Getting to Launch & Maintaining Long-Term Success
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The document provides guidance on three key areas for website success: project planning and partner selection, focused content creation, and ongoing website ownership. It emphasizes the importance of proper planning, choosing the right development partner, authoring content before design, and maintaining fresh updated content after launch. Success requires ongoing effort to analyze site usage and ensure the website remains an effective ministry tool.
Getting to Launch & Maintaining Long-Term Success
- 1. Getting to Launch & Maintaining Long-Term Success
- 2. Three Key Areas to Being Successful • Right Project Planning & Partner Selection • Focused Content • Owning The Website
- 3. Project Planning & Partner Selection Get This RIGHT!
- 4. The Right Pitch • Get on Base, Don’t Swing for a Home-run • Don’t Oversell the Project • Sandbag on Cost, Time, and Quality • Fix Time, Budget, or Scope ... but not all 3! • Require Adoption by an Executive Leader or Elder
- 5. Right Budget & Expectations • 60% of all Projects Fail • OR Dilemma (Pick 2 or prob Just 1) • Price OR Speed OR Functionality • Cheap OR Fast OR Quality • Inexpensive OR Soon OR Awesome
- 6. Right Budget & Expectations • Timeline is 1-5 Months • Beyond 5 Months & You Can’t Be Really Successful • Time Really is a Factor of Knowing What You Want and The Budget
- 7. Right Budget & Expectations • Budget is likely to be $200-$400 per page • 10 Pages : $2,000-$4,000 • 30 Pages : $6,000-$12,000 • 100+ Pages : $20,000-$40,000
- 8. The Right Team • Get the right skills, but no more • Don’t build a large team, small is agile • Sponsor of the project is integral, but is not the project leader • Choose people you like to work with & who can communicate • Roles: Who Will Do What & When
- 9. The Right Partners • What you ultimately dream about when partnering with someone: • Considers first your needs over theirs • Prioritizes your work over others • Communications well, the way you want • Delivers on time and on budget
- 10. Outsourcing isn’t Not needing to plan it yourself. Someone else doing the work. Being able to not Handing your project off. work extra hours. Not having to Cheap. handle the details. Right or Wrong. Easy.
- 11. A Word on Vendors • They are Your Partner, not Your Enemy • Don’t Outsource if You Don’t Trust • Get Great Ones - Life is Better • Get Bad Ones - #FAIL
- 12. Right Partners - Types • Agency • Multidiscipline • Primarily like projects with Marketing, PR, or Social Media focus • Tend to like projects with defined start dates and hard launch dates • Good option for capital campaigns and sermon series with web microsite
- 13. Right Partners - Types • Bespoke Web Firms • Great ones focused on churches • Provide turnkey solution • Your lowest risk at a moderate cost • Tend to have a proprietary Content Management System (this isn’t great)
- 14. Right Partners - Types • Freelancers • Work on their own & in small packs who run together • Most motivated to serve and get it right. But also the most likely to fail you • Of the three, cares the most about a long-term relationship with you.
- 15. Right Partners - Pitch ‘em • Thank Them & Tell Them You Are Shopping • Share Churches Vision & Purpose • Lay Out Project Background (Stay Positive) • Explain Focus of Project & Goals
- 16. Right Partners - Pitch ‘em • Ask them about their story, including Faith • Ask what kinds of projects they like • Ask how they like to work (Project Management). • Describe in Detail • Timeline • The Parties • The Role You Want them to Take On
- 17. Right Partners - Pitch ‘em • Tell them why they should spend the time to put a proposal together. • Address the reasons they fear getting into a bad engagement: • Want to deliver excellence • Their biz model is dependent on reputation • Other clients booked or that need to be booked
- 18. Right Partners - Hear ‘em • Listen to what they are saying • Listen for the implications • Listen for stress, life change, inaccuracies • Listen for what other resources they are bringing or can bring. Are those things partners, friends, or contracts?
- 19. Right Partners - How to Pick? • Do they want the project because they believe in the vision or is it the money/ noter-eighty? • Past work what you would have wanted? • Do their work methods and communications tendencies work for your team? • Are they in a big project now that could distract from what you are trying to do?
