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Think of an application you use every 24-hour interval. Why do you favor that tool over the thousands of like ones? Maybe because of its fashionable and easy interface, flawless work, or affordability. Also, your close friends employ this app too.

Vendors spend months or even years designing and building an app, but one mistake during production release can put the whole project at risk of failure.

Perhaps one team didn't prioritize the features and lost lots of time and coin fixing too many mistakes. Or a developer failed to examination the app with existent users to verify usage scenarios, hoping his idea was the one thought that didn't demand it. And what'south worse is to build a solution that simply doesn't have product/marketplace fit.

We talked with people who previously launched startups, products, or rolled out updates to ask about their all-time practices for successful launches. Proceed reading if you want to know their hot tips.

What is a product launch, when does its planning begin, and who participates in planning?

Product launch is the introduction of a new production or its upgraded version, making it available for customers to explore, use, and buy. The day of the launch day is the most important day for anybody working on a product. At that place are different ways of doing it. Consider a huge live upshot with enough of guests and journalists. Or you lot can do a webinar about a production, schedule posts on social media, write a weblog for the visitor website and your partner media. But an outcome is just 1 aspect of the launch every bit a process.

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A huge event. Source: The New York Times

Planning for a launch

"Launch [as an upshot] is a point in time, and various activities, besides software development itself, similar a product goal definition, design, or marketing precede information technology and are a part of launch . If the product success directly depends on marketing activities, these activities are carried out fifty-fifty before development," notes Vlad Khilchenko, product manager at AltexSoft. "You start pitching ideas, contacting investors, fueling interest amidst people, writing promo materials, and, once you're done with these things, yous can proceed to the launch… In this sense, development tin be perceived as the preparation for launch."

Then, in practise, product launch is more than a one-fourth dimension event – it'due south a process that's in line with development, so planning for the launch solar day should starting time as shortly every bit you determine that you want to build a product.

"Ane thing I learned afterward my showtime startup nearly failed is that you lot demand to offset planning for launch from the commencement of development," says Devin Miller, patent and trademark lawyer and founder of Miller IP Police force. "Also often startups and pocket-size businesses believe that if they build a great product, people will exist knocking down their door to purchase information technology. While having a smashing product certainly helps to sell information technology, you lot should be selling your product from day one. Get a website and start engaging potential customers, line up B2B deals, and go feedback from potential customers. That style you volition already have leads or customers to buy your product or service when you lot are set to launch."

Only, in that location's no universal framework for planning your launch. Andrew Hatfield, director of production marketing at the Portworx startup, notes that timing and detail of the launch program largely depend on the production blazon and the level of effort involved to bring it to market combined with a company's desired impact: "Once we've decided to develop a new production or deliver a major release, we fix a tentative launch window. As product development progresses, we shift gears and start bodily launch planning in one case the product is deemed Beta past product management and applied science. The exception to this, I get-go preparing for the launch earlier when we're expecting the launch to coincide with a significant industry consequence, such every bit a conference."

Product launch team

Now, various departments or specialists take part in launch training. Andrew Hatfield notes that the core group of participants is ever led by production marketing with shut interest from product management, engineering, and broader marketing teams, such as demand/growth, pattern, events, PR, analyst relations, and investor relations. "Equally we get closer to launch, I also pull in other teams, such as field sales, legal, sales operations, and sales enablement," explains Hatfield.

With small-scale companies and startups, information technology's all hands on deck, according to Devin Miller, "Everyone should exist selling, everyone should be preparing for the release."

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NASA employees during the launch of SA-5, a two-stage Saturn I vehicle, in 1964. Source: Apollo Launch Control

To determine whether the product team is ready for the launch, Andrew holds a Go/No Go launch meeting, during which leadership from each section gives their feedback. "Some divisions are informational, such as enablement, whereas others are blockers, for example, product, legal, and sales," adds the adept.

Each of the departments has its own set up of scheduled activities – a checklist – it must consummate before the launch. For instance, designers must create prototypes, software engineers must build all key features, and QAs test how these features work. And how successfully the employees continue with finishing their checklists, influences the launch in terms of timing.

A product director coordinates the piece of work of all teams responsible for the product, driving its launch. He or she too reviews checklists and evaluates whether the solution is prepare to go public.

Production launch checklist: What should exist ready for the launch?

While every team has its ain checklist, a product manager is responsible for the whole functioning, and then he/she has their own final checklist. This helps coordinate efforts among teams, track task dependencies, while having the big movie of how development proceeds. A production launch checklist may include processes and tasks related to the whole product lifecycle, from positioning and messaging to post-launch development and support. Squad members that use checklists have little to no chance of missing an assignment while up and running.

Launch plans tin be organized by action, function, or chronology. We will explore a launch checklist by the type of work as some activities tin be done in parallel.

Check evolution milestones

Most software products experience several launches. In that location'due south a pre-blastoff launch, blastoff launch, or beta launch. Each i is planned ahead in a product roadmap, along with milestones – specific sets of functions that should be ready for each launch blazon. A product manager ensures that all functions are done and tested, so when the production reaches a milestone, information technology'south prepare to enter the market.

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Instance of a product roadmap with milestones
Source: Roadmunk

Prepare user documentation

If you lot release software, ensure you lot have clear and well-structured user documentation to let end-users and system admins acquire how to prepare and manage the production. User documentation includes tutorials, user and troubleshooting guides, installation, and reference manuals. You can notice more info about types of technical documentation and how to write one in our article.

Such resources every bit how-to videos, FAQs, and technical information sheets (printed and digital) for concrete products are also a necessity.

