Phase 6: Launch

    Overview
    Launching Your Site
Managing Handoff
    Promoting Your Site

One of the most overlooked steps of any project is how to hand off the project cleanly and efficiently after the main site development is complete and maintenance and ongoing releases of the site begins. Most project plans make one team responsible for the building and launching of a site, and another team responsible for managing the ongoing maintenance. Ideally, the maintenance component was addressed at the start of the project. The role of the maintenance team (or in some cases one individual) should be clearly outlined, along with expectations for technical and graphical implementation. How much experience does the team (or individual) have? Are they up for the challenge? Have you properly assessed the maintenance needs for the site? What tools and training are needed from the development team to properly maintain the site? Even if the development team and maintenance team are the same people, their roles are very different. All the loose ends that pile up during the project will need to be wrapped up at this time.

Assessing Maintenance Needs

Far in advance of handoff, the skills and experience level of the maintenance team or individual will need to be assessed. Many times, companies inadvertently assign one webmaster to fill many roles. Determine realistic resources and budgets for ongoing maintenance and relaunches. You may need to hire a staff internally or outsource to a larger development company depending on the extent of your maintenance needs.

Creating a Handoff Packet
The handoff packet contains all source files for graphic and HTML template production, necessary fonts, images (don't forget about usage rights), style guides and specifications necessary for one team to manage the ongoing design, production and maintenance of a site. This handoff packet should be signed and approved by the project manager, production team, design team and any other relevant team members including QA and Usability. Any and all data that is relevant to the site production should be clearly named and kept in an archive. Once the packet is clearly handed off, all site maintenance should also be transferred from the outside developer to the internal maintenance team. The handoff packet is a deliverable that should be outlined at the beginning of the project. Some training and ongoing communication between the development and maintenance teams is necessary, but preset the duration and hours for this process so it doesn't get out of hand.

Usage Rights

Be sure to get usage rights for all photos and illustrations on your site. The designers should keep careful track of image data (stock photography company and image IDs.) The client should be responsible for getting copyright approval and paying the appropriate fees for usage, especially if they are planning to use the same images in other marketing efforts, both online and offline. Rates vary from $19.95 for unlimited usage at photodisc.com to a few hundred dollars (or more) for a one-year license on an image at tonystone.com. Some online resources: www.photodisc.com www.tonystone.com www.gettyimages.com

Creating an HTML Style Guide
Once the site is completed, an HTML style guide is put together identifying all of the relevant details for design, production and upkeep of the web site. The design team should have started this style guide back in Phase 4: Designing/Prototyping. The style guide should contain samples of headers and graphics, along with colors and font specifications. Now that production and QA is complete, the HTML coders can add production specifications and coding details like formatting and style sheets to the document. The style guide will be used for future communications with the client with regard to site maintenance requests, as well as actas act as a reference guide for the maintenance team when adding or modifying HTML pages or graphics. The style guide, all graphic elements and source files used in the production of the web site, and a copy of the final web site itself should then be burned onto a CD and delivered to the maintenance team. Creation of the style guide can be time consuming: make sure the hours are budgeted for in the original estimate, or included in the design/production budget.

Recommended Production Style Guide Elements
Naming Conventions	Specify how naming conventions are applied to <TITLE> tags; image <ALT> tags; CSS font sets (if applicable); files and folders; html prefix and suffix treatments; etc.
Formatting of Code	Show examples of formatting for comment tags (how and when they are used); tabbing/line breaks; case sensitivity; absolute vs. relative linking; JavaScript (rollovers, linking references); CSS, templates and server-side includes (if used), etc.
Sample Code	Include sample code for basic outline of page layout; type/font linking, colors and size; graphical elements (implementation of design style guide elements); navigational elements; menus and functionality (sample rollover code); forms; any additional elements such as light scripting, etc.
File Structure	Show the directory structure and file organization scheme of files. Add screenshots if necessary.

Sample Production Style Guide

Setting up Maintenance Training
There might be some training needed to explain how the site was set up and how the code should be maintained. It's always good practice to schedule time when handing off materials to have the production and design leads meet with the team (or individual) who is taking over the site maintenance. Avoid miscommunication by clearly explaining the style guide, the HTML standards and the graphic and technical goals of the site. Even if the maintenance team has a background in design and layout, it is very important to continue to maintain the look and feel that has been set up from the onset of the site launch. Providing training both for design and HTML production is an important step in the successful handoff of materials from one team to another.

Who Broke It?

Managing the handoff process from one team to another can be tedious, especially where final fixes and broken functionality are involved. Make sure to outline an individual team's responsibilities in advance of handoff. If issues arise after handoff, who is responsible for fixing the site? If there are issues that arise after the site is moved to the live server that were not tested (due to CGI or firewall issues) - who fixes them? Make sure immediate post-launch tests and fixes are clearly assigned to one team. Avoid double access to files - you will risk overwriting and finger pointing when files disappear.

Tracking Documentation
All relevant documentation and approvals (both electronic and hard copies) should be organized and archived at the end of a project. All approvals should be printed and signed. This includes printed documents such as initial signed documents (project proposal, schedule and budget projections, creative brief, etc.) and all changes throughout the project (weekly budget reports, any AC forms WITH signature, memos and approvals which might not have taken the form of written/signed approval). All pertinent emails should also be archived and available for review -- especially those with any approved changes or requests from the client. All said and done, if the project was run effectively, everything should have been documented, signed and approved. It's good to have these materials available in case of any questions or miscommunication. The client (or maintenance team) will now be responsible for documentation, archives and relaunches of the site. Make sure to communicate the content and organization of information delivered to those responsible for the ongoing site management.

Budget Reports

Tracking budget overages and changes throughout a project's lifecycle requires organization and attention to detail. All changes - whether client or team initiated - need to be documented. If the project was managed properly, weekly or bi-weekly reports have been sent to the client. Changes from the original project scope have been carefully tracked through AC forms and signed and approved. If this has not happened, take time to organize emails and paperwork to justify overages and site changes; you may need to reference them for client approval prior to sending the final invoice.

Promoting Your Site >>

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