GAP, Inc. the owners of Gap.com and OldNavy.com closed down their websites last week to prepare them for the upcoming holiday season. Instead of developing a test-beta site, they opted to close the websites completely, and complete the overhaul before releasing it to the public. The company is collecting email addresses from visitors, so that they may be contacted when the site is opened.
Has anyone ever heard of such a thing in today's day and age?
Being a small-time web developer myself, I work with the concept of developing a test site in-house, and migrating it to the public sphere when completed. I cannot imagine what the people would say if I proposed to shut down the website for a week. Just doesn't seem right.
I checked the gap.com website today before writing this article to see if it was working. The website had a pop-up window telling me I was one of the few to see the newly designed website. I have to complement them on the design, and the ease of the interface, and that it flows really nice with Firefox on Linux.
There is also a nice touch with the Hurricane Relief, along with a link for employees who are displaced to contact them.
