store-launch-plan

name	store-launch-plan
description	Plans e-commerce store launches with pre-launch checklist, marketing calendar, launch day playbook, and post-launch optimization priorities. Use when opening an online store.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Store Launch Plan

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Plan a new e-commerce store launch from pre-launch to post-launch
• Create a marketing calendar for a store or product launch
• Build a launch day checklist to avoid missed steps
• Design a post-launch optimization roadmap

DO NOT use this skill for store setup and configuration, product sourcing, or ongoing marketing strategy. This is for planning and executing the launch event.

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Core Principle

A LAUNCH IS NOT A MOMENT — IT IS A SEQUENCE. PRE-LAUNCH BUILDS ANTICIPATION, LAUNCH DAY CONVERTS IT, AND POST-LAUNCH SUSTAINS THE MOMENTUM.

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Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Store type	"What are you selling? (physical products, digital, services)"	Physical products
Platform	"What platform? (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, BigCommerce)"	Shopify
Product count	"How many products at launch?"	5-20
Launch date	"Target launch date?"	4-6 weeks from now
Audience	"Do you have an existing audience? (email list, social following)"	Small — under 1,000
Budget	"Marketing budget for the launch?"	$500-$2,000
Goals	"What does a successful launch look like? (orders, revenue, email signups)"	50 orders in first week

GATE: Confirm brief before building the launch plan.

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Phase 2: Plan

Launch Timeline

Weeks 4-3 Before Launch: Foundation

• Store setup and QA complete
• Product listings optimized
• Email capture landing page live
• Social media profiles created and branded

Weeks 2-1 Before Launch: Pre-Launch

• Email list building (lead magnet, waitlist, early access)
• Social media content calendar begins
• Influencer outreach and seeding
• Launch day email sequence drafted
• Friends and family beta test

Launch Week: Go Live

• Launch day email blast
• Social media launch campaign
• Limited-time launch offer (if applicable)
• Real-time monitoring and customer support

Weeks 1-4 After Launch: Optimize

• Collect and respond to customer feedback
• Fix UX issues discovered in real traffic
• Request reviews from first customers
• Analyze traffic and conversion data
• Scale winning acquisition channels

GATE: Present the timeline and confirm before building detailed checklists.

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Phase 3: Build

Deliverables

1. Pre-Launch Checklist

• All products listed with optimized titles, descriptions, and images
• Payment processing tested (place a real test order)
• Shipping rates and zones configured
• Tax settings verified
• Email opt-in page or pop-up live
• Order confirmation and shipping notification emails tested
• Mobile experience reviewed on 3 devices
• Page load speed under 3 seconds
• Analytics and conversion tracking installed
• Social media profiles linked and bio updated

2. Launch Day Playbook

• Hour-by-hour schedule for launch day
• Email send times
• Social media posting schedule
• Monitoring dashboard (traffic, orders, revenue)
• Customer support staffing plan
• Emergency contacts (developer, hosting, payment processor)

3. Marketing Calendar (4 weeks)

• Daily content plan for social media
• Email sequence: announcement → launch → reminder → last chance
• Paid advertising plan with budget allocation by day
• PR and influencer outreach timeline

4. Post-Launch Optimization Plan

• Week 1: Collect feedback, fix bugs, respond to every customer
• Week 2: Analyze data, identify top products and traffic sources
• Week 3: Request reviews, launch retargeting ads
• Week 4: Double down on winning channels, plan next promotion

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Phase 4: Polish

Launch Metrics Dashboard

Track daily for the first 30 days:

• Traffic (total and by source)
• Conversion rate
• Revenue and average order value
• Email list growth
• Customer support tickets
• Top-selling products

30-Day Review

After 30 days, conduct a launch retrospective:

• What exceeded expectations?
• What underperformed?
• What would you do differently?
• What are the top 3 priorities for the next 90 days?

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Example 1: DTC Product Launch (20 products, $1,000 budget)

Pre-launch: 3-week email waitlist campaign, Instagram teaser content daily. Launch: 20% off first 48 hours for waitlist subscribers, email blast + stories campaign. Post-launch: review request emails at Day 7, retargeting ads starting Week 2.

Example 2: Digital Product Store (5 products, $500 budget)

Pre-launch: Free resource lead magnet, 2-week email nurture. Launch: Founding member pricing (limited to first 50 buyers), live launch event on social media. Post-launch: testimonial collection, affiliate program setup.

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Anti-Patterns

• Launching without testing — a broken checkout on launch day is a disaster. Place a real test order from a real device before going live.
• No pre-launch audience — launching to zero people produces zero sales. Spend at least 2 weeks building an email list before launch.
• Launch day and done — the launch is the beginning, not the end. Post-launch optimization is where most revenue is generated.
• Over-discounting — 50% off on launch day trains customers to wait for sales. Use modest launch offers or limited-time bonuses instead.
• Perfect before launching — waiting for every product photo, description, and feature to be perfect delays revenue. Launch with good enough and iterate.

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Recovery

• No email list yet: Delay the launch by 2 weeks and focus entirely on list building. Use a landing page with a compelling offer (early access, launch discount).
• Launch day has low traffic: Activate personal network (email friends, post in communities, DM contacts). Run small paid ad campaigns for immediate traffic.
• Technical issues on launch day: Have a developer on standby. Prepare a "We're overwhelmed by demand, bear with us" message for any visible issues.
• No sales in the first week: Diagnose: traffic problem (nobody visiting) or conversion problem (visiting but not buying). Fix the constraint before spending more on marketing.