I wrote out a lengthy essay before I realized this is a rather straightforward endeavor. The how to’s of launching a (successful) website are simple and few. I’ll make this short. In fact, I’ll make it a list.

How to Launch a Website:

• Make something that has value to a certain, specific group of people
• Release it as soon as you have the minimal amount of functionality required for it to work.
• provide your users with an easy way to contact you
• Listen very closely to what your users tell you (and respond!)
• Surprise your users with your candor
• Surprise your users with innovative new changes shortly after launch
• Never (NEVER) allow data that your user has added to the site to become lost or irrelevant.

That last one especially. You can have all the bugs in the world and the users will understand - unless you make them fill out the same form twice. That’s unforgivable.

• Heather said: Great info...much appreciated. can you offer up any tips on how to get a new site "really out there" and in front of people. I'm a pretty smart girl, and taught myself what I did with my new site in a couple of hours. I think I've gotten a pretty good meta tag list going, and I've submitted to a few of the search engines.....NOW WHAT???? ANY advice or tips you can give will be much appreciated.

Jack Danger Canty
Ruby and Javascript developer @ Cloops Local Coupons

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