This document discusses how to launch a business website and lessons learned from launchco.com's experience launching their site. It provides an overview of their process which included designing and coding the site over the winter, then launching it in iterations with feedback. Their site was built simply without a CMS, database, or application server for speed. Key lessons included taking the time needed but having a firm deadline, doing user tests and being willing to discard work, being your own toughest client, and that you don't need flashy graphics to launch an agency site.

1. Nadine Roßa | Up.front Nov 8th 2011
How to launch a business
website launchco.com
launchco.com

2. START
design & code

3. START
winter
20%
Super fancy
project
›
Special super Side-project
urgent project to super fancy
project
spring
☼
40%
›
Private
project in
between Part II of super
60% fancy project
summer

21. Have we la
unched ye
yes, we just t?
did...
it was just
awesome.
fantastic!
Let‘s do th
at again!
and again!
-00:00:23

22. How to launch a business
website

23. How to launch a business
website

25. iterations with feedback
first quick draft
minmal viable
idea
product
result

27. › the site is built on serve, a lightweight rack-based
prototyping framework
› no CMS just erb, sass, and textile files
› publishing workflow is based on git
› no application server, just apache - and a cron job that
generates static CSS and HTML files every 5 minutes
› no database, except for the stats which are in a
couchdb somewhere in the web
› no moving parts on server site is rocket fast!

28. February
March April May June
July

29. START
winter
20%
Super fancy
project
›
Special super Side-project
urgent project to super fancy
project
spring
☼
40%
›
Private
project in
between Part II of super
60% fancy project
summer

32. Lessons learned

33. Take the time you need but
have a *real* deadline.
(deadlines you can push yourself don‘t count).

34. Do user-tests and don‘t be
afraid do throw away your
work.

35. Be your own client.
(The pickiest you can imagine)

36. You can build a web agency
site without showing a rocket.

37. Thank you. launchco.com
and @LAUNCH_CO