Things to consider when you're preparing to launch a new website. From the 2015 Leading Change Summit, with Kristin Johnson of RAD Campaign.

1. Launching on the Web
2015 Leading Change Summit, Washington, DC
September 15, 2015
#15LCS

2. BRETT MEYER
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY, THINKSHOUT
@brett_meyer
KRISTIN JOHNSON
TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER, RAD CAMPAIGN
@KSuzJ
#15LCS
LAUNCHING ON THE WEB

3. Launching on the Web
#15LCS

4. A Sample
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Launching your site mid-week.
Launching your site on Friday.

5. CONTENT
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6. Content Planning
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Planning your content in advance.
Writing all your content just before
launch.

7. Useful Content
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Include content that matches what
your users want.
Upload 10 years worth of press
statements.

8. Page Titles
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Rewrite your page titles to be
unique and optimized for search.
Leave your page titles the same
as your short navigation labels.

9. Image Rights
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Make sure you have the rights to
the images you use.
Steal the images and leave the
original name in the title field.

10. USABILITY
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11. Search
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Incorporate strong site search to
help users find what they want.
Assume users are going to use
your amazing navigation.

12. Error Pages
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Personalize your search page to
include a prominent search box.
Use the out-of-the box 404 pages
that looks like you’re giving your
users a virus.

13. User Testing
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Include user testing throughout the
development process.
Assume the choices you’ve made
will resonate with your target
audiences.

14. ACCESSIBILITY
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15. Site Accessibility
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Make your site accessible for all
users.
Think people will be willing to
work around the roadblocks.

16. Links
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Use natural language link text.
Use the phrase “click here”.

17. Image Labels
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Ensure you have ALT text
assigned to important images.
Leave vision-impaired users
guessing what’s on the screen.

18. WAVE
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Test accessibility with WAVE.
Assume your site is accessible
because the developers said so.

19. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
(SEO)
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20. Redirects
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Have 301 redirects set up for
pages with new URLs.
Let old, high-trafficked pages fade
into the ether.

21. Sitemaps
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Create an HTML or XML sitemap.
Hope Google finds all your new
pages because hey, it’s Google.

22. DATA
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23. Measurement
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Have a plan to measure the
effectiveness of your site.
Create your measurement plan
months after you launch.

24. Analytics
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Ensure you have the ability to track
user behavior.
Assume you’ve built your site so
well, there’s no room for
improvement.

25. Analytics
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Maintain a consistent analytics
account.
Switch to a new account with
each site launch because you
love using Excel.

26. INTEGRATIONS
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27. CRM
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Ensure your CRM team knows how
data will be sent their way.
Hope that your CRM team is
really, really good.

28. Test, test, test.
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Test every integration well before
your launch date.
Tell yourself that you’re only
responsible for the website.

29. COLLATERAL
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30. Design
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Update email and social media
templates to match the site.
Explain to your superiors that
variety is the spice of life.

31. Social Listening
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Monitor feedback about your new
site on social media.
Ehn, it’s social media. Nobody
says anything important on
Twitter.

32. Social Media Sharing
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Check how your pages look when
shared on social media.
Prepare to explain to your CEO
how that distorted, cut-off logo on
Facebook is a good thing.

33. LAUNCH
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34. Launch Dates
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Build some flexibility into your
launch date.
Plan your launch around your
org’s biggest annual fundraising
event.

35. Testing Redux
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Test your website on multiple
browsers and devices.
Rush to launch as soon as you
can, because deadlines.

36. Promoting the Launch
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Have a plan to promote your
launch.
Tell everybody about your new
site minutes after you flip the
switch.

37. Launch Checklist
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Rely on Bob in engineering to
figure it out.
Prepare a launch checklist.

38. Preparing for Disaster
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Have a fall-back plan.
Just keep plugging away.

39. Staff Support
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Celebrate!
Celebrate excessively.

40. POST-LAUNCH
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41. Continue to Improve
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Use your measurement plan.
Never test your website again.

42. Change Management
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Work with stakeholders to change
their habits.
Hope that everybody just gets it.

43. QUESTIONS?
DISCOVER DISCOVERY
#15LCS

44. Kristin Johnson
@KSuzJ
Brett Meyer
@brett_meyer