# Store Launch Plan > 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. - Skill: `reaperinvest/store-launch-plan` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/store-launch-plan` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/store-launch-plan/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/store-launch-plan --- # 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** - [ ] 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 --- ## 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.