Fresh

The word “launch” is such an intense word to describe the release of a new web property out into the world wide web. The picture that comes to mind is the glory of a space shuttle taking off into space with the companion footage of a simple countdown and the flip of a couple switches in the control room.  But no matter how a shuttle launch may look, we all know it takes a lot of teamwork, planning, forethought and monitoring to get that rocket into space.  There would probably be a hefty investigation if we found out the NASA launch plan was: cross our fingers, hit the button and wave goodbye. The same goes for a website launch. One might picture a guy sitting in the IT department waiting for the word “go” to push a button – and then we pop open the champagne and move onto the next project.  Hardly.

Like any kind of launch, there are many components to prepare for beforehand and to monitor afterwards. With a site launch we’re dealing with servers, DNS, domains, hosting, file access, operating environments, expected traffic, load time, content, quality assurance (QA), feeds, and the list goes on.

Launching is really a series of steps and several checks and balances between the teams working on the project.  It takes a village to raise a website, and the teams must really work together to get the thing working in one environment and on one day.

Is your site or project ready to launch? Ask these questions and don’t leave your launch up to crossed fingers and a lucky rabbit’s foot.

• Is the site complete?

  As in done, approved, signed off, finished?

• Do you have your domain and hosting set up?

  Have you established a relationship with a hosting company? Do you own and have access to the domain?

• Have the development tools been removed?

  Debugging output? Hard-coded development URLs? Any back-door access?

• Have you considered anticipated traffic?

  Do you know your available bandwidth? Do you have any data-heavy features (streaming video, large photos, etc.)? What is the expected amount of traffic to the site?

• Have all your forms and other components been tested in the live environment?

  Form results are posting and to the right contact? DNS is set and domain is pointed? All the integrated pieces are working together?

• Are your social networking tools in place and hooked up?

  Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn? ShareThis?

• Is it Friday?

  Unless you want to be a weekend warrior, you might want to wait until Monday.  Give at least 1-2 business days to complete the launch process.

On any launch at eROI we have a series of team members working on different pieces of what is more of a gradual ascension. The process usually takes all day, if not a few days, and requires many visits, conversations and status updates with the IT, Accounts & Development departments. But at the end of the day and hopefully after another successful endeavor you can brag over dinner how you launched a site into the great beyond.

Don’t drop the ball now that the ball has dropped! That’s right, it’s a new year, and time to make new resolutions and goals as well as re-commit ourselves to standards and quality in web design and development.  One of the most critical periods in the creation of a new (or redesigned) website is what we at eROI call the “Deploy” phase. This is when all the hard work the team has put into a project culminates to one defining moment when you flip the switch and the site “GOES LIVE” for the whole world to see.  But more important than the actual flip-switching is the pre-launch phase where we make sure the site is ready for prime time, so to speak.

One of the most important steps in the pre-launch phase is an in-depth QA process, including usability and cross-browser testing.  But let’s assume that step has already been completed and your site is bug free and looks snazzy in all the major browsers.  Heck, let’s even say you’ve got a kick-ass mobile version and that everything degrades gracefully with javascript disabled, or on a horrible, outdated browser (I don’t think I need to name names here).

Aside from making sure everything works and looks good, here is a list of items to check on and implement (if you haven’t already).  Many of these may seem rather trivial compared to larger issues like site functionality, but the little details are important and you want to put your best face forward when presenting a new website to the world.  The lack of a favicon may not drive people away from your site, but those small details will be noticed and appreciated by users as well as peers in the industry.  Other items on the list can be much more crucial to the usability and success of the site.

(more…)