Even the most thorough and determined group of QA testers is likely to miss a few small things here and there. That’s the nature of any project with many interactive pieces. To further reduce the likelihood of any errors going live, a soft launch is a great option. What we mean is going live for your internal organizational network, so stakeholders and all your other colleagues can visit the new site and admire the result of everyone’s hard work. They can also interact with the site in a pattern typical of a first-time visitor, and catch whatever may have been missed.
Launching the site internally is also a great opportunity to build enthusiasm and excitement for the public launch within your organization, using that sneak peek to help everyone build a sense of pride and ownership in the website that’s about to go live.