How to create the perfect storm for the successful launch of a large-scale, institutional website. Follow the process of from concept through research, procurement, web design, development, CMS integration, migration, and final launch. This is useful information for web teams in colleges, universities, non-profits and other large organizations.

1. P. Jay Massey
Director, Web Services
University of West Florida
@ JAY MASSEY

2. We Have Limited Time Today
No weeds
Moving fast
This is typically a 4-8 hour consult
High-level review of how we did it
Happy to chat afterwards for more detail
…at lunch, dinner, or whenever, find me & AMA
@ JAY MASSEY

3. @ JAY MASSEY
@JayMassey - managing web teams since 1999
Director, Web Services
University of West Florida
Founder / Chief Vision Officer
Coco Interactive, LLC
What are your duties?

4. @ JAY MASSEY

5. @ JAY MASSEY
Monarch
Nobles
Knights
Merchants
Farmers
Surfs
President
VPs / Provost(s)
AVPs / Deans
Exec Dirs
Directors
Staff

6. Disclaimer: Everyone’s situation is different these are what worked for us.
• The job interview
Limited staff
No budget
• Web Services is under Marketing & Communications
• Speed of change issues
• ITS was deep into a 3-yr Banner implementation
• Trigger came from the top
• Be prepared to run with it (with little notice)
@ JAY MASSEY

7. Flash homepage
50,000 pages
Static
Dreamweaver maintained
130 DW content providers
ColdFusion web server
Usablenet accessibility
@ JAY MASSEY

8. 5,600 pages down from 50,000
Fully responsive, CMS-managed public website
Removed roadblocks
Glut content
Usability
Accessibility
Mobility
Search-ability
Engaged Stakeholders
230 CMS-trained CPs
Web Summit
@ JAY MASSEY

9. rēˌsərCH
noun
1. the systematic investigation
into and study of materials and
sources in order to establish
facts and reach new conclusions.
verb
2. investigate systematically.
Make your case with research
2011 E-Expectations Report:
The Online Expectations of Prospective College Students and Their Parents
@ JAY MASSEY
• Other universities
and colleges
• Whitepapers, etc.
• UWF survey (782)
• Homepage heatmap
• Wireframe review

10. Mind map
Wall art
Pre-screening vendors
Reviewing migration options
@ JAY MASSEY

11. Timeline
Current Issues
Personas
Message
Market
Accessibility
Mobility
Search
SEO
@ JAY MASSEY
Discussion Points
Internet Marketing
Other Institutions (peer, aspirant, cool stuff)
Statistics / Analytics
Process
Sample Sites
Content Management
3rd Party Products
Quality Assurance

12. We started the process with an interim step…
Rebuilt on the legacy website homepage and styles only
Benefits:
• Remove Flash from
homepage
• More time to work on
major process
• Subtle transition to new
visual styling
• Introduce more audience-
centered layout
@ JAY MASSEY

13. We did CMS First (not recommended)
Compare Content Management Systems
CMSmatrix.org
CMS Matrix as Part of the RFP
Software Capabilities
Required / Preferred / Beneficial
Service Capabilities
Required / Beneficial
Technical Capabilities
Required / Beneficial
@ JAY MASSEY

14. Open Source vs. Commercial
License CMS
Cost, Value, Contracts,
Comparing Apples to Apples
Do Not Underestimate the Time
This could be the most time consuming
part of the process
@ JAY MASSEY

15. @ JAY MASSEY

16. viaxkcd.com
where we were
@ JAY MASSEY

17. Therealityof
anenterprise
migration…
where we went
@ JAY MASSEY

18. • Research / Planning
• Procurement
• Responsive Design (accessible, mobile, searchable)
• CMS Integration
• Pre-training / Train the Trainer
• Content Migration
• Review / Testing
• Training (ongoing)
• QA Audits & Maintenance (ongoing)
• New Development (ongoing)
• Web Governance
@ JAY MASSEY

19. Divide and Communicate
Top Down
Bottom Up
User surveys
Focus group
Leadership updates
Content provider input and training
@ JAY MASSEY

20. Take Note of Your Assets and Use What You Have
People, Money or Time
Leadership
Vendors
Money opportunities
Campus staff and students
Content Providers
Crowd-sourced migration
@ JAY MASSEY

21. @ JAY MASSEY

22. Pre-migration Sessions
Getting ready
CMS Migration Trainings
How to use the system and move content “easily”
CMS Training
How to use the system
Post-migration, Ongoing Training
How to use the system better
@ JAY MASSEY

23. 1. Communication is key to your survival
• Communications plan
• Professional communicator (if possible)
• Under promise, over communicate
2. Leverage anything and everything
3. CMS Matrix
4. Migration is your albatross, plan for it
5. Always keep your eye and heart on the user
@ JAY MASSEY

24. Happy to chat about
your situation
Find me - dinner,
breakfast, lunch, coffee,
beer, phone, tweet, AMA
@ JAY MASSEY