Implementation Checklist: Implementation Downloads: Main Menu Template ( menu_template.xls ) * PortalPage Template ( portalpage_template.xls ) |
Part 1. Pre-Activation
This phase begins when you approve the migration. It is composed mainly of administrative tasks.
We will need the following from you to commence work:
1. Signed Master Service Agreement (MSA)
2. Initial Licensing Fee Payment (please make payable to OmniMagnet, llc.
3. A copy of your 501c papers (to qualify for the Magnet Chapter Edition Pricing)
4. Your selection of Head Administrators (HAs) with which we will conduct all technical dialog (see Exhibit G on the Master Agreement)
When these items have been provided, we will begin the process of activating your site. This usually takes 24-48 hours. When done, your team will be able to begin work on populating its content.
Part 2. Site population (Content, User Data, Overall Design).
2.1. Content Creation. One of the most powerful features of our Platform is the level of control you and your team have over the content of the site. Your team creates, maintains, and owns all the content! Your team of non-techies will be able to create all the site-related pages (Home, About Us, President’s Letter, etc.) as well as upload events, news, membership settings--everything you need to run your site. This process usually takes several days and should be started offline as a simple Word document prior to activation. The objective here is to get your team familiarized with the system while creating the initial content for the site launch. We will schedule a time when your 2 Head Administrators (HA's) will be trained for this process. The training session should take 45-90 minutes.
2.2. Uploading your existing user data. Chances are you already have one or more databases and lists of your organization's participants (free-registered Users, current and expired members, newsletter subscribers, etc.) Each of them needs to have a user account on our system. Of course, to avoid the tedious work of having all of them visit your new site and re-register or--even worse--having you manually re-enter them, we created a way for you to give us all this data and batch-upload it for you. Use the Master User Upload Template (MUUT - the Excel file you were provided with) to collect all your user data and send it to us. We'll take it from there.
2.3. Building your Nav Bar. What seems like a minor detail at the top or side of every website, is actually the single most important component of the user interface. The navigational bar will determine how folks move from page to page, and serve as an overall high-level map for your site. And since you know your audience as well as your objectives better than anyone, you should be the one designing its structure. It is important to maintain a balance and make sure that the important things are there, but not an overwhelming amount of nav items and sub-nav items.
Part 3. Technical/Logistical Tasks
Please confirm that the following technical arrangements have been made.
3.1. First and foremost, your domain name. Do you currently have a domain name (i.e. www.yourclub.org)? If so, do you have control over it? When you are ready to go live, here is how you switch your DNS settings (This is geek talk. It basically means that when users go to www.yourdomain.com they will see the NEW site vs. your old one).
3.2. Your Mail Exchange information. Do you currently have an incoming e-mail hosting service?
If yes, please get your provider's Mail Exchange ("MX") setting information and let us know what it is.
If you do not have an e-mail hosting provider, you will need to get one. Email hosting companies are a-dime-a-dozen. For example WebMail.us should be able to answer all your needs for a very low price (the last time we checked, it was $5/month).
Once you've figured it all out, we will need you to create an alias (forwarder) from webmaster@yourdomain.com to a designated email we will give you (contact us for details).
3.3. Your merchant account (the ability to accept credit card payments). Do you currently have a merchant account? If yes, please make sure it is internet-capable and can talk to the AuthorizeNet Payment Gateway Service.
If you do not have an AuthorizeNet-capable merchant account, you will need to apply for one. Here is all you need to know in order to obtain an AuthorizeNet-capable merchant account.
3.4. Your AuthorizeNet account. Once you've confirmed that you have a working Merchant Account and an AuthorizeNet account, here's a quick checklist of steps that need to take place to configure your Authorize Net account to work with our system.
3.5. Test the system. Run a test transaction to each credit card. Contact us for more details on this step.
3.6. Take your new site live! Well, looks like all that's left to do is switch the DNS and go live. On the right column of this page you will see a quick checklist of the items mentioned on this page. We encourage you to delegate these tasks among the right people in your organization and have everyone work in parallel. Most of these tasks can be accomplished independent of each other.
3.7. Write your welcome letter to your users and members There is one last thing to be done. You have just launched your new site, and you need a message to your users and members on the front page of the site letting them know about the new capabilities they can now tap into. This is also the letter in which we will provide your users with their account name (i.e., their registered e-mail address) and a temporary password; once they log in for the first time, they will be able to change the password to whatever they would like. A sample letter is available here for you to use as a template for your own letter to your users.