Quick guide for a successful software product launch
It may have worked for fictional character Ray Kinsella in the film Field of Dreams. But in real life, building something incredible does not de facto mean that our ideal target audience is going to magically show up, brimming with a strong desire for it. Building, marketing and launching a product needs to be a strategically planned and unified endeavor.
Don’t make the mistake of relegating your software product launch to an afterthought. You need to know up front who your product is for, how they’re going to find it, and why they’re going to recognize its value. You need to be crystal clear on which standards your final product will be held to, and how you’ll know if you’ve met them. And you’ll need a plan for triaging and mitigating any problems that arise when your application goes live with real end users.
Research firm Gartner found that only 55% of products launch on schedule. It isn’t good enough to quickly cobble together a launch plan, even well in advance. For the best chance of success, you need a comprehensive and thoroughly researched plan and process.
What is a product launch?
A product launch is much more than just the activities that will take place on your launch date. A product launch encompasses all of the plans, methods, processes, and strategies around bringing a new product to market. It runs the gamut from defining your ideal end user at the beginning of the project to implementing support structures for that end user post-launch.
How can you plan a successful launch?
An effective product launch is achievable with the right preparation. Here are some of the key ingredients to include in your launch strategy.
Create a launch plan and checklist
Your launch plan should include a solid overarching strategy - and delve into the level of granular detail needed for its execution. Carefully define specific and measurable success criteria so that you can clearly benchmark your progress against them. Create a thorough launch checklist delineating each task and when it will be completed.
Here are examples of the content to cover in your launch plan and checklist:
Key goals and deliverables
Launch timeline and milestone dates
Product features and functionality
Quality assurance testing
Marketing and promotions strategy
End user support systems
Sales and upsell strategy
Verify that all requirements are met
It is essential to ensure that all of your key product features have been built and tested before your launch. Thorough quality assurance testing should be conducted both throughout and at the completion of your product build.
User experience testing should also be conducted. If feasible, consider soft launching to a beta group first to capture valuable feedback from real end users. Make sure to also conduct any necessary legal or regulatory compliance checks.
Execute a sales and marketing strategy
Your product launch isn’t just about releasing your product, it’s also about generating a user base eager to pounce on it. Validating the need for your product and defining your ideal user should be part of your strategic planning before anyone ever writes a line of code. Start marketing early, long before your product goes live.
Announce your launch several weeks in advance. Take great care in naming, pricing, and branding your product. If possible, align your launch date with strategic marketing opportunities, like a relevant major event. Craft a strong sales strategy, focused on acquiring new customers as well as retaining and upselling existing users.
Implement post-launch support systems
Another key element of your launch planning should be to implement the necessary resources and support systems to help your users successfully onboard and receive a fast resolution for any major issues that crop up.
Create clear user documentation, focusing first on the most common and important use cases. Put systems in place for your users to provide feedback and report problems. Acquire and deploy the right resources to fix major bugs quickly and track and prioritize feature requests.
Build a product worth launching
Even the best-planned product launch won’t succeed without a great product. Looking to partner with a team of experienced software professionals to build and launch a product that will delight your target audience? Basecode can help. Contact us to learn more.