of. 

And that’s where my secret weapons come in – to make good use of your time.

97% of Those Used These Weapons Were Able to Launch Their Websites On Time

In the three offerings of my group website creation program, 29 of 30 students were able to complete their websites on time.

While I could brag that my tutorials and training were so magically engaging and inspiring and energizing that students couldn’t help but complete their websites, but I would be fooling myself.

I know this because when I had offered my training material out to those without a clear launch date (infused with danger – more about that below) the completion rates were markedly lower. 

These weapons are not optional. They are essentials. They are …

The weapons are:

1. Create a crystal clear sitemap.

In coaching, this would be like setting a clear outcome, intention or performance goal. Something measurable or detectible. Something that you can reach and which would indicate that “you are done!”

2. Define a deadly deadline.

In coaching, this means making your goals time-based – BUT with the extra dose of adding a painful consequence if you don’t hit that deadline.

Let me go into each one and how they are must-do’s that you can’t skip if you want to really complete your website. 

Secret weapon 1 – Get Crystal Clear About Your  Website Map to Prevent Endless Construction

Yep, as I’ve hinted at over the last week, you need to get clear on what kind of website you want to create.

You need to get clear about the pages, the visuals, the content, the tech features – everything!

And before you do that, it also helps to revisit your business goals and marketing plans. 

Did you say you wanted 10 ongoing paying clients within 6 months? And did you want a professional website so that you can reach out to your network and then referral sources? 

Or are you aiming to grow your list to 1000 via blogging and then offer an online coaching group program you want to fill with quarterly events? 

The websites, features, structure, content, videos and such will be a bit different for each.

Also, I should add that a good look at your ideal client will have an impact on the content and the visuals (colors, fonts, images). 

Draw a diagram, make a list, and create a map of what you want your site to look like, feel like, smell like, and act like. 

With a clear end, you’ll have something to aim to complete it. 

Secret Weapon #2 – Enlist Your Inner Lizard Brain and Define a “Deadly” Deadline

There’s a part of our brain called the amygdala. Often referred to as “the lizard brain”. And it’s a very powerful force.

It’s always on the lookout for danger and it fires off and alerts us whenever harm is looming ahead.

And so we will use this force to keep you focused on launching your website timely.

(At this point, I’ve got an evil grin on my face).

To put it in place what we will do is create a big pain that kicks in if we fail to get our websites on time.

Here are Two Ways to Create That Incredibly Motivating Penalty

One way is to announce it to your Facebook friends your website launch date. If you don’t make it, you get embarrassed.

A second way, a brutal one that I’ve heard about among some of my fave productivity gurus, is to give a friend $1,000 dollars to donate to an organization that you despise if you don’t launch.

I heard about the idea about having a donation sent to the Nazi Party in which your name gets publicly listed as a supporter. If that were to happen if you failed to launch, would you be seriously motivated? 

My Special Lady and I Did a Fitness Challenge Once with a Deadline That Worked Like a Bomb

We both put up a thousand buckaroos to make sure we stuck to our exercise tasks for 30 days. Needless to say, the risk of losing that $1000 worked like magic. She got a firm bum. I figured out new ways to boost my energy.

Rewards at the end? That’s cool to do and it does add some excitement.

But I find the pain of loss (losing something you need like reputation at work, money in our bank, a finger) to be 10x more motivating than the pleasure of gain (additional money, a new friend, new clothes).

Do both?! 

So if you do want to “be positive” and add a reward, the couple it with a risk an “be ruthless” because your coaching business dreams are that important.

And now that I bring this up, actually, I do also give some sweet biz-building rewards to my students who do launch on time.

There’s Actually a 3rd Secret Weapon to Completely “Smash” Your Goals

My tennis coach mate down in New Zealand always says “smash it” like crushing an overhand on your opponent. Smash it means to succeed greatly. 

Action is what you’ll need to launch – no doubt about that. If you can create a simple, automatic habit that prevents any hesitation, excess thinking or such,  you’ll see your website unfold faster. 

Here are two ways I like creating that habit …

Way #1. One way is to always be asking yourself this simple question, When in the next 24 hours, can I find 20-30 minutes to just get started (insert any task that comes to mind for your website)?

Doing this a handful of times will start to form that subconscious habit that’ll trigger more action. 

Way #2. The other way is to find a fun event in your calendar like a dinner party or coffee with a friend and plan to work on your website for just 30-60 minutes beforehand starting on any task. 

It’s nice to get some important work done and then head off for enjoyment.

Here are some actions you can take after setting your deadline:

• Create a vision for your site on paper with a pen. List the pages, the content on those pages, and the functionality needed.
• Decide if you’re going to hire a designer or do it yourself. Figure out your budget for this.
• Decide on the technology to use.  I like and use WordPress for fast site creation and easy functionality. Avoid everything else like the plague. You do not need heavy technology like shopping carts at this point.
• Quickly draft your About Me page.

If you are going to do it yourself, I recommend getting a WordPress developer to sit with you for a few training sessions and avoid taking the popular courses out there because there will be much more than you need to know.

Courses and manuals on WordPress are a bit over the top, and you’re not seeking to make that your new profession.

Again, just learn what you need to know now.

I can hear thoughts tumbling in that dome of yours. Post your comments, questions, and ideas below.

What is your biggest takeaway from today’s learning? Post below.