Launching a new website is exciting, but skipping pre-launch checks often means fixing avoidable problems after customers have already found broken links or missing tracking. Here's a complete checklist to run through before you go live with any website design project.
Technical Checks
- SSL certificate installed and working (https, no mixed-content warnings)
- All internal links working - no broken links or 404s
- Mobile responsiveness tested on multiple real devices, not just browser resizing
- Page speed tested and optimized
- Forms actually submitting and notifications reaching the right inbox
- 404 error page designed and functional
SEO Checks
- Unique title tags and meta descriptions on every page
- XML sitemap generated and submitted to Google Search Console
- Robots.txt configured correctly (not accidentally blocking the whole site)
- Google Analytics and conversion tracking installed and verified
- 301 redirects set up for any URLs changing from an old site
Content Checks
- All placeholder/lorem ipsum text replaced with real content
- Contact information accurate and consistent across every page
- Legal pages present (privacy policy, terms of service)
- Images have proper alt text for accessibility and SEO
Post-Launch Follow-Up
Launching isn't the finish line. Monitor analytics closely in the first few weeks, watch for crawl errors in Search Console, and plan for ongoing maintenance so the site stays secure and up to date.
Need a Pre-Launch Review?
If you want a second set of eyes before going live, or help launching a new site properly, talk to us.