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.
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.
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.
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.
Phase 3: Build
Deliverables
1. Pre-Launch Checklist
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
1---2name: store-launch-plan3description: 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.4---56# Store Launch Plan78## When to Use This Skill910Use this skill when you need to:11- Plan a new e-commerce store launch from pre-launch to post-launch12- Create a marketing calendar for a store or product launch13- Build a launch day checklist to avoid missed steps14- Design a post-launch optimization roadmap1516**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.1718---1920## Core Principle2122A LAUNCH IS NOT A MOMENT — IT IS A SEQUENCE. PRE-LAUNCH BUILDS ANTICIPATION, LAUNCH DAY CONVERTS IT, AND POST-LAUNCH SUSTAINS THE MOMENTUM.2324---2526## Phase 1: Brief2728### Required Inputs2930| Input | What to Ask | Default |31|-------|------------|---------|32| **Store type** | "What are you selling? (physical products, digital, services)" | Physical products |33| **Platform** | "What platform? (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, BigCommerce)" | Shopify |34| **Product count** | "How many products at launch?" | 5-20 |35| **Launch date** | "Target launch date?" | 4-6 weeks from now |36| **Audience** | "Do you have an existing audience? (email list, social following)" | Small — under 1,000 |37| **Budget** | "Marketing budget for the launch?" | $500-$2,000 |38| **Goals** | "What does a successful launch look like? (orders, revenue, email signups)" | 50 orders in first week |3940**GATE: Confirm brief before building the launch plan.**4142---4344## Phase 2: Plan4546### Launch Timeline4748**Weeks 4-3 Before Launch: Foundation**49- Store setup and QA complete50- Product listings optimized51- Email capture landing page live52- Social media profiles created and branded5354**Weeks 2-1 Before Launch: Pre-Launch**55- Email list building (lead magnet, waitlist, early access)56- Social media content calendar begins57- Influencer outreach and seeding58- Launch day email sequence drafted59- Friends and family beta test6061**Launch Week: Go Live**62- Launch day email blast63- Social media launch campaign64- Limited-time launch offer (if applicable)65- Real-time monitoring and customer support6667**Weeks 1-4 After Launch: Optimize**68- Collect and respond to customer feedback69- Fix UX issues discovered in real traffic70- Request reviews from first customers71- Analyze traffic and conversion data72- Scale winning acquisition channels7374**GATE: Present the timeline and confirm before building detailed checklists.**7576---7778## Phase 3: Build7980### Deliverables8182**1. Pre-Launch Checklist**83- [ ] All products listed with optimized titles, descriptions, and images84- [ ] Payment processing tested (place a real test order)85- [ ] Shipping rates and zones configured86- [ ] Tax settings verified87- [ ] Email opt-in page or pop-up live88- [ ] Order confirmation and shipping notification emails tested89- [ ] Mobile experience reviewed on 3 devices90- [ ] Page load speed under 3 seconds91- [ ] Analytics and conversion tracking installed92- [ ] Social media profiles linked and bio updated9394**2. Launch Day Playbook**95- Hour-by-hour schedule for launch day96- Email send times97- Social media posting schedule98- Monitoring dashboard (traffic, orders, revenue)99- Customer support staffing plan100- Emergency contacts (developer, hosting, payment processor)101102**3. Marketing Calendar (4 weeks)**103- Daily content plan for social media104- Email sequence: announcement → launch → reminder → last chance105- Paid advertising plan with budget allocation by day106- PR and influencer outreach timeline107108**4. Post-Launch Optimization Plan**109- Week 1: Collect feedback, fix bugs, respond to every customer110- Week 2: Analyze data, identify top products and traffic sources111- Week 3: Request reviews, launch retargeting ads112- Week 4: Double down on winning channels, plan next promotion113114---115116## Phase 4: Polish117118### Launch Metrics Dashboard119120Track daily for the first 30 days:121- Traffic (total and by source)122- Conversion rate123- Revenue and average order value124- Email list growth125- Customer support tickets126- Top-selling products127128### 30-Day Review129130After 30 days, conduct a launch retrospective:131- What exceeded expectations?132- What underperformed?133- What would you do differently?134- What are the top 3 priorities for the next 90 days?135136---137138## Example 1: DTC Product Launch (20 products, $1,000 budget)139140**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 2.141142## Example 2: Digital Product Store (5 products, $500 budget)143144**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.145146---147148## Anti-Patterns149150- **Launching without testing** — a broken checkout on launch day is a disaster. Place a real test order from a real device before going live.151- **No pre-launch audience** — launching to zero people produces zero sales. Spend at least 2 weeks building an email list before launch.152- **Launch day and done** — the launch is the beginning, not the end. Post-launch optimization is where most revenue is generated.153- **Over-discounting** — 50% off on launch day trains customers to wait for sales. Use modest launch offers or limited-time bonuses instead.154- **Perfect before launching** — waiting for every product photo, description, and feature to be perfect delays revenue. Launch with good enough and iterate.155156---157158## Recovery159160- **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).161- **Launch day has low traffic:** Activate personal network (email friends, post in communities, DM contacts). Run small paid ad campaigns for immediate traffic.162- **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.163- **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.
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