This post was originally in YouMoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.
In February 2011, a client I was working with ran global usability test in cooperation with Spotless Interactive in London, Hamburg and Oslo. One year later and the feedback from the usability tests are being implemented, which includes improvements to the booking engine, navigation menu, a url rewrite and a new home page.
With a total of 21 websites in 15 languages, launching a new global web structure without losing a significant portion of traffic was always going to be a difficult task. Especially as more than 50% of total visits are from search engines. This blog post will show you two examples of how to launch a new website:
Website 1 launches and loses 35% of organic traffic
Website 2 launches and loses 4% organic traffic
By following the process described below, you can feel confident in knowing your new website launch will be smooth.
Minimizing risk and measures we took
With the support of Norwegian inbound marketer Sverre Bech-Sjøthun, we were able to create a step-by-step plan to implement before, during and after the launch.
Before the launch
We started by setting up a project in Basecamp with the web developers and to ensure all stakeholders were aligned.
Having just recently upgraded to the newest version available of the CMS, we found that the steps taken to minimize the traffic loss during the website launch would also be a good time to address to increased crawl errors reported since the upgrade.
By upgrading the CMS for more than twenty websites, the number of crawl increased tenfold to more than 4,500 errors globally.
Example of errors reported for one of the sites
404 page visits increased during the same period
The first step was to approach each site separately and by using Xenu Link Sleuth we are able to reduce the number of broken links. We repeated this process for each of the sites. Across the entire web structure, fixing broken links was a lot of work and requires a dedicated person. Understanding the importance of addressing these issues is the only way it can be prioritized above everyday tasks.
We then started working on the URL mapping:
Using Open Site Explorer we ran a report for the top 500 linked to pages
Using Microsoft Excel, we mapped out the site and new URL structure
Managing the top 500 linked to pages in a time consuming process but highly important when launching a new website. The process took half a day per website and was the most demanding of all steps taken.
Once the URLs were mapped, we then created an XML sitemap based on the live version of the website.
The step-by-step process for launching the new website included:
Map URLs and redirects
Submit XML sitemap
Fix crawl errors in Webmaster Tools
Monitor web traffic in Google Analytics
During the Launch
Once the new site went live, the 301 redirects were implemented and the XML sitemap submitted to Google Webmaster Tools. Traffic was monitored in Google Analytics and errors monitored in SEOmoz.
How to launch a new website redesign
The following illustrates how one team gave SEO a high priority and how another team didn’t. Here are the results.
Website 1
You will always run into problems that you did not see when launching a new website. The process plan was created and all stakeholders were aligned. However, as a team we did not execute the plan when launching this website and implementing correct redirects and on-site SEO were not prioritized.
The day we went live with website 1 (14th June, 2012):
No XML sitemap was added to webmaster tools
Not all 301 redirects were implemented (more than 50% missing)
302s pages were sending traffic to a soft 404 page (not a 404 HTTP status)
Missing meta tags including page titles and meta descriptions causing duplicate content
One issue was that 50% of the redirects were not implemented. The issue being we did not know which 50%. Using SEO automatic bulk URL checker we manually checked each URL and HTTP status code. A second issue was that Google was indexing the test server resulting in duplicate content - more than 276 pages were indexed.
By not implementing the process plan, we lost a lot of organic traffic. In fact, organic brand traffic decreased by 45% compared with the previous week and year on yearorganic traffic was down by 49%.
Organic traffic is now down -34% comparing the previous month (easy to identify the launch date)
Impressions down -18% comparing the previous month
Website 1 is the client’s most visited website within the global web structure. The above charts from Google Analytics have been seen by senior management and addressing these issues has now been prioritized. It’s not too late, but there is no doubt that by losing 34% of organic traffic a considerable amount of sales have also been lost.
We are now in the process of updating XML sitemaps, implementing any outstanding redirects and fixing crawl errors on site.
Website 2
For website 2, we had a lot more control and I was allowed to be hands on with the process.
The day we went live with website 2 (26th June, 2012):
Uploaded the XML sitemap immediately after launch
Mapped out all URLs of the site, which included a URL rewrite with user-friendly URLs
301 redirects were implemented and tested
Monitored the web traffic for both referrals and organic traffic
Once live, I blogged about the new launch, tweeted the launch to more than 2,000 followers, informed all stakeholders internally and had the news published on the company intranet. The day following the launch, we sent out a newsletter to 1,600 subscribers that included a tip to "check out the newly launched website!". The tip can also be found in my email signature.
