CMS New Project Timeline

Week 0: Pre-Production

During the pre-production phase, you’ll provide basic information about your site, select your design preferences, and explore available features like the School Manager, Staff Directory, and Announcement tools. Once we receive your information, including your design selection, we’ll officially move forward into Production.

This is where your vision starts to take shape! Our team will use your selected design options, images, colors, and logos to create the initial look of your website. At the end of this phase, we’ll meet with you for a design review to gather your feedback and ensure we’re on the right track.

Weeks 3–4: Design Approval

After the design review meeting, you’ll have time to discuss the design with your team and provide your feedback.

Here’s an important distinction to keep in mind:

• Design includes:

  • Colors and styling across devices (phone, tablet, and desktop).
  • Banner height, font choices, and navigation styles.
  • Layout decisions, such as the placement of navigation (e.g., left vs. right).

• Content includes:

  • Text, images, and page navigation, which you can fully customize using the content editor. Our tools make it easy for you to manage and update your content anytime!

Design Approval:

During the Design Approval phase, we’ll work closely with you to ensure the design, colors, and overall look align with your vision. This is a collaborative process where we gather your feedback and make adjustments as needed.

Once you’re happy with the design, just let us know, and we’ll move forward with scheduling the Navigation Meeting!

Weeks 4-7: Training & Homepage Polish

Navigation Meeting

Navigation is an important part of making your site feel fresh and new!  Work one-on-one with a Content and Design Specialist to reorganize and refine your site’s navigation. We'll guide you through the process, ensuring your website is both user-friendly and visually cohesive.

Training:

CMS training provides users with the tools and knowledge to manage their school district's website effectively. In the initial "train the trainer" session, district representatives will learn how to edit website content, manage announcements, update school manager information, and modify global content across the site. This session is designed for those who will lead further training within the district. Additional trainings can be tailored for lower-level users, focusing on specific tasks like editing pages, managing announcements, or using other CMS features. The goal is to ensure users feel confident in maintaining and updating their website with ease.

We'll go over major topics including:

• Integrations (Including Google Calendar)
• General Editing Information
• The Dashboard
• Picture Elements
• Configuration
• File Management

Homepage Polish:

Once we've trained you on how to use our system, it's now time to jump into the editor and start making these websites your own! 

• Banner Images/ Banner Cropping Tool
• Sync Your Google Calendar
• Update Your Banner
• Dashboards / Banner Boxes

Weeks 7-8: Data Migration / Content Polish

Data Migration Process Overview

When it’s time for data migration, our team will seamlessly transfer your content from your current website to the new platform. While we strive to maintain your existing page structure, minor reorganization may be necessary to fit the updated design. Once you gain access to your new site, you’ll have the flexibility to make any additional adjustments.

Key Features of Data Migration:

• Transfer Content: We’ll migrate your site’s content efficiently.
• ADA Compliance: Descriptions will be added to images to meet accessibility standards.
• Content Organization: We’ll adjust the layout as needed to complement your new design.

Important Notes:

• Once migration begins, any new content added to your current site may not be included in the transfer.
• For districts with multiple sites, migrations will be staggered for quality assurance, with up to 6 sites processed simultaneously.
• Please review our Data Migration Disclosure to understand potential risks and challenges.

Data Migration Preview

You’ll receive an email with a link to your data migration preview, including a detailed page map of the public-facing pages selected for migration.

• Carefully review the page map to confirm its accuracy, as it will serve as the final guide for migration.
• If additional pages need to be included or adjustments are required, let us know as soon as possible to avoid delays.

Week 8: Launch

Important Notes About Launch Day

Launch day is all about ensuring your website is perfect before going live! Keep in mind that depending on your DNS settings, your site may not officially go live until the following day. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

Day 1:

• Final Approval Document: You’ll receive a document via Pandadoc. Your site cannot launch without this signed form, so please complete it promptly.

Day 2:

• Pre-Launch Quality Control: Our team will conduct a detailed check to ensure your site is ready.
• Hosting Setup: We’ll configure hosting with your URL and publish your site after receiving your signed approval.
• DNS Setup: We’ll provide the IP address for you to point your DNS to our server.

Day 2 or 3:

• DNS Propagation: After updating DNS, it can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours for your site to go live. Propagation times may vary for different users.
• SSL Setup: Once the site is live, we’ll set up SSL (free of charge) to secure your site. This process is typically immediate.
• Post-Launch Quality Control: Our team will perform a final review to ensure everything is working perfectly.

Plan ahead and follow these steps to ensure a smooth and successful launch. We’re here to guide you every step of the way!

DNS: General Knowledge

The Domain Name System (DNS) connects your domain name (e.g., districtacronym.com) to the AWS server where Catapult hosts your website. While we manage hosting, you maintain control of your domain name.

Getting Your Site Live: General Process

1. Ensure You Have Access to Your DNS Settings:

• Log in to your domain name provider’s account (e.g., GoDaddy, Network Solutions).
• If you’re unsure who your provider is, search for your domain on whois.domaintools.com.
• Locate your login credentials in advance to avoid delays.

2. Point DNS to Our IP Address:

• On launch day, we’ll provide the IP address. Update your DNS settings by adding our IP to your DNS records.

3. Set Up Subdomains:

• If your site uses subdomains (e.g., schools.districtname.com), share this information with us before launch day so we can prepare accordingly.

Specific DNS Recommendations

• Point the Root and www to Our IP: Create A Records for the root and www that point to our hosting server’s IP address (provided on launch day). Alternatively, use a CNAME record to point the root to www.

• Include Subdomains: If you have multiple sites, subdomains like schoolname.districtname.com are free and can be configured if you control the main domain.

• Internal and External DNS: Ensure both internal and external DNS settings point to our IP address.

Weeks 9–12: Honeymoon Period

The last step in the Onboarding Process is the Honeymoon Period! During the first month post-launch, you’ll still have direct access to the implementation team for questions and additional support as everyone explores the new site.