Milestones
Do you want to create a new website or better align your current website for your target audience? We’ll walk you through every step from the initial preparations all the way to launch - and beyond.
1. Placement
Every LMU website is situated within a "FirstSpirit "web project." (Almost) All areas of LMU have their own FirstSpirit projects with designated contacts. As a first step, contact the project administration or project coordination responsible for your FirstSpirit web project and clarify where and in what form your planned website will be hosted.
For details on this milestone, see Web project structure.
Concept
Take your time to plan your new website well. Think about the following aspects in advance:
Target group
- Which target groups should be reached with which messages?
- How should the content be divided into different areas?
- How do your website and other digital channels interact?
Sitemap
A sitemap with all page levels of a website is usually documented in Excel. It maps hierarchical relationships between individual pages and names them. This forms the basis for content editing and the navigation model. It also reveals gaps, redundancies, or contradictions in the content.
TIP: Take a look at the websites of your national and international competitors for inspiration. Or ask your target groups what they want from your website by conducting structured focus group interviews.
Notes on a relaunch from Fiona to FirstSpirit
The migration from an old Fiona website to the new FirstSpirit system is not just a technical change, but also a revisioning in terms of content and concept. A copy-paste transfer of structure and content would miss the opportunity to question legacy issues and adapt the website to modern requirements. Old content is often too text-laden and lacks visual support, which quickly appears outdated and cluttered in the new layout.
When revising existing websites, take the opportunity to completely relaunch your website: Consolidate your content and adapt it to the needs of various target groups, simplify user guidance on all devices, and benefit from the possibilities of 1:1 language switching.
Another key point is accessibility: Content must be designed in such a way that it is accessible to everyone, regardless of limitations or device. Existing pages in Fiona often do not meet these requirements, or only do so inadequately.
Don't just blindly copy content; analyze your pages in terms of structure, content, and navigation. Document your findings and use tools such as web analytics to evaluate important pages.
Identify the right content for your target groups:
- Which existing content should be transferred?
- What new content is required?
- Which content overlaps?
- Which content do you want to offer in German, and which in English?
2. Checklist and Blueprint Bundle
Once the basic concept for your website has been established, your contact will work with you to fill out a checklist containing all formal and technical data relevant to your new website. This includes determining the URL based on LMU's domain concept.
Based on the data stored in the checklist, Department VI.5 Internet Services creates a Blueprint Bundle and activates it for you and your editors. The Blueprint Bundle is the preconfigured area in FirstSpirit where you can structure and edit your website. It contains many helpful modules and structures that assist you in creating your website content.
You will also receive a so-called "prod-link" that allows you to preview the future website during the development phase.
3. Training
At this step, you and your colleagues involved in editing the website should register for FirstSpirit training.
Here you will learn the basics of working with FirstSpirit and receive valuable tips and tools.
4. Content Design
You now have everything you need to get started: You can now create your pages using the appropriate modules and content.
Since your website isn’t online yet, we have provided you with a “prod-link” together with the Blueprint Bundle. You can use this link to preview the final look of the website within the Munich Science Network and, for example, present it internally at your institution.
You’ll find tips, tricks, and guidelines under Create a Website.
Notes on a relaunch from Fiona to FirstSpirit
Please note that your entire previous Fiona website will go offline as soon as the new website goes live in FirstSpirit. It is therefore not possible to migrate only part of the old website and add the rest later.
It is also not possible to continue linking to the old website, as it will no longer be available. However, you can set up redirects for important pages, which will then link to the new website.
More details on Going offline.
A complete import of all content from a Fiona website is not technically possible and not sensible in terms of content.
For structured data such as contacts and, if applicable, news and events, data can be transferred to FirstSpirit in a partially automated manner, if absolutely necessary.
Images used in Fiona cannot be reused in FirstSpirit because the resolution is not sufficient. You will therefore either need higher-resolution versions of the old images, or you will have to select new images for the website in FirstSpirit.
More details regarding images in WCMS Wiki.
Videos that you previously uploaded to Fiona (formerly on the LRZ video server) must be uploaded to the LMU streaming service Opencast or to alternative video streaming services such as YouTube as part of the migration.
From there, they can be integrated into your new website in FirstSpirit with various modules.
More information can be found in the WCMS Wiki.
5. Quality Assurance
Before your website goes live, you should perform a quality assurance assessment in the form of a self-check to ensure that the website is error-free and functions properly.
TIP: We recommend you consider the criteria in the self-check when creating your website so that you have less to rework before going live.
Latest during the "content freeze," i.e., a few weeks before going online when the editorial work has been completed, you should check and test everything through.
6. Go-live
Once your website is finished and you have completed the self-check for quality assurance, you can request a date for your website to go live.
Department VI.5 Internet Services will then make all the necessary technical preparations so that your website can go live.
On the go-live date, your website will go live sometime during the day.
Notes on a relaunch from Fiona to FirstSpirit
The switch to FirstSpirit will also change the URL of your website and all subpages. Therefore, please update all hyperlinks that lead to the old Fiona website, preferably as the new website goes live.
For the transitional period, we offer to set up redirects for important central pages that you specify as part of the go-live process.
Your previous website in Fiona will no longer be publicly accessible on the web as soon as your new website goes live, but will still be available to you internally.
Before the Fiona site goes offline, you have the option of performing a backup yourself and, if necessary, specifying redirects that can be set up when the main site goes online.
More details under Going offline.
As part of a consolidation process, your previously independent Fiona website may be integrated into an existing website as a subpage. Depending on the status of the main website, there are two possible scenarios:
- Scenario 1: FirstSpirit website is not yet online
Your subpage will go online together with the main website. Please coordinate with the project administration to ensure that your old Fiona website is taken offline at the same time.
Tip: Include the Fiona website in the go-live request for the new website.
- Scenario 2: FirstSpirit website is already online
You can switch your subpage online yourself at any time. However, taking the Fiona website offline must be coordinated with Department VI.5 Internet Services. As a rule, going offline can be arranged within 4-6 weeks. If you would like a specific changeover date, please specify this in your go-live request.
7. You site is live - What now?
The concept of a major "web relaunch" is a thing of the past. Continuously develop your website:
- Check regularly whether your content is still up to date and relevant, but also whether users can find it.
This allows you to respond immediately to the changing information needs of your target groups, pick up on the latest technical developments, and, above all, prevent another huge innovation gap from opening up in a few years' time—both in terms of technology and content.
- Stay in touch: Join the LMU FirstSpirit community.
In the FirstSpirit Community, LMU colleagues can exchange ideas about their practical work with FirstSpirit and provide each other with support and experience.