- 20. Right Partners - How to Pick? • Can they repeat the project vision and goals back to you? • Do they have the stomach to work with a church? Will they bail? • Have they already brought you value with great ideas and helpful pre-sales consulting? • Will they agree to contract terms? • PRAY HARD & TRUST JESUS
- 21. Right Partners - Payments • Offer Bonuses for On-Time Delivery • Write-in Penalties for Timeline Misses • Most Vendors want 50% up front, 50% at finish, but I recommend either: • 33% to start, 2 Milestones worth 16.6%, 33% at completion • 25% to start, 5 Milestones worth 10%, 25% at completion
- 22. Work Right - Communication
- 23. Work Right - Communication • Use Basecamp if Vendor doesn’t have software for Project Management (BasecampHQ.com)
- 24. Work Right - Communication • Use Basecamp if Vendor doesn’t have software for Project Management (BasecampHQ.com) • Post messages rather than send email
- 25. Work Right - Communication • Use Basecamp if Vendor doesn’t have software for Project Management (BasecampHQ.com) • Post messages rather than send email • List/Track To-dos & Milestones in One Place
- 26. Work Right - Communication • Use Basecamp if Vendor doesn’t have software for Project Management (BasecampHQ.com) • Post messages rather than send email • List/Track To-dos & Milestones in One Place • Establish expectations for update frequency
- 27. Work Right - Know When to Meet Rather Message • Have Prepared Agendas Going into Meetings • Send Meeting Notes & Next Steps Post Meeting • Conclude the Meeting on Time, which Prevents Pontification
- 28. The Last Rights
- 29. The Last Rights • Reserve the Right to be wrong, and admit it when you are
- 30. The Last Rights • Reserve the Right to be wrong, and admit it when you are • Have the Right, Christ-like posture as you lead by washing your co-laborers feet
- 31. Focused Content //Warm, inviting sub-heading goes here//
- 32. Content - Philosophy • Site is only as good as: • Quality of Your content (words & pics) • How Fresh the Content is • How Findable & Searchable the Content is • How Prioritized the Content is
- 34. Content - Authoring • Write Content Before You Build the Site
- 35. Content - Authoring • Write Content Before You Build the Site • Write Content in WordPad or other Non- Microsoft Word Editor
- 36. Content - Authoring • Write Content Before You Build the Site • Write Content in WordPad or other Non- Microsoft Word Editor • Save spell-checked content to .rtf file that is appropriately named
- 37. Content - Authoring • Write Content Before You Build the Site • Write Content in WordPad or other Non- Microsoft Word Editor • Save spell-checked content to .rtf file that is appropriately named • Define a workflow for coordinating writing, editing, and content entry onto the site
- 38. Content - Files
- 39. Content - Files • Writing for a site with 40+ Pages:
- 40. Content - Files • Writing for a site with 40+ Pages: • Number Your Final Information Architecture by Section # & Page #
- 41. Content - Files • Writing for a site with 40+ Pages: • Number Your Final Information Architecture by Section # & Page # • Name .rtf files based on Section #, Page #, Page Title
- 42. Content - Files • Writing for a site with 40+ Pages: • Number Your Final Information Architecture by Section # & Page # • Name .rtf files based on Section #, Page #, Page Title • Reference on-page links by Section #, Page #, Page Title
- 44. Content - Workflow • FINISHED – Folder used to indicate content is ready to put on site
- 45. Content - Workflow • FINISHED – Folder used to indicate content is ready to put on site • UPLOADED – Folder finished content is moved to once put online
- 46. Content - Workflow • FINISHED – Folder used to indicate content is ready to put on site • UPLOADED – Folder finished content is moved to once put online • NEEDS EDITS – Folder used to kick back pages to Communications that have issues with them
