Environment

Related Chapter Sections:

• Deployment

  Chapter 22: Test and Launch the Site

  It's time to launch the site. With all that we've done up to this point, this should actually be one of the least stressful parts of the project.

• Balancing Front-End and Back-End

  Chapter 19: Implement the Design

  Front-end development requires some knowledge of how code is managed. This is called dev-ops.

• Inputs and Outputs

  Chapter 17: Plan for Hosting

  Inputs and outputs for Chapter 17: Plan for Hosting.

• Inputs and Outputs

  Chapter 23: Plan for Post-Launch Operations

  Inputs and outputs for Chapter 23: Plan for Post-Launch Operations.

• Final Launch Checklist

  Chapter 22: Test and Launch the Site

  A final launch checklist helps the project team ensure that all the “i”s are dotted and the “t”s are crossed.

• Front-End in Action

  Chapter 19: Implement the Design

  So, what does all of this front-end development and server ops look like in action? And why does it matter to the end user? The answer is in compatibility, accessibility, and performance.

• Bells and Whistles

  Chapter 17: Plan for Hosting

  What we’ve explained in the rest of the chapter is the bare minimum you need to have a website connected to the internet. But there are some extra things to consider with hosting.

• The Stack Model

  Chapter 2: Set Your Expectations

  Every website has layers — whether those layers relate to technology or people —and determining which layers will be a part of a project is important. We outline what those layers might be in this section.

• Inputs and Outputs

  Chapter 3: Form Your Project Team

  Inputs and outputs for Chapter 3: Form Your Project Team.

• Ecosystem: It's Better with Friends

  Chapter 15: Determine System Requirements

  Finally, don't forget to look into the community that exists around your potential software solution. A good measurement of health is how many people are still actively championing and working on the system.

• Post-Launch Operational Policy

  Chapter 22: Test and Launch the Site

  Time to move into maintenance and operations mode: this site is ready to go, and it just needs some people to guide it.

• Front-Ends and Back-Ends

  Chapter 19: Implement the Design

  Before we dive into code, let's touch quickly on the concept of front-end and back-end development.

• Verifying the Decision with a Proof of Concept (POC)

  Chapter 16: Select a Content Management System

  With a proof of concept, the vendor works with the actual customer team to implement some solutions to project requirements. It’s a deeper dive, where the customer can get hands-on with the system and interact with the vendor’s team

• Does Industry Experience Matter?

  Chapter 18: Select an Integration Partner

  Everyone wants to hire someone who has worked in their industry before. But is this relevant?

• What Are You Looking For?

  Chapter 18: Select an Integration Partner

  The first question you need to answer is what, specifically, you need an external firm to help you with.

• Knowing Your Site Means Identifying Your Audiences

  Chapter 5: Identify Your Audiences

  In most cases, we don't build sites for robots — we build them for people. Understanding these people is how we create user-focused experiences.

• The Request for Information (RFI)

  Chapter 16: Select a Content Management System

  Now let’s get some more detailed information, which we do through a process creatively called a Request for Information (RFI). This is exactly what the title says – we’re asking the vendor to answer some questions so we can decide whether or not to move them along in the process.

• Acquiring a Hosting Account

  Chapter 17: Plan for Hosting

  Before you worry about how to get a hosting account, you should find out if you even need to do it.

• Understanding Timing

  Chapter 4: Create a Project Plan

  A web project will take as long as it's going to take. We can't get more specific than that — web projects are complicated and include layers of nested timelines — but we CAN talk about timeline management, methodologies, and sprints.

• Defining the Content Model

  Chapter 11: Model Your Content

  So, what exactly IS a content model? Before we begin planning a content model, let's take some time to define it.

• Writing for Understanding: The Right Thing

  Chapter 12: Write for People and Machines

  Beyond just being able to quickly read and scan your content, users should be able to understand your content.

• Pricing: How Much and ... How?

  Chapter 15: Determine System Requirements

  One might think pricing out a software solution is as easy as getting a number, but in reality the cost and how that cost is determined are both pretty complicated.

• The Hosting Account

  Chapter 17: Plan for Hosting

  We’re going to roll up a lot of functionality and discussion into the idea of a hosting account. This is a service you purchase from some provider that allows you to run a website and expose it to the internet.

• Writing for Machines

  Chapter 12: Write for People and Machines

  Finally, there's one audience you can never please — because they care only for data: search engines and screen readers.

• Testing the Site

  Chapter 22: Test and Launch the Site

  There are three axes that a QA issue can turn on when testing the site: public vs. private, absolute vs. partial, and uncontained vs. contained.

• Accountability, Authority, and Change

  Chapter 23: Plan for Post-Launch Operations

  A new website or web project is a clear signal for change: who will be accountable, who will have authority to make changes, and what levels of adoption will be required.

• The Content: Maintaining and Creating Content That Works

  Chapter 24: Maintain and Improve

  The steps to maintaining content focus on carving out attention and setting up useful systems of review.

• The Site Itself: Adjustments to Your Big Investment

  Chapter 24: Maintain and Improve

  Beyond maintaining content, you'll also find yourself maintaining the site itself — the integrations, the next-phase updates, and the content management system in general.