The following link provides a sample of pre-launch, launch, and post-launch checklist items completed for a Wordpress Website Project. Sample Wordpress Website Launch Checklist (via Touchline Client Cloud)
The following is a list of items that clients can typically be expected to provide. Delays during website projects most commonly come from this type of content not being readily available by the development phase of the website project. Images - Banners Artistic photos suitable for page feature images (2000 pixels X 1000 pixels) This content can also be purchased, but is ideal if the content is exclusive and personalized to the organization. Images – Client Logos ai or .eps file format If the above file formats are not available, high resolution transparent .png files can sometimes work. Images - Staff Photos - Head Shots For each member of the staff to be featured on the website Ideally these are professional photos where the staff member looks approachable/happy, wearing professional apparel, and against consistent backdrop (logo drape, logo wall, plain white background). Video Marketing-ready video that might be applicable to page content (e.g. case studies, services, technology, about Versa). Value Proposition Statement Format example: Company XYZ helps [Buyer Persona] with [Service] so they can [Buyer Persona Goal] without [Buyer Persona Pain Point]. Copyrighting - Staff Bios Copyrighting – Customer Testimonial Statements Copyrighting – Company History Copyrighting – Certifications & Awards Copyrighting – Services Services short description (1-paragrah) Services long-form narrative content (600 – 1000 words). Case Study – Copy, Images, Video Business Driver (goal or pain point that served as the catalyst for the project) Solution (what did your company do?) Qualitative Results (opinions, observations) Quantitative Results (anything that can be expressed as a numbers: revenue, consolidation of systems, headcount, etc.) Company Locations (Address, Phone, Email, Hours of Operation) Google Maps API Key For website integration with Google Maps (Contact [...]
Content Management Functionality A Content Management System (CMS) will give non-technical staff the ability to maintain site content via a password-protected browser interface. The CMS will allow the administrator to maintain an unlimited number of pages. The central site will have is its own CMS database with its own content. Administrative Access The CMS system allows for multiple users to have access to the Admin area for editing site content, menu items and general configuration parameters. Administration and management of the website is all done through a password-protected browser interface. The main point of contact will be initially put into the system to allow access to CMS. After the initial setup, the administrator can add and remove users as needed.
All pages in a website project will be stored in a database and can be searchable via search engines. Touchline will utilize their SEO Checklist to prepare pages for on-page SEO (search engine optimization). It is recommended that clients conduct market research and conduct interviews with their customer base to develop a baseline buyer persona to guide all of the company’s marketing efforts, including keyword and keyword phrase definition.
The website will be configured to send data to Google Analytics via a tracking code and, ideally, Google Tag Manager. The instance of Google Analytics will be an out-of-the-box setup with little to customization. Further customization may be desired at a later date to track goals and conversions. The most important part of this deployment is to begin to collect traffic data that can be analyzed later. Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics service on the Internet. Google Analytics' approach is to show high-level, dashboard-type data for the casual user, and more in-depth data further into the report set. Google Analytics analysis can identify poorly performing pages with techniques such as funnel visualization, where visitors came from (referrers), how long they stayed and their geographical position. It also provides more advanced features, including custom visitor segmentation.
SSL Certificates validate your website's identity, and encrypt the information visitors send to, or receive from, your site. SSL websites can most often be recognized by the https prefix in the URL and a security or padlock icon visible in a user’s browser. The primary reasons to apply SSL to your site are: • Keep thieves from spying on any exchange between you and your shoppers • Gain customer confidence • Safely accept credit cards on your website • Gain a better search engine ranking (i.e. Google) Touchline recommends that all clients apply an SSL certificate to their website. The cost associated SSL Certificates typically varies from $50-$200/year depending on the level of validation and is not included as part of this website project. Touchline can help clients interested in applying an SSL certificate on their website.
Clients are required to secure hosting for their website. Many Touchline clients on the Wordpress CMS host their websites using GoDaddy.com Managed Wordpress Hosting services. As the world’s largest WordPress hosting provider, they have award-winning, 24/7 support.
Website Project clients are charged a flat rate for services. All materials (software purchases, rich media content, subscriptions, hosting fees, etc.) are considered outside the rate for services. 50% of the services for a website project are due to Touchline Marketing prior to the start of the Discovery phase. 25% will be due at the sign-off of the Requirements Phase. The remaining 25% will be due to prior to website Deployment (Go Live!).
The client will identify a single point of contact to work with the Touchline Marketing Account Manager. The client will provide timely access to all necessary systems. The client will assume the ongoing costs of hosting and subscriptions to third-party code / Wordpress plugins. The client will provide images and photography in a high-resolution format (300 dpi. Min 2000 x 1000). The client will have an active email mailbox setup for correspondence. The client will provide all necessary text/narrative content for designed/wireframed/prototyped website sections.
A typical website project project consists of an out-of-the-box deployment of a pre-built theme / design on the most recent version of the selected content management platform (Wordpress, HubSpot, SquareSpace). The functionality of the web application is limited to what is included in the theme / design and native to the content management system. Requested functionality that is not compatible with the out-of-the-box version of the software and/or requires creation of additional website development code (HTML, PHP, CSS, etc) is considered out of scope. Customizations to the design of the out-of-the-box deployment and documented configurations for systems integration are intended to make the website specific to the client and are outlined in a scope of work.