Organic traffic is now down -4% comparing the previous month (barely visible)
Impression share trend continues as before
Here is a list of actions taken for the website 2 launch.
Actions summary:
Create report of top 500 linked to pages from Open Site Explorer
Map URLs from old site to new site with redirects
When launching new site, implement redirects
Submit XML sitemap to webmaster tools
Test new top 20 linked to pages for correct 301 implementation
Attract new site links through blogging and social media shares
Send out newsletter and inform customer base
Promote launch in company email signature
Monitor traffic in google analytics
Monitor and fix crawl errors in webmaster tools
Submit new XML sitemap (two weeks post launch)
Concluding summary
With the website 1, we only followed the 50% of the plan and we lost 34% of organic traffic. With website 2, we followed the plan exactly as it should have been, we constantly monitored traffic in web analytics and tested both referral links and 301 redirects – a valuable lesson in having a plan and sticking to it.
If you are about to launch a new website, have your SEO consultant on-site or hire an expert during this process and involve your web developers throughout the launch. Make sure this is prioritized within the organization and not left to those who do not understand the importance of SEO. No one can afford to lose 34% organic traffic.
About Steven: Steven is an online marketer and works in luxury travel. He also blogs at tribes.no.
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In the connection economy, there's a dividing line between two kinds of projects: those that exist to create connections, and those that don't.
The internet is a connection machine. Virtually every single popular web project (eBay, Facebook, chat, email, forums, etc.) exists to create connections between humans that were difficult or impossible to do before the web.
When you tell us about your business or non-profit or public works project, tell us first how it's going to help us connect. The rest will take care of itself.
In a long-overdue moment, governor Jerry Brown has finally admitted the obvious, the state's pension system is broke and California Has "Lived Beyond Our Means". Unions of course are howling at that obvious admission.
California Governor Jerry Brown and lawmakers have reached a deal to raise public employees' retirement ages, have them pay more into their pension accounts, and cap retirement payments in a vast overhaul of the state's pension system that he says will save $30 billion.
California faces a huge liability for funding the nation's largest public pension system, but other states and cities also have enormous pension funding gaps and will be watching the state closely.
Brown did not get everything he wanted from lawmakers, such as a hybrid plan that would funnel some contributions into 401(k)-style accounts, and some of the deal's measures will not affect current employees.
"We have lived beyond our means," he said. "The chickens are coming home to roost and this is just one in a series of countermeasures that will be required over the next decade."
LABOR UNIONS OUTRAGED
Democrats in a conference committee of both legislative chambers approved the deal 4-0 late on Tuesday. The two Republicans on the committee abstained, protesting lack of time to study the measures, and labor groups were stunned.
"We are outraged that a Democratic governor and Democratic legislature are taking a wrecking ball to retirement security for teachers, firefighters, school employees, and police officers," said Dave Low, chairman of Californians for Retirement Security, which represents 1.5 million public employees and retirees.
Outside the state building where Brown unveiled the agreement, union activists said the deal unfairly bypassed collective bargaining rights.
"Labor did not have input on this and we are very, very concerned on what this will mean for rank-and-file workers," said Barbara Maynard, also with Californians for Retirement Security.
Labor Did Not Have Input
That my friends is precisely the way it should be. Labor does not deserve any input and collective bargaining by public unions needs to go the way of dinosaurs.
There is no public benefit to public unions, so there is no need for them. All public unions do is raise costs. The goal of public unions is to do no work for mammoth wages and benefits.
No one in their right mind would willingly take input from such a group.
Beacon of Light in Ocean of Darkness
The key sentence from Governor Brown stands out like a beacon of light in an ocean of darkness. In case you missed it, here it is: "This is just one in a series of countermeasures that will be required over the next decade."
Precisely. Brown's proposal is not the end of what needs to happen, it is the beginning of the beginning of what needs to happen.
Said Phillip Barton, president of GSI "Lest there be any misunderstanding, the views expressed by Sandeep Jaitly in his interview with Max Keiser are not the views of The Gold Standard Institute. To the contrary, we strongly disagree with those views. .... Sandeep Jaitly has resigned from his position as Senior Research Fellow with the Institute and we sincerely thank him for his past contributions."
