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How does one make a launch (BIG) go as smoothly as possible??

by Ashley Gable
6 replies
Hi,

For all of you out there who have done big launches, would you say it is feasible for someone to handle a big launch all by themselves?

I am not overly optimistic, just like to plan for the best, or the worst.

So lets say you were launching a new site and you *planned* on having 100,000 people come to your site in one week. What are the potential problems you might face? Should I hire a techie guy (or gal) to be on stand by?

And lets say you *planned* on making over $100,000 over that week, what problems might you face here? What would one do to avoid or at least decrease the chances of those problems?

I think you can see what I am trying to get at ... which is ... I am scared shi**ess that something will go horribly wrong and my site will go down and I will lose all my customers I worked so hard for!!!!

So how do I increase the chances of a good, problem free launch, with no one else but me doing it?

Ashley
#big #launch #make #smoothly
  • Profile picture of the author winebuddy
    honestly? chances are that if just YOU are doing it, none of those things will be an issue.

    If you have a JV or affiliate manager involved and they have lined up hundreds of affiliates, they will also be able to tell you what system resources you will need.

    But if its just you and your list, don't worry.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rush
      Before launch I would just make sure that your site can handle that kind of traffic without slowing down or crashing, although I'm sure you've already checked into that.
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  • Profile picture of the author HarrisonJ
    Make sure all your systems are in place. Make sure your hosting can handle that much traffic, your payment processor can quickly process payments, and your customer support email is working.
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  • Profile picture of the author TommyBussey
    Hey Ashley, in regards to accepting money, if you plan on bringing in an amount even close to that (even like 15% of that) you should call and notify your payment processor and gateway companies to inform them that you're about to do a product launch and there will be a large influx of charges.

    It's always good to give them a heads up so they don't stop processing payments.

    - Tommy

    Originally Posted by AshleyAA View Post

    And lets say you *planned* on making over $100,000 over that week, what problems might you face here? What would one do to avoid or at least decrease the chances of those problems?
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  • Profile picture of the author RMC
    Not that you can't, just thinking that there's some benefits you might not have thought of by getting help.

    Number one, you could be firing up the waiting list, or you could be pulling out objectives and market feedback right up to launch, and editing the sales page and product to reflect the market demands, vastly increasing conversions. But you can't do that if you're managing JV partners and mailings, and you can't do that if you're testing the systems, and you can't do that if you're ... ad infinitum.

    That being said, if you have a small really loyal group and a high ticket item you could probably pull a mini launch by yourself with minimal traffic requirements.

    At the very least, I would consult a pro about the server, and make sure they are on call. Possibly move big files and videos temporarily on S3, and upgrade to dedicated temporarily for the site. I've done some brain dead stuff that pulled down the site on a dedicated even. A down site, generates a crapstorm of customer support too. Often it's not so much the front end traffic but all the eager happy customers downloading at once.

    Not to mention, if you have a payment or product delivery issue you're going to have $100k worth of complaints and possible refunds. A customer support person, even temporarily might save some a ton of refunds should anything go sideways.

    I feel you though, I'm a hardcore DIY'er. But there's only so many hours in the day. It all depends on the circumstances, but you could be facing a bigger downside, than some cheap temp labor just in case.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ashley Gable
      Thanks for all the replies.

      I do want to do it myself, but I will have my brother on hand to answer emails aka support, refunds etc

      I didnt think of temporarily hosting my videos and bigger files on S3. I think that will be good as my site has quite a few videos, ones that are watched immediately after purchasing. So thanks for that.

      But no one will be downloading anything, it is a one time payment membership site, so they are just redirected to create their account.

      Contacting my merchant account people prior to tell them there may be a big increase in sales is a great idea, thank you!

      I think I can do it with just my brother, he doesnt know anything about computers or marketing but that shouldnt make a difference when answering emails, and I can fill him in on what most people will be needing help with.

      Anything else?

      Ashley
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