Why a checklist matters
Most launch problems are small and avoidable: a missing page title, a broken form, an image that is far too large. A short checklist before you go live saves days of fixing afterwards.
The checklist
- Test every form and make sure notification emails arrive.
- Click every menu item and button on desktop and mobile.
- Add a unique title and description to each important page.
- Compress images and check the site loads quickly on a phone.
- Install an SSL certificate so the site opens on https.
- Set up analytics and a search console account.
- Create a privacy policy and terms page.
- Add a favicon and social sharing image.
- Check that the site is not set to discourage search engines.
- Create a backup schedule and update all plugins.
- Redirect old URLs if you are replacing an existing site.
- Test the site in at least two browsers.
After launch
Check the site again after a day and a week. Watch for crawl errors, form submissions and page speed. Launching is the start of the work, not the end of it.
Common launch-day mistakes
Forgetting to remove the maintenance page, leaving test content on live pages, or blocking search engines from the site are surprisingly common. Another is changing the address of old pages without redirects, which sends visitors and search rankings to a dead end.
Who should check
Ask someone who did not build the site to click through it. A fresh pair of eyes notices unclear wording, awkward navigation and broken links that the builder no longer sees.
Plan the first month
Schedule a review after one week and one month. Look at which pages people visit, where they leave and which forms are used, then improve the pages that matter most.
We run this checklist, and more, on every site we launch. Talk to us about your next website.
