Are you ready to launch?
Launch day happens once, and what you don't record that day can't be recovered. Answer eight questions and see what to set up first.
8 questions · about 2 minutes · your answers stay in your browser
Not yet: set up the basics first.
Launching now would give you a day of attention you can't learn from. A signup that records its source, analytics and tagged links take an afternoon; do them first.
Almost: fix the gaps below.
The basics are there. The gaps below are what would stop you from knowing, a month from now, which post brought the people who pay.
Ready: launch, and measure it.
You'll know where visitors came from, who signed up and who paid. Launch, then look again after 30 days, not after 24 hours.
What to fix, from your answers
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Record the source on every signup: the referring site and the link's tags.
Track which post brought signups -
Put a waitlist or a signup up before you post anywhere.
Get signups before you build -
Count visits by source, not just in total.
Visits, visitors and page views -
Add analytics before the first post; a launch day can't be measured afterwards.
Built it. Nobody came. Now what? -
Give every post its own campaign tag.
UTM parameters, explained -
Tag each link with utm_source and utm_campaign before you share it.
UTM parameters, explained -
Match payments to the first source of each customer.
Someone paid. Where from? -
Decide when to start charging; a price turns interest into an answer.
When should I start charging? -
Add two or three places where your users talk about the problem.
How to promote an app you built -
Pick three places where people describe the problem you solve.
How to get your first 10 paying customers -
Plan one short launch email with a tagged link.
Launched? Tell everyone who waited -
Even a small list of people who asked to be told is your warmest launch audience.
Get signups before you build -
Add a feedback button that sends the user's id with every message.
Collect feedback inside your app -
Give first users a way to tell you what's broken.
Collect feedback inside your app -
Write down one number (signups from the right people, or first customers) before you post.
How to know if your launch worked -
Decide what you'll call success before launch day.
How to know if your launch worked