Launching a website is exciting – but going over all of the content with a fine-tooth comb can also be stressful. What if you forget or overlook something? How can you be sure everything is working properly and looking beautiful?
With our complete website pre-launch checklist, you can be confident that you’ve ticked all the boxes and your site is ready to go!
You may want to consider setting up a staging site to prepare your new website before it goes live. Hubspot explains them like this, “Staging sites are exact copies of your website on a private server that are used to prepare and proof content and code changes before they go live.” The staging site allows you to edit and make changes without fear of crashing your site or messing something up. Before launching, you’ll sync templates and content between the staging site and your live website.
Website Pre-Launch Checklist:
1. Ensure all content is correct and error-free.
- Proofread and correct any spelling and grammar mistakes, including premium content like eBooks, case studies, and whitepapers.
- Remove and replace generic content, such as lorem ipsum.
- Double-check that company contact details are accurate throughout the site.
- Confirm the copyright date (possibly in the footer) contains the current year.
2. Replace all placeholder images with final designs and images.
3. Make sure all copy is consistent with the new brand.
Has the text been copy-edited to align with the brand style and voice? Are all company tag lines and mission statements up-to-date?
4. Ensure all styling choices have been implemented.
- Ensure headers, paragraphs, lists, and other formatting are correct.
- Check that brand colors are accurate – including link and button colors.
5. Make sure your design is aesthetically pleasing.
Have scripts, images, and CSS been optimized across web pages?
6. Confirm that rights to fonts, images, and other content have been appropriately cited or licensed.
To avoid a costly infringement settlement, make sure there are no copyright licensing issues – even if you outsourced the design to a web developer/designer.
7. Test the site for User Experience (UX).
- Are all website pages compatible across devices and browsers?
- Are images, videos, and audio files in the correct places? Are they formatted and working on all devices?
- Is all premium content (eBooks, case studies, and whitepapers) stored in their proper databases/libraries? Do they all work correctly?
- Are social media share icons associated with the proper accounts?
- Is the company logo linked to the homepage?
- Are internal links across web pages working?
8. Verify that the conversion paths have been appropriately implemented.
- Ensure all necessary forms are accessible.
- Implement landing pages and thank-you pages.
- Confirm that the correct buttons and calls-to-action (CTAs) are in the correct locations.
- Double-check that everything is linked together appropriately.
9. Establish your site backup strategy.
Set up site security and regular backups to prevent data loss and protect your website against malware and other damages. Check for the following:
- A backup schedule is created.
- The backup location is identified
- An implementation plan is set up for after launch.
10. Protect passwords and credentials.
Since many different people have probably been involved in the website launch, it’s crucial to ensure that passwords are reset and protected when the time comes.
11. Analyze the technical SEO implementation for errors.
- Make sure pages have unique page titles.
- Ensure pages have unique meta descriptions.
- Verify that each page has a specific purpose, and pages you want to rank organically are optimized around a single keyword or set of keywords.
12. Perform a stress test.
A stress test may not be necessary for a typical website redesign since the traffic spike might not overrun your server’s capacity.
However, a stress test (also called a load test) is vital for any company that expects a large influx of visitors during specific times – like holidays or following an important press event. A stress test will help you determine how much simultaneous traffic your website can manage by simulating tens of thousands of simultaneous visitors from locations around the world.
Before you attempt one, though, remember to inform your host or provider that you plan to conduct a stress test. If not, your test may look like a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack on your provider. Most providers view an unauthorized load test as a violation of the terms of service.
Bottom Line
If you have any questions about this Website Pre-Launch Checklist, feel free to contact us today! No matter where you are in the process of creating and launching your website, Impact Group Marketing is ready to help you develop a high-quality product that’s set up for maximum search engine placement.
Read More: What to do Before Beginning a Website Design