If you want your software product launch to go smoothly without causing you a headache and unnecessary complications, this guide is for you. Look through our list of processes and provisions to fine-tune an impeccable development and launch from the initial rough idea to generating ROI.
Step #1: Sum up fundamental points
For a paying product launch, software needs to be built with an explicit purpose in mind, the one that promises value to the users and, subsequently, profit to you as an owner. If you dig deeper, this means that your tech should address the pain points of its target audience. This cornerstone knowledge is necessary to later determine the feature set and even to pick a provider with the best-matching profile who is experienced in delivering these types of solutions.
Another crux point that you need to have clear is the values that your business represents and that will resonate with your audience. This will define multiple things, from the color scheme to the principles on which you promote your solution.
And, of course, money talks. Think through the budget and possible investors. Plan for the amount of time that it will possibly take, and how quickly it’ll pay off.
If needed, consult with lawyers on the copyright of your future solution, as well as be aware of the probable requirements to comply with the laws applicable to your industry (e.g. HIPAA in care).
Step #2: In-house vs outsource?
To launch a software product, you’ll have to make a decisive move of contracting an external firm who’ll do it for you or assembling your own team. Long story short, for strategic projects that will take you months and months of implementation and subsequently require life-long support, go for the in-house option. In case you have far-reaching plans but will surely require narrow experts who are challenging to find, contract an accomplished agency.
Step #3: Would you want to take any responsibility?
There are three main cooperation models with companies that specialize in the development of custom software solutions. The choice depends on how much responsibility you’re willing to take. You can entrust the entire scope of work to the provider, and in this case, the cooperation style is called managed delivery. If you have strong managers in-house who can take over, you can opt for a dedicated team from a third-party firm. Thus, the ultimate decisions will still be made on your side. Finally, if you’re lacking several specialists to reinforce an existing team, especially those who’re not easy to find on the market, you can simply augment your staff by “borrowing” them from a tech firm.
Step #4: How far are you willing to go for the expertise?
If your project is critical for the operation of your other systems or has very specific requirements, you’d understandably want to stay relevant on its progress by delegating it to a firm based within your reach — in the same country or perhaps within a reasonable flying distance. If the price is a critical factor though, consider looking for a provider with low hourly rates, e.g. in Eastern Europe, Georgia, Kazakhstan, India, etc. A good option would be finding a reliable European provider who has an office in the country of software product launch. To illustrate, Andersen operates across sixteen locations worldwide, and thus, is available to customers in various corners of the world.
Step #5: Make up a shortlist of IT companies
How do you pick an organization that pursues the same values and whose management will share your mindset? Make up a shortlist of the best-matching candidates by taking these essential steps:
- Look through their portfolio and reviews on their website and trusted business-oriented sources, e.g. Clutch;
- Fill out their contact form and see how smoothly the communication will flow;
- Enquire of their processes and all the terms and conditions to establish absolutely transparent flows in the future. Don’t go for it if they don’t have a well-established report and communication system in place. Remember that project requirements can alter and some features will probably need to be adjusted, thus, an incremental approach to software product launch might be more flexible and appropriate;
- Make an effort to meet, at least online, with every specialist they’re going to assign to the project;
- Making sure they cover the product and services with a guarantee and provide support is a must.
Step #6: Request rough estimates
Any reputable company working with enterprise-grade clients will provide you with a free consultation on how to launch a new software product with them. Normally, you just need to fill in a basic template on their site and roughly outline fundamental requirements. Shortly after that, their sales representative will contact you to discuss details and come up with a proposal containing rates and timelines.
Step #7: Don’t omit a discovery phase
This stage is comprehensive research conducted by a business analyst who’ll formulate and prioritize the requirements of your custom solution, as well as picture a portrait of its typical user and clarify the market and competitor situation. Having the discovery done is like drawing up a map and making allowance for shortcuts and possible roadblocks before heading to the actual place.
As a result, you’ll get all the agreements with the developer clearly explained in a vision and scope document, product requirements specification, and other papers.
Step #8: See what an architect has to say
Sometimes, customers omit the architectural stage as “unnecessary.” Well, in large, multi-level projects, it’s strongly recommended to undergo it so that the dev team has clear guidance later on.
An architect will envision your solution inside and out from the technical point of view, providing for every layer, component, and interaction. In the tech documents they deliver, these specialists advise on the best-matching technology stack, taking into account software specifics, scalability, and security concerns.
