Your digital launch: seven ideas to help you successfully introduce products or services online.

When it comes to thinking about and strategically planning for a digital launch, you need to look at the big picture. In the past, online support for a new product or service translated into a promotional Website and perhaps an interactive advertising schedule. While e-marketing remains an essential component of digital launches, companies that limit their view to this realm are missing a major opportunity.

To succeed in today's environment, it is critical for e-business and interactive marketing teams to consider the entire launch cycle and identify areas where digital technology can make an impact. From product planning, research and training to market introduction, promotion and customer relationship management, each incremental enhancement to the launch process can add up to significant value for both your company and the end-consumer.

Here are seven suggestions for you to consider as you plan the Internet strategy for your next new product or service launch:

1. Staff with your core business. Digital launch strategies should be derived from your company's core business objectives. While your launch initially will be aimed at supporting a new product or service, don't be satisfied with simply achieving promotional or sales goals. Keep in mind that even though the digital launch strategy may be delivered from within your marketing or sales group, launch tools can impact every department from product development and training to distribution and customer service.

2. Plan your launch around the entire customer lifecycle. A common misconception is that the defining moment of the launch process is when your customers begin purchasing your new product or service. While an actual market introduction is clearly a critical milestone, the launch process is not a singularly defined moment but rather an ongoing evolution. Think about ways the Web can offer a continuum of support by first establishing and then maintaining contact with your target audience throughout the awareness, consideration, shopping, purchasing and even ownership phases of the customer lifecycle.

3. Keep in mind that audience technographics are as important as demographics. Examine the technology profiles of your target audience and scale your engineering approach accordingly. For example, if you are targeting Internet-savvy, young professionals with high-bandwidth connections, your engineering approach should obviously take those technographics into consideration.

4. Build an audience early. Because it's flexible, dynamic and scalable, the Internet allows you to begin launch activities well before your new product or service will actually be available. An incremental fallout of information not only builds momentum and anticipation into the launch, but also enables you to connect with and involve your most loyal brand advocates early on in the process.

5. Integrate with multiple communication channels. More than likely, your company has a variety of launch support activities planned. From traditional advertising to event marketing and public relations, make sure your digital strategy enhances and even extends these offline initiatives.

6. Extend your brand. User experience defines your brand. Make sure digital launch initiatives do more than deliver the right color scheme, logo and tagline. As you develop your site, bear in mind that your company's core brand values are communicated by the way design, navigation, writing and technology blend to deliver an engaging, enjoyable and memorable interaction.

7. Develop reusable components. While every product and service is unique and requires an independent effort, look at underlying launch processes, applications and infrastructure with an eye toward how core components can be reused for future launches. This alone can translate into significant cost savings and ongoing launch process efficiencies.

Steve Glauberman is founder and president of Enlighten, an Ann Arbor-based Internet professional services firm. Enlighten is a Bronze-level member of the Detroit Regional Chamber.