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To Beta or Not to Beta the intranet (website)?

by Toby Ward on Wed 18 Feb 2009 10:03 AM PST | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Did you beta test your intranet (or website) before it launched 'live'? Are you planning to beta test the next redesign or platform migration?

The Beta Test is a trial run of any new site before it goes live to the target audience. “This is the perfect opportunity to make sure everything is working the way it was planned to work,” writes Cathy Mcknight, senior intranet consultant with Prescient Digital Media in her article To Beta or Not to Beta?...

Step 1: User needs assessed and validated. Check.

Step 2: Built site strategy and supporting structure. Check.

Step 3: Determine site functional needs. Check and double check.

Step 4: Selected the right technology solution. Check.

Step 5: Implement technology and build site. Check.

Step 6: Go live to audience.

Stop right there! Hold the presses and put the champagne back on ice, you missed Step 5.5: Beta test.

Read To Beta or Not to Beta? for Cathy's checklist of recommendations and considertations for beta testing your intranet or site before it goes live into production.

ALSO:

<---- Listen to my Utterz (micropodcast): Update: Intranet 2.0 Global Survey findings click the play button on the blue Utterz widget in the left column or the link to listen).

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SOME OF THE INTRANET 2.0 GLOBAL SURVEY FINDINGS:

SharePoint governance & intranet ownership (MOSS 2007)

Intranet RSS on the rise, but...

Intranet 2.0: Transformative powers & barriers

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Re: To Beta or Not to Beta the intranet (website)?

by Ryan Kennedy on Sat 21 Feb 2009 01:29 AM PST | Permanent Link

Beta or usability testing our intranet pre-launch was definitely one of the most effective ways to improve the site. I had pages of suggestions, things to fix, things to add, ideas for future content and functionality... So much that I wondered why I bothered with focus groups at the start of the project - I could have done usability tests with the old intranet and got much better information on how to improve it.

Re: Re: To Beta or Not to Beta the intranet (website)?

by Toby Ward on Sat 21 Feb 2009 10:35 AM PST | Profile | Permanent Link

Thanks for the feedback, Ryan. Its not often I hear someone saying that focus groups weren't of value... but to each their own! How is the new intranet? Worthy of a case study?

Regards,

Toby

Re: To Beta or Not to Beta the intranet (website)?

by Ryan Kennedy on Sat 21 Feb 2009 11:55 AM PST | Permanent Link

It's not that they weren't of value, it's just that I found the beta testing had more value. Maybe I'm being too harsh on the focus groups. I guess the focus groups included all kinds of feedback about the intranet that wasn't useful.

I'm presenting on it in May so there'll be plenty of case study info available after that! :)

Re: Re: To Beta or Not to Beta the intranet (website)?

by Toby Ward on Sat 21 Feb 2009 02:46 PM PST | Profile | Permanent Link

I look forward to learning more!

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