Step #9: Envision the prototypes
An adept UI/UX designer will deliver clickable prototypes and mockups with regard to the optimal user navigation patterns. They’ll also suggest color combinations that convey your brand message best. Testing the proposed options on real users and proceeding only with those that rouse their keen response guarantees that your final solution will be a success and you’ll avoid stranded investments.
Step #10: Start with an initial version
If you think building an MVP and additionally verifying your idea on this basic version is a waste of time, remember that this is the core that can be easily expanded and scaled. Also, if the idea works, well done, you can move on! Finally, if some features prove themselves to be superfluous, you’ll get the chance to bring the crucial ones to the fore without realizing this too late in development and losing your money.
Step #11: Validate your MVP
The whole point of taking the previous step is to prove your core concept and working principles with the users before you launch a software product. For this purpose, assemble a group of random amateur testers or assign the task of trying out the solution and providing feedback to your team. Based on this data, polish the core principles, arrange features, deal with flaws, and start adding to software in iterations that are a few weeks long.
Step #12: Add features in iterations
Now, it’s time to build on the minimum version to help it grow into a fully-fledged product. Starting from the feedback, revise the UI. Establish robust data management and take care of the APIs. Expand the codebase so that, upon the product launch, the software would be seamlessly working across OSs and devices.
Step #13: Conduct end-to-end testing
In Agile, this part of the work penetrates the actual development through and through. Well-versed QAs start planning at the same time a BA delivers the requirements. Subsequently, the required quality is ensured every time an increment is added, i.e. in each sprint. For this purpose, advanced automation tools are employed, including CI/CD instruments like Jenkins and GitLab CI/CD, as well as quality reports are sent to the customer consistently. The network of processes is harmonized, monitored, and managed with the use of programs like Jira and TestRail.
Step #14: Set the stage for software product launch
Even if it’s not quite the subject of the development itself, planning for the appropriate date of the software product launch and engaging the audience in advance through their preferred channels is crucial. The date can well coincide with some remarkable events in your niche or corporate history. Offer rewarding discounts for the pioneer subscribers, involve influencers, and spread the word through compelling paid ads. These preparatory actions will help you warm up the audience so that they’ll be eager to embrace the product when it comes out. Additionally, be all-armed to track the early analytics and put out a fire in case of unexpected flaws.
Step #15: Deploy the code into a staging environment first
Getting back to the subject of how to successfully launch a new software product, undergoing this stage will guarantee the top-notch quality of your product. Deploying into a staging environment can be compared to the final rehearsal run with the use of the same equipment and configurations as in production. Thus, you get a chance to see your program in action before it gets into the hands of consumers, polish it, eliminate every discrepancy, and present it to the stakeholders.
Step #16: Carry out production deployment
Starting from this moment, things get quite serious as consumers will now have to deal with the good and bad of your custom solution. To minimize the damage in case things go wrong, make sure there’s a detailed rollback algorithm in place to be able to revert to the last functioning version. Sometimes, the rollout is enabled gradually through various switches. The time after the deployment is crucial to closely monitor the performance.
Step #17: Collect analytics
To be able to rapidly react in case any issues occur and to promote and improve your app, take the time to collect detailed analytics via various tools, e.g. heatmaps and Google Analytics. Refining user paths even (and especially) after you launch a software product will guarantee you success in the long run. Adept marketing specialists are surely well aware of this but pay special attention to such metrics as retention, engagement, conversion rates, number of active users and downloads, and so on. You’ll be able then to improve these metrics hot on the trail, predicated on user actions and reactions.
Step #18: Don’t seize releasing periodic updates
Giving your users just what they expect is your sure path to success. Be attentive to their comments and feedback, and make allowance for these suggestions in further version releases. Thus, your app will always stay at the forefront of throat-cutting market competition and, what’s more, innovation. Ensure that your provider of choice has support, maintenance, and if needed, the possibility to scale and update your product when it’s already up and running (and yielding some ROI).
Step #19: Eliminate discrepancies in a timely manner
This is possible through a well-established monitoring and report system, where you take every error in a complex and can trace all the dependencies and root causes. Thus, you’ll treat the issues with regard to the health of the entire system without causing a ‘house of cards’ effect.
Step #20: Don’t save on ramping up security
Lastly, give special consideration to security concerns by initiating periodic checks, be diligent in releasing the necessary security patches, and establish a strong, regularly reviewed base of permissions and controls.
The bottom line
Now, when you’ve got a rough idea of how to successfully launch a new software product, it’s time to take this path, sort out your fundamental requirements, and start reaching out to top developers for an exceptional solution. Our experts believe that your software product launch will go smoothly if you entrust the whole issue to a professional provider with some years of experience in the market.
