8 Reasons to Build a Launch Pad Website

Now, there is a smarter approach to building websites.

Instead of building a website the traditional way, more and more people are choosing to build launch pad websites. These allow you to launch a new website that will look and perform better than your current one in a fraction of the time traditional redesigns take.

All of this is because of Growth-Driven design and the ability to continuously improve the website using real-user data.

Here are some main reasons to build a launch pad website.

1. Deploy Quickly

A launch pad website is meant to be launched quickly. Since the launch pad website will consist of the elements that produce the most impact, it can be quickly developed and launched. This means getting a brand new website that will look and perform better than your current one in a fraction of the time compared to traditional website design.

2. Collect Data Immediately and Make Meaningful Improvements

Once the launch pad site is developed and launched, data collection can begin. Data will be constantly collected from the website and used to make improvements. 

This way, every improvement made will be grounded in data rather than assumption and have the most impact towards user experience and website’s goals.

3. Design Collaboratively

Instead of designers and developers working alone, a workshop is held which will gather everyone together to develop a working prototype for the design of the website. Everyone works together to quickly develop ideas for high impact pages and then collaborates to decide on a final prototype to begin design.

4. Have a Happier Design Experience

Building a launch pad website is generally a more pleasant experience for everyone involved. Developers enjoy it because of the clear expectations, planning, and open communication that is involved during the strategy stage. Stakeholders like the fact that the new website is launched quickly, on time, and within budget. Overall, building a launch pad website is easier on everyone compared to traditional website design.

5. Take On Less Risk

Traditional website design is often viewed as a risky endeavor. Usually, it involves a lengthy time commitment that can go past its due date and over budget:

On top of that, it may not provide the desired results.

Before a launch pad website is built, an in depth planning stage takes place. During that stage, initial research is completed and analyzed, and a plan is developed to implement the items that will have the most impact on the performance of the website for the initial launch. Focusing on the most impactful items for the initial launch means the new website will be developed quickly and perform better than the previous version.

The whole time, both the developers and stakeholders will be working side by side so there is no confusion or surprises when the launch pad gets developed. The open communication and transparency while planning and building the new launch pad website prevents any bottlenecks from happening during the process and allows for deadlines to be met on time and on budget.

6. Get a Faster ROI

A launch pad website is a fully-functioning website that will still be pulling in new leads and customers while it’s being worked on. This means that while data is being collected and meaningful improvements are being made, your company will be getting value from the redesign throughout the whole process.

7. Adapt Your Approach

Launch pad websites can be customized to fit the needs of any website. Whether it be a large website consisting of hundreds of pages or a unique website that may not fit traditional website criteria. There are many different approaches to redesigning different websites that help streamline the whole process and deliver an improved website.

8. Build a Website That's User-Driven

Traditional website redesigns are developed based on assumptions and “industry best practices”. These assumptions may not always be best for the users and can often lead to difficult-to-navigate websites or even high bounce rates.

A website is developed for the use of the customer. It is a tool that is designed to guide the user through their journey and educate them at every stage along the way. Collecting data directly from those that are using the website and using that data to make informed decisions is the best way to ensure you are always providing the best experience for the user.

Launch pad websites are developed and then continuously improved using this data. This allows the websites to be continuously optimized to suit the users needs and experience. In a world where your competition is just a few clicks away, it is crucial to be continuously improving your website with your users in mind.

How to Start Building Your Launchpad Website

When the team feels confident they have gathered enough data and research to form a thorough and complete plan for the website, development of the launchpad website can begin.

The first task that needs to get done during development is to finalize a design for the website. Rather than handing this job off to a designer and sending emails back and forth for edits and approvals, Growth-Driven Design allows for a collaborative approach to creating the design.

Hold a Workshop

A workshop will be held that all stakeholders and team members should attend. The goal of this workshop is to brainstorm and develop and initial prototype for the design.

To start,review all the data and research that was found during testing so it is fresh in everyone's minds. Thenquickly create a few prototypes for each high impact page being developed at launch. As a group,create a final prototype for each page and make any final edits. This process streamlines the whole design process because everyone is together, so approvals and edits can be made during the workshop.

Now that a prototype design has been finalized and approved by everyone, development of the website and content can begin. Swarm together to get this done as quickly as possible while still maintaining a high quality of work.

Create Content Early

Often, bottlenecks can occur with content creation because it is one of the hardest aspects of the whole build. Creating unique and meaningful content for every page is a time consuming task that if not done well, can hurt the website.

Be aware of this andallow content creation to begin as soon as possible to ensure it will be effective and delivered on time. After all the content has been created and the website is built out, get everyone together one more time for a pre-launch workshop.

This workshop is the last chance to gather everyone together before the website goes live. It will give everyone the opportunity to swarm on any remaining tasks and show off the website.

Collect Data

Run quality assurance testing on the site to fix any minor bugs or problems that may have slipped through the cracks. Once everyone is completely satisfied, the website can be launched and made live to the public.

It is important to remember that the launch pad website is not the final product. Continuously collect data after the launch and use it to educate everyone on the team. That way, everyone can make informed decisions and meaningful improvements moving forward, into the continuous improvement stage of Growth-Driven Design.