What appears to have gotten Sandeep in trouble is his criticism that Mises made "too many mistakes".
However, Sandeep did say, "He [Mises] was certainly the greatest economists of the twentieth century. It's just that he made a slight, few errors of observation. That's all."
Errors in Observation
When it comes to errors in observation, Sandeep has made a few of his own. For example consider these statements from the interview: "What I want to make very clear Max is that you don't need marginal quantitative easing from here for asset prices to start escalating. You only need what has already been printed to start spinning more quickly. And once things start spinning, nothing can slow it down."
Interestingly, the first sentence is true. However, the following sentences show Sandeep fails to understand the role of attitudes as well as the fundamental nature of credit in a credit-based economy.
The statements imply that printed money may come spinning into the economy at any time causing massive inflation the Fed could not stop.
There are two errors in such an analysis. The first error is that banks do not lend from excess reserves. Rather, banks lend, on two conditions, both of which need to be true.
Banks are not capital impaired
Banks believe they have credit-worthy borrowers.
By credit-worthy I mean "lending rates are high enough, or assets strong enough for banks to believe they will make a profit commensurate with risk".
Clearly banks made serious mistakes in the housing bubble in regards to the credit-worthiness of borrowers (primarily based on belief that home prices would not fall), however, both conditions were met.
Sure, banks can start lending again at any time (which is why Sandeep's first sentence regarding no need for further QE to ignite a credit boom is true in isolation). However, the idea that excess reserves are about to come spinning into the economy at any moment is fatally flawed.
Note how much attitudes have changed. Banks are not lending now out of rightful fear of more losses.
Very few Austrian economists seem to understand the nature and role of attitudes and credit in boom and bust cycles. Most woodenly stick to views that excess reserves will come pouring into the economy 10 times over causing massive inflation.
Careful observation would suggest the economy does not act as prevailing Austrian theory believes it does. Unfortunately, this is why many Austrians have looked ridiculously silly vs. Paul Krugman when it comes to inflation predictions.
This is by no means a defense of Bernanke or Krugman, as Bernanke has created other very serious problems and economic distortions of all sorts. Moreover, Fed policies and deficit spending have indeed created boom-bust cycles of ever-increasing amplitude.
Indeed, the policies espoused by Bernanke, forever bailing out banks whenever they have gotten in trouble is one of the factors driving money and assets to the 1% vs. the 99%. Clearly, those on fixed income have been destroyed by Bernanke's policies.
The only way to fix the problem is to end fractional reserve lending and return to sound money. On this point the Austrians are 100% correct.
Spinning Out of Control?
The second error in observation Sandeep makes is belief that "once things start spinning, nothing can slow it down."
That is ridiculous.
The Fed could easily rein in inflation by the simple matter of hiking interest rates. Whether or not the Fed would do so is certainly debatable. However, please be aware that the Fed in and of itself cannot cause hyperinflation without purposely trying to do so, and perhaps not even then.
Fed Cannot Realistically Cause Hyperinflation
The Fed cannot force banks to lend. Nor can the Fed force consumers and businesses to borrow. In a credit-based economy that is what matters most.
Once again, my observation is Austrian economists in general have failed to observe this crucial point. Bear in mind that the Total Credit Market Debt Owed is over $50 trillion! From that aspect, the idea that $1.5 trillion in excess reserves is going to come spinning into the economy causing inflation the Fed cannot stop, is simply ridiculous.
Sure, in theory, the Fed could print $100 trillion and agree to pay 4% interest on excess reserves, but the Fed is not out to destroy the banking system.
Interestingly, if interest on excess reserves was zero, it is debatable whether printing $100 trillion would do much of anything at all other than perhaps cause a brief asset bubble and subsequent crash. I actually doubt it would spur lending or hiring and once again, careful observers will note lending and credit are what matters most.
Practical Restraints
Remember, the Fed is beholden to bankers. Moreover, the Fed does not want to wreck the system because to do so would wreck the banks and the Fed's power along with it.
In a nutshell, hyperinflation fears caused by the Fed are silly. Hyperinflation fears caused by Congress giving away money are more realistic in theory. However, such odds are still extremely low because Congress would not give enough money away in the first place.
