Ultimate Checklist to Launching Your Website

Introduction

Did you hire someone to create your website and are about to launch? Did you create your website and want to ensure it’s good to go? Launching a website is a critical step for any small business. It’s your digital storefront, and making a great first impression is essential. Before you go live, here’s a comprehensive checklist to ensure your website is ready.

Checklist

1. Conduct a Thorough Content Review

High-quality content engages your audience and boosts your search ranking. Ensure all content is clear, compelling, and error-free.

Checklist:

Proofread all text for spelling and grammar errors
Ensure all content is relevant, helpful and valuable to your audience
Use a consistent tone and style across all pages

2. Check All Links and Functionality

Broken links and non-functional elements can frustrate visitors and harm your credibility.

Checklist:

Test all internal and external links to ensure they work
Verify that forms, buttons, and interactive elements function correctly
For forms, check that the email is being directed to the desired email address and that it’s being received.
Ensure that social media links direct to the correct profiles

3. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

A mobile-friendly design ensures that your site looks good and functions well on all devices.

Mobile devices accounted for over 50% of global website traffic in 2024. Statista

Checklist:

Responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes
Easy navigation on mobile
Fast loading times on mobile devices

4. Optimize for Speed

According to Google, 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load. Fast load times are crucial for retaining visitors and improving SEO. If it’s slow, contact your technical support for help to improve load times by checking the items below.

Checklist:

Compress images to reduce file size
Minimize the use of heavy scripts and plugins
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for faster content delivery

5. Protect Your Website and Visitors

A secure website protects your sensitive information, as well as your audience’s sensitive information. It is essential to take adequate steps to protect your website from hackers, spammers and cyber-attacks that could harm your reputation. Security is critical to protect your business and your customers’ data. A secure site also boosts trust and credibility.

Checklist:

If your website was created by someone else, make sure you obtain the login ID’s and passwords for the following:
- your domain name registrar
- your hosting provider (if different from domain registrar)
- the login to the back end of your website so that you can make posts or edit pages if these are tasks that you will be performing going forward. Even if not, you need your own ID and password with admin rights.
Implement strong passwords and authentication measures. Change passwords periodically.
Check that your site is HTTPS secure by looking at the icon to the left of the URL address (see screenshot below for example). If it is not secure, you’ll need an SSL certificate installed. Your hosting or domain provider can help you with this.
Make sure backup procedures are in place so you can restore your website if needed.
Use firewalls and security plugins to protect your website against malware and hacking attempts.
Regularly update software, plugins, and themes

6. Ensure Legal Compliance

Adhering to legal standards not only protects your business but also builds trust with your audience.

Checklist:

Include a clear Privacy Policy outlining data collection and usage
Ensure compliance with GDPR, CCPA, or other relevant data protection regulations
Provide accessible Terms of Service and Disclaimers

7. Test, Test, Test

Before going live, thorough testing ensures that everything works as expected.

Checklist:

Conduct usability testing to gather feedback from real users
Perform cross-browser testing to ensure compatibility
Check for any remaining bugs or issues

8. Implement SEO Best Practices

SEO is vital for making your website discoverable. Proper optimization can drive more traffic to your site.

Checklist:

Use relevant keywords in your titles, headings, and content
Optimize meta descriptions and alt text for images
Ensure URLs are clean, descriptive, and include keywords
Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console

9. Prepare for Analytics and Tracking

Tracking your site’s performance helps you understand your audience and improve your strategies.

Checklist:

Set up Google Analytics to monitor traffic and user behavior
Configure Google Search Console for monitoring SEO performance
Implement tracking pixels if you’re running advertising campaigns

Conclusion

Launching a website is a significant milestone for your small business. By following this checklist, you can ensure your site is polished, professional, and ready to impress your audience. Take the time to review each item carefully and you’ll set your website up for success.