Brand sure your legal department has developed a customer-facing legal agreement. The type of agreement depends on the product blazon and its distribution option. The agreement for software or hardware, for instance, volition specify the company and user'due south legal responsibilities and the manner you lot'll provide your technology to a customer. This besides includes compliance with such regulations as GDPR.

Describe success metrics

The product team should know how it will be measuring the level of the launch success. Metrics can depend on the product and the goals you set to underpin your efforts. That tin be

  • the percentage of positive reviews vs negative and neutral ones,
  • memory,
  • the actual number of purchases or subscriptions (with a breakup by subscription types) vs forecast, and
  • the influence of added features on the total conversion.

Andrew Hatfield notes that the most common top-line goals for him include media mentions, spider web traffic, and product registrations or downloads. So come web inquiries and qualified leads. "Importantly, a key measurement for success in each production launch I've been involved in is ensuring this one is better than the last one," he concludes.

Devin Miller considered the size of an acquisition deal equally a success metric for one of the companies he co-founded: "The beginning product I launched was also one of the most successful. It was a habiliment hydration monitor. Nosotros were getting all ready to launch and go to the marketplace and then concluded upward getting caused by a visitor wanting to utilize our technology."

Likewise, programme which tools you and your peers volition use to track and collect these metrics. Google Analytics, Apple Analytics, Mixpanel, IBM Digital Analytics, or Flurry analytics are some of the tools for learning how customers interact with websites and apps.

Programme feedback collection

Feedback signals to what extent your production vision and client expectations are met and acts as a guiding light on further evolution. Decide what methods, blazon of feedback, and channels you volition use.

For example, consider ratings and reviews on the App Store and Play Market and review platforms that will depend on your niche (TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Capterra, or CNET), your site, or social media. You tin can use custom or off-the-shelf sentiment analysis tools or brand mentions tracking solutions.

Asking users to fill in a survey in exchange for bonuses also works.

Select a pricing strategy

Make sure the team has agreed on the product pricing structure. Competitor-based and value-based pricing are common options for products purchased with a single payment. Apps and software providers take a variety of pricing models to consider. They may let people use solutions for free, stick to the freemium model and only charge for the product's upgraded versions, or innovate a one-fourth dimension payment for admission or download. Subscription plans and the pay-every bit-yous-go approach are popular as well.

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Finding a pricing balance is crucial. Source: Medium

If you set the toll besides high, you risk that information technology will exist too pricey for almost prospects, similar Apple Lisa – a personal estimator that was released in 1983 and off the market two years afterwards equally merely 100,000 units were sold. Information technology then price $ix,995, which is over $25,000 today.

Fix a promotion strategy

Outline a promotion strategy and assign employees that will be responsible for information technology. A promotion strategy entails defining channels where you lot will promote the product, the messages you volition use, and the value you volition emphasize. Popular tactics for promoting software solutions are

  • Atomic number 82 generation – drawing the attention of potential customers (leads) with email campaigns, social media contact, through organic searches, paid searches, referrals, or your website.
  • Content marketing – building public trust in your brand and drawing leads from organic search with manufactures, videos, landing pages, podcasts, or infographics well-nigh your manufacture.
  • Social media marketing – using ads on social media, posting your content and industry news most to grow your fanbase.

A good exercise is to ship a media pitch to squad up with journalists or editors from respectable media outlets who will write a news story about your company and the upcoming release. If y'all cooperate with influencers, be certain you requite a blogger enough time to try out a product, evaluate it, and decide whether they agree to promote information technology to their followers or non. Feedback from media partners never hurts. Yet, if they find whatever flaws, a product manager must make up one's mind how to reply to complaints and how to deal with newly discovered bugs.

Planning the engagement for a printing release and a launch event are other essential tasks on a promotion to-do list.

Train the sales and customer back up teams

The sales team should know why the product stands out from the rest of the solutions on the marketplace. They should be able to describe its value to various user and heir-apparent personas. Train them on how the production works and what its features are; enable them with bear demos if needed. Salespeople should besides be able to advise customers on a subscription plan based on their budget and requirements if the product has several pricing options.

Supply your customer support representatives with the documentation and then they know the production functionality and peculiarities well and can help new users become expert past answering their questions or linking to boosted content. Too, establish a procedure on how to document user complaints and politely respond to critical feedback.

You've launched the product. At present what?

Well, the real life journey of a new product has simply begun. HubSpot recommends to go on building up the interest in the product amid potential customers, engaging with them via optimal touchpoints: "This means nurturing emails, gratuitous trials, demos, and more in-depth, product-focused webinars and activities. Build extra artistic, like a longer video or social media posts that you tin can save for after the launch. This will give y'all fresh assets to share." If you desire to larn how to define options of communication that volition smoothly atomic number 82 a client to the purchase, read our contempo article on the next best action.

As customer support and salespeople are the ones in touch with customers, it's important to ensure that they're steeped in product knowledge, adept at answering questions, and emphasizing the product value proposition.

The post-launch phase is also the fourth dimension for collecting start metrics, user feedback, and planning farther product development based on analysis of relevant data. According to Vlad Khilchenko of AltexSoft, the main task for a product manager here is to collect and analyze user feedback and usage analytics to prioritize between building new features that were initially in the user story map and making disquisitional urgent changes that tin can affect metrics and user behavior.

"The product never stops developing after the launch. What tin can be good only as well bad is that you lot're working with real users and real production: Customers can bespeak to some flaw and you must react to it right abroad."