Digital White Papers

34 WWW.ILTANET.ORG | ILTA WHITE PAPER MARKETING TECHNOLOGY Roadmap for Your Next Website Redesign » Work collaboratively with vendor as they build the site, with ongoing project team meetings to refine design elements and functionality » Conduct user testing, preferably with some of the same users you interviewed during Phase One, and continue to refine functionality » Migrate content to new site shortly before launch; remember that you will need to double-post everything once the content migration takes place until the site launches » Create a table of 301 redirects to make sure you maintain link equity or "google love" from the old site » Ensure your pages and content are optimized for search engines » Create style and governance guides to maintain integrity of visuals and content on your new site » Conduct browser and device testing. Do this from home as well as from inside your firm's network » Establish support terms with your vendor for post-launch break/fix » Have your IT team execute DNS updates to point to the new site » Keep hiing F5 all night until the new site loads Phase Three: Maintain Note that oen Phase Three documents and procedures will be finalized at the end of Phase Two; it all depends on your organization and how you choose to handle it. Questions that need to be answered: Who handles post-launch technical problems? How quickly do we expect resolution? Where will we maintain training resources and how-to guides for content managers? Who decides what enhancements get made? CHECKLIST: » Define internal escalation procedures for website issues PRO TIP: Ask your vendor about their availability during the 24 hours surrounding your site launch. If you decide to launch late Sunday so the new site appears Monday morning…will they be on call Sunday night should something go wrong? Don't assume anything. OUTCOMES OF PHASE TWO Your new site! Style and governance guides, including roles and responsibilities for ongoing content updates. Launch day activities, which may include celebratory events at each office, new marketing materials, fun swag, social media posts, and tequila. Conduct user testing, preferably with some of the same users you interviewed during Phase One, and continue to refine functionality

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