Launch Pad Website
$8–14K
Ongoing Monthly Engagement
$2–6K
How Long?
6–10 weeks for launch pad depending on minimum requirements
The Problem
Too many companies treat their website like a static piece of collateral, spending considerable time and money on complete redesigns every few years only to be left with a website that is outdated and sometimes even oblivious to the needs of its users.
The Solution
With continuous improvement, we get to market quickly by delivering a fully responsive minimum viable product of a website, which we call the "launch pad" website. We then apply agile project management principles to utilize performance, user behavior, and data in concentrating our efforts where they can make the greatest impact. These efforts may be directed specifically toward the launch pad website, or they may encompass digital marketing initiatives to supplement the website. No more juggling work orders for design, development, and marketing—continuous improvement helps us to balance priorities and start generating results.
Let’s answer some basic questions:
How does it work?
The first step is to right the ship by working together to build a platform and website that can scale. In many cases, the companies we talk with have mediocre or even awful websites both aesthetically and functionally (they're not mobile-friendly, they're built in an outdated content management system, and so on). In these cases, we recommend a short period of Discovery encompassing strategic research (~2 weeks), followed by an aggressive timeline for deploying a launch pad website that's responsive and integrated into a modern CMS (~6 weeks). In other cases, the current website is a sufficient starting point, and we can go directly into monthly iterations.
Who will you work with?
When we get going, you'll be assigned a dedicated and cross-functional team comprising a strategic leader, a project manager, designers, developers, and marketers. This team stays with you and remains committed to and focused on producing results.
What does it cost?
With CI, we're able to fix ongoing costs through prioritizing enhancements and working within an established monthly budget. For clients that require a launch pad website, we provide an initial fixed cost based on needs and then move into monthly iterations appropriate for the client’s opportunities and budget. For smaller companies, this might be $2K/month, but for others, it might be $10k/month.
Detailed Process
01. Discovery & Strategy
The continuous improvement process begins with a cycle of strategy and goal formation to advise all efforts throughout the project and ensure that every aspect is properly aligned with business objectives. We begin with an audit and data analysis of the current website (if one exists) to determine how users are interacting with its collateral; we similarly analyze current marketing initiatives to identify gaps and opportunities. We then build audience personas to identify who's coming to the website, why they come, how they’re accessing it, and what value they're encountering when they arrive.
02. Launch Pad Website
Next, we collaborate with our clients to brainstorm a comprehensive catalog of everything we think can improve the impact of the new website and accompanying marketing initiatives. For example, new webpages, functionality, integrations, or features might be planned to enhance overall user experience (UX). These enhancements are then prioritized based on projected return on investment—the level of effort exerted compared to expected impact. High-impact efforts are included in the launch pad website, whereas less powerful elements are postponed for future iterations. In this way, we establish the must-have features of the launch pad website and build a backlog of nice-to-have features, and various marketing initiatives, to persistently upgrade it.
Each aspect of a website’s marketing function is considered: formulating the value proposition, preparing a traffic acquisition strategy, optimizing content and UX, boosting conversion, and amplifying available assets and the reach of the website are all incorporated into a living hypothesis of how the website should function. This hypothesis then drives the launch pad website's development.
03. Monthly Iterations
Once the launch pad website is built, we enter ongoing phases of iterations organized into monthly cycles called "sprints." At the beginning of each month, we meet with our client to review what we’ve learned in the last cycle and plan the coming month’s activities. In this manner, we work through our backlog of enhancements and deliverables according to each month's most impactful focus. This might include the design of new assets, the development of additional functionality, or any number of digital marketing initiatives.
For example, we might realize that a client's website requires additional traffic. In such a case, we identify the most effective channels—SEO, PPC, display, social, or others—and coordinate activities around that goal. Looking at the data those efforts generate, we conclude what we've learned about the user, either validating or undermining our assumptions about their experience. We then transfer that information to the broader team and use it to advise future endeavors. Finally, we repeat the process, guaranteeing that we’re constantly learning, adapting, and improving our client's overall digital position.
Interested in starting?
Our skills and processes are best in class, but they have nothing on our people. If you’re looking to start right away or would like to talk to a strategist about an upcoming project, give us a call.