With a total credit market exceeding $50 trillion, $1 trillion deficits would not cause hyperinflation for a long, long time.
That said, a global currency crisis at some point in the future is unavoidable if countries keep on the path they are on. Deficit spending and competitive currency debasement globally for the sole benefit of banks and the wealthy (the 1%) is simply not sustainable. Something has to give somewhere, and it will, most likely in multiple places, at a very inopportune time.
Addendum:
Max Keiser reports that Professor Antal Fekete Supports Sandeep Jaitly, with Fekete stating "truth can be approximated only through debate and that at no point was GSI envisaged as a 'thought police'".
I am pleased to announce an economic conference in Sonoma, California on April 5, 2013 featuring some of the best economic thinkers and speakers in the world including...
John Hussman
Michael Pettis
Jim Chanos
John Mauldin
Chris Martenson
Mish
Special Guests
Sonoma is in "Wine Country", west of the Napa Valley and slightly north of San Francisco. If you like the idea of enjoying great weather, excellent food and wine, plus inside access to many of today's best economic minds – all together in one of the most beautiful places in the world – this conference will likely interest you.
The list of speakers includes select economic forecasters that I respect most. The group includes experts on China, monetary policy, and investment opportunities in a shrinking-yield world.
These minds have never all been in the same place at the same time before, so I cannot tell you how excited I am for us all to be together.
Net Proceeds to Charity
Net proceeds from this event go to an extremely worthy cause: funding research for ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Matching $100,000 Grant From Hussman Foundation
From now until the start of the conference on April 5, 2013, the John P. Hussman Foundation will generously match $1,000 of each conference registration fee as well as match any donations made to the Les Turner ALS Foundation, up to a total of $100,000.
Book Your Conference Reservations Now
There will be presentations and panels throughout the conference, as well as ample time to meet the speakers during breaks and mixers.
Please book your reservations now. There is a nice discount for those who book early. The total number of reservations is limited to 200.
Donations and Raffle Tickets
Matching donations continue up to April 5th but raffle tickets are not included in that match.
For those not familiar with the raffle, it is something I organized in honor of my wife Joanne, who passed away on May 16, 2012 from ALS.
In response to the above article, donations have come in from 40 countries around the globe! See link for details.
Raffle Ticket Entries are split 50-50 with ticket buyers in a drawing to be held November 8 (a change from my original posting date of November 15). Ticket sales end September 27, but you can still make a donation at any time.
Checks
To make a cash donation by check or money order, please send a check or money order to Lacey Wood Mish Campaign Les Turner ALS Foundation 5550 W. Touhy Avenue, Suite 302 Skokie, IL 60077 847.679.3311 (Main) Any questions, please call the above number.
Credit Card
You can make a donation or purchase raffle tickets by credit card on the Les Turner ALS Site.
Some people emailed they did not like entering the information fields required. However, the purpose is only to ensure the foundation knows how to get in touch with raffle winners!
People move, phone numbers change, and email addresses change. It's as simple as that.
Thanks!
Thanks in advance to all who attend the conference, make a donation, or purchase a raffle ticket. Money will be used for ALS research, a very worthwhile cause.
Mike has spent the past five years taking at least one photo of himself a day to create his ongoing video project Jump Man. He snapped his first photo on August 25, 2007 and published the first five years, which he refers to as his first phase, on August 25, 2012. Mike plans to complete his Jump Man project by the end of 2013. Say cheese, Mike!
There's nothing like a photo of Uncle Lester lurking in the background while the bride and groom share a passionate first kiss, right? Presented below is a collection of 30 best Big Day photobombs around.
With college students spending less time hitting the books than their '60s counterparts, but earning higher grades, the question begs to be asked whether a college education is getting easier, the standards are getting lower or technology is increasing the efficiency of today's students?
Give a bird some bread and he'll eat for a day, teach a bird to fish and he'll end up on youtube. This Green Heron shows some real learning behavior. It actually feeds bread to fish to catch it. The method succeeds, a true testimony to bird cognition. The most amazing is, it seems to be hungry but does not eat the bread like the surrounding Ibises do.
The internet had some fun with Botched Ecce Homo Painting, the meme that has sprung up in light of an elderly Spanish woman's un-commissioned painting restoration attempt.
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