The one MUST-DO after every digital product launch

There’s one thing that will make a huge difference to your digital product launches over time…

It’s a launch debrief.

Yet most people do not do this. I see you…

It’s probably because you consider yourself a person who just doesn’t like stats, you’re more of a creative! (You have no idea how often I hear this!) 

Or you might think this is something that the big guys do (we’ve all seen people break down their big launches and share it online). 

The truth is that you need to be doing it too. Even with a teeny tiny launch. No matter what launch method you used. 

What is a launch debrief? 

A launch debrief is a data-gathering process that should be done at the end of every single launch. 

This data then gives you the insight into what worked and what didn’t, so that you have this info to improve your next launch. 

It’s not just about how many people purchased, and what money you made. That is part of it, but it goes much deeper than that. 

You look at all numbers associated with the launch, from the launch runway, the pre-launch, right through to the cart close. 

You also write down your offer, like what bonuses you offered and when, how long the cart was open for, if you had an upsell or a downsell…all the things. Keep a note on the pricing – every single little detail. 

I know you think you will remember these things, but you won’t. 

Going through the process of writing down what you did, and then adding the numbers beside it, will give you an amazing amount of clarity. 

So while you might think you’re not a numbers person, you’ll be seriously happy you took the time to do this. 

Why you should do a launch debrief

During a launch, you leave it all on the table. You go hard until the doors close, and then…

Retreat into hibernation. 

This is especially true if the launch didn’t quite hit the goals you were hoping for. 

I get it – launches can feel like a lot. Especially if it didn’t go your way – there is definitely an emotional rollercoaster with a digital product launch. 

So scheduling in time to rest after a launch is not only a nice-to-have, but essential. 

But make sure you block out some time within that first week to do a launch debrief, while it’s still fresh in your mind. Half a day should do the trick. 

Why? 

1. You can only improve what you’re aware of 

I’ve said this is the ONE THING that will improve your launch performance over time for a reason. You can only improve on things if you’re aware of what actually happened. Too often we go on our gut or based on our emotions when the real answers are right in front of us. 

The data doesn’t lie. 

I’m not saying that your intuition and your gut don’t have a part to play. They most certainly do – but more so to guide you before the launch. Once the launch is done, the data will tell you the truth. 

2. A launch debrief removes your assumptions

During a launch, we’re definitely IN IT. So it can be really easy to make assumptions why things are working, or not working. We’re often so busy doing all the things, making sure everything gets done, that our judgement can get a bit cloudy.

It’s also really common to have mismatched expectations with reality.Then when we’re not hitting those expectations, it’s really easy to go into victim mode and get really annoyed at all the work we just did for not much result. 

Before we know it, we’ve made a bunch of assumptions because our emotional state wants a quick answer. 

And those assumptions are often not pretty. For example, a common assumption when sales aren’t hitting the targets is ‘there’s something wrong with my [insert online course, membership etc], not enough people are buying it’.

But digging into the numbers will tell you the truth. Numbers don’t lie, or make assumptions. They simply tell us what is. 

For example, the numbers will tell you what your conversion rate is. A typical conversion rate for a first-time launcher is 1-5%. So that means it’s normal if only 3 people buy out of 100! 

This data immediately clears up that it’s NOT the product, and it’s something else instead. Usually it’s just that not enough people are seeing the offer. 

And this truth is going to become your treasure moving forward. Because once you know where the gap is, you can fix it. Simple as that. 

3. The numbers remove your emotional attachment to your results

When in launch mode, it’s really common to tie up our self worth with our results. 

If our launch flops, we make it mean something about us. 

If our launch flies and is a booming success, we also make it mean something about us – but this time it’s validation and confirmation that we’re awesome. 

Neither of these are ideal, because truthfully, you’re awesome either way. It shouldn’t mean anything about who you are as a person, or as a business owner. 

That’s why I am a huge fan of the concept of going into a launch with the mindset of non-attachment. Think of it like an experiment, and you’re the mad scientist. 

A key part of any experiment is to find out what works, and what doesn’t…with the data! 

Yes, data is our friend when launching. The more data we have, the more improvements we can make. The more improvements we can make, the more realistic it is to hit those crazy goals! 

4. It gives you the opportunity to improve with each launch

If you go into your first or second launch with the expectation that you’re going to hit six figures, of course you’re going to be disappointed. (There are exceptions to this – it does sometimes happen but it’s more unicorn than reality.) 

I am a huge fan of the idea that launching is about getting that first launch done. Then relaunch. Then repeat.  

You see, it all builds on each other over time. 

You strengthen your launching muscle. You start to see what works, and what doesn’t…because you do your launching debriefs and you get to know the data. 

Over time, you can increase your conversion rates. You can tweak your offer so that it truly is irresistible to the right people. 

You just get better and better. But you have no chance of getting there if you don’t start, and then embrace the information the data is giving you.

What to include in your launch debrief

Hopefully by this point you understand the importance of doing a launch debrief after every single launch. 

And you’re probably wondering what information you need to be collecting. 

It’s both quantitative and qualitative data that you're going to want to write down. So it’s not all numbers. 

I might write a detailed post on this in the future, but for now write down every stat you have. Record all the information about your offer, from your product name, right down to what bonuses you offered. 

Create a record of when your sales came in, and what happened on those days. Look at your emails and jot down their open rates, clickthrough rates and what not. 

Record how many sign-ups to your launch event you got, and how many people showed up live. Was there any day that you noticed a drop-off? 

Now work out your conversion rate. This is how many people signed up to your launch event divided by the number of purchases. If it’s over 1%, you have a converting offer. 

Make sure you also note down what worked well, and what didn’t work well. Also include the bits that felt heavy, where you struggled personally, and what felt easy to you. This is also very important! 

From this, you will have a lot of insights. In fact, I bet you’re excited for your next launch already. 

Launch, Relaunch, Repeat 

Business is a marathon, not a sprint. And that same ideal is also the case with a digital product business. 

Learning to launch successfully is really a case of getting in there and getting that first one under your belt. Then it’s a matter of doing the debrief, tweaking where you need to, and re-launching. 

That is how you grow a profitable digital product business. 

Looking for some more launching tips? Check out this post on whether you should launch live or go evergreen.