Web Dev Post-Launch Maintenance
Once a webdev project has been completed—actually, the proper term would be “launched in its first incarnation,” since we know that websites are living, evolving organisms—there are a number of ongoing maintenance issues that must be attended to. These will involve all processes, once the site is technically in operation.
This maintenance work must be a planned part of the process from project initiation, not something considered after the fact. It must be acknowledged as a valuable activity and resourced accordingly.
This means that your team must build a culture of continuous improvement. The attitude must be, “We need to constantly put new stuff up on the site.” Any site that has value is going to be regularly and continually kept up to date with fresh content that both keeps current users interested and attracts new ones.
This effort needs to involve all stakeholders, and not just be in the lap of one person. The value of new content must be impressed upon all who can provide it, and plans made to reliably generate that content and get it to the site editor on a regular basis.
The site editing function has to be easily accessible. The editor should not have to go through the IT department to be able to post or remove content.
It’s not only acceptable but necessary to begin with a “minimum viable product” type site. Generate the content needed to launch, plan a calendar for future content, then make it happen and keep it going.