When we launched Jumpchart, it wasn’t to resounding applause. We didn’t max out a server 25 minutes after throwing the switch. We didn’t watch gleefully as money gushed into our bank accounts. When we turned on the homepage very little happened.

When we sent out the launch email we got a little traffic. When we sent out notifications to the few bloggers we had made contact with during dev, we got a little traffic. When we sent out our quasi-press release to a few websites, the ones that covered the launch sent us a bit of traffic. When the slight arch created in Analytics was over, we were back down to nearly zero.

It was disheartening for sure. Not every launch is so anticlimactic, but we’re not conference speakers, or social media butterflies. Our launch was a penny dropping into a cathedral of cotton; barely a sound was heard. But, fortunately we didn’t give up. After a little while (can’t remember how long) signups started to happen.

• We kept diligently posting on our blog -the best content we could create.
• We kept participating in blog conversations when we had something valuable to say.
• We kept looking for advertising opportunities we could afford.
• We persisted in contacting prominent bloggers for feedback on our app. (despite the mostly deaf ears)

What’s that thing they say? Slow and steady wins the race? Well, it’s true, but with a tiny but important amendment. The race is never over… All you can really do is keep winning a step, one after the other.

Looking Back.

Looking back, it’s kind of hard to believe we kept moving forward with not only one but two apps. But you learn a little each time you release an app, or a major version there-of. Another 40, or 50 and maybe we’ll have it all figured out! Take what we have to offer in its context. We don’t consider ourselves experts, but here are a few of the things we’ve been able to learn from two app launches, and a couple version bumps.

Improvement

• When you think it’s over, it’s just beginning. The problem with a launch is that it feels final. We’ve learned that a launch is only a checkbox allowing you to move to the next step.
• Perspective is valuable. It’s not always valuable to seek a lot of input during early development. Without a proper budget for real study of user feedback, we think it’s best to trust your judgement. Once an app exists in the wild though, you can begin to gather real case studies of how people use your app. Learn as much as you can from those pieces that people complain about. Keep in mind, though, that doesn’t mean every feature request is legitimate! It just means they’re all an opportunity to learn.
• Minutia is tough. The tiny details you skipped, omitted, or allowed yourself to ignore are more important than you realize. You have to train yourself post-launch to look with virgin eyes. It’s tough, and we can admit we’ve got much to learn about it. But it’s critical.
• Reuse support requests. When you answer a new support request, add a help section document. Doing the job well once saves loads of time, and intensifies the effort you put into making your app user friendly.
• Make a schedule for creating a new user account. Occasionally create a new account in your app. Evaluate your first impression. Re-read all your content, and try your best to see it the way your users will see it.

Promotion

• Participate! Get involved in your community. Find the people who might use your app in whatever place they inhabit. Don’t “advertise” to them. Interact with them. Learn from them. Make friends.
• Ask for help. Ask important people to help you improve your application. You’ll be surprised at how many people do not have time for you, and equally surprised and humbled by the amount and quality of feedback you get from those who do make time.
• Write about what you do. Blog, doodle, journal, talk out loud. The more you elaborate and explain your application, the more succinct your definition of what your app does will become. When talking or writing to people about your app, you need to be brief, and persuasive. The best way to learn that narrow focus is to talk it through. (hearing your own voice explain things will help you understand when an idea sounds dumb.)

The point of all this is that your app will most likely not have instantly gratifying success. If it does, congratulations. But if you’re like us, after the let-down is over you go back to the grindstone. The natural reaction is to begin coding out the features you never built, under the assumption they will bring the success you really desire. In reality, adding features is not what you need. You need to think, make friends, perfect, and promote.

Make a list. Make a plan, Take time to reflect and think. Understand your application. Live with it. Assess it with a critical eye. Be a customer! Live though it with them, suffer, and figure out ways to make it better.

It’s incredibly fortunate that we can change things after launch. It’s an ability that has been impossible until the advent of web apps. It’s important and imperative we take advantage of the opportunity to improve. It’s also fortunate that the internet is built on friendly communities that are happy to spread the word about impactful things that are worth mentioning. Take advantage of this by talking and promoting your app in ways that are appropriate to your audience.