- 47. Content - Workflow • FINISHED – Folder used to indicate content is ready to put on site • UPLOADED – Folder finished content is moved to once put online • NEEDS EDITS – Folder used to kick back pages to Communications that have issues with them • EDIT REQUESTS – Folder for requesting content changes AFTER content uploaded to the site
- 48. Content - Workflow • FINISHED – Folder used to indicate content is ready to put on site • UPLOADED – Folder finished content is moved to once put online • NEEDS EDITS – Folder used to kick back pages to Communications that have issues with them • EDIT REQUESTS – Folder for requesting content changes AFTER content uploaded to the site
- 50. Content - Photography • Brain-storm Photo Plan With Creative People for each Page
- 51. Content - Photography • Brain-storm Photo Plan With Creative People for each Page • Recruit Photographers to Shoot
- 52. Content - Photography • Brain-storm Photo Plan With Creative People for each Page • Recruit Photographers to Shoot • Recruit Photo Editors to Crop, Color Correct, Scale
- 53. Content - Photography • Brain-storm Photo Plan With Creative People for each Page • Recruit Photographers to Shoot • Recruit Photo Editors to Crop, Color Correct, Scale • Use a system like Fluxiom or FlickR
- 54. Content - Photography • Brain-storm Photo Plan With Creative People for each Page • Recruit Photographers to Shoot • Recruit Photo Editors to Crop, Color Correct, Scale • Use a system like Fluxiom or FlickR • Make Section Page Photos Clickable
- 55. Content - Photography • Brain-storm Photo Plan With Creative People for each Page • Recruit Photographers to Shoot • Recruit Photo Editors to Crop, Color Correct, Scale • Use a system like Fluxiom or FlickR • Make Section Page Photos Clickable • Use Thumbnails as Teasers, Then Use Full Photo on the Clicked-to Page
- 56. Own the Website The Launch is Only the Beginning
- 58. Ownership - Ongoing • Think Web First (All Events, Programs, Classes, Groups)
- 59. Ownership - Ongoing • Think Web First (All Events, Programs, Classes, Groups) • Don’t Own it Alone • LOL (Little Old Ladies) • Ministry Leaders (They Are Responsible) • Membership (Easy way to report issues)
- 61. Ownership - Updates • Remember, we want FRESH content
- 62. Ownership - Updates • Remember, we want FRESH content • Create Landing Pages for Social Media
- 63. Ownership - Updates • Remember, we want FRESH content • Create Landing Pages for Social Media • Create a Plan • Home Page Changes Weekly • One New Page Per Week (quota) • Change Out Two Photos Per Week (quota)
- 64. Ownership - Easy Wins • Put Your (e)Newsletter & Bulletin (PDF) on Server & Link to it From Your Site • Ask People Who Loved an Event or Class to Write About It • Display Aggregated Social Media Messages on Your Site (Twitter, Facebook, etc)
- 66. Ownership - Analysis • Ave Number of Pages Visited per Visitor (Goal: 3-6)
- 67. Ownership - Analysis • Ave Number of Pages Visited per Visitor (Goal: 3-6) • Visits to Reg Page vs. # Event Registrations
- 68. Ownership - Analysis • Ave Number of Pages Visited per Visitor (Goal: 3-6) • Visits to Reg Page vs. # Event Registrations • Time on Site (Goal: 3 Min Ave)
- 69. Ownership - Analysis • Ave Number of Pages Visited per Visitor (Goal: 3-6) • Visits to Reg Page vs. # Event Registrations • Time on Site (Goal: 3 Min Ave) • Bounce (Leave) Percentage on Important Pages
- 70. Ownership - Analysis • Ave Number of Pages Visited per Visitor (Goal: 3-6) • Visits to Reg Page vs. # Event Registrations • Time on Site (Goal: 3 Min Ave) • Bounce (Leave) Percentage on Important Pages • Paths Through the Site (Consistent with Nav?)
- 71. Ownership - Analysis • Ave Number of Pages Visited per Visitor (Goal: 3-6) • Visits to Reg Page vs. # Event Registrations • Time on Site (Goal: 3 Min Ave) • Bounce (Leave) Percentage on Important Pages • Paths Through the Site (Consistent with Nav?) • Referrers
- 72. Wrap Up • Building and Maintaining a Quality Ministry Website Takes Work • The Work is Worth It. The Work is Ministry. JasonReynolds {at} gmail.com Twitter: JasonReynolds