Website launch checklist: what to check before you go live

A website launch is more than switching the domain over. The checks below help you avoid the problems that cost enquiries in the first few weeks.

Content and pages

Read every page as a visitor would. Make sure the headline on each page says what you do, the contact details are correct and there is a clear next step, such as a call button or enquiry form.

• Remove placeholder text, lorem ipsum and unfinished sections.
• Check spelling, prices and opening hours.
• Confirm that every internal link and button goes to the right page.

Speed and devices

Test the site on a phone, a tablet and a desktop, in at least two browsers. Images are often the largest cause of slow pages, so compress them and give them descriptive file names.

Search visibility

Each page needs a unique title and meta description, one clear H1 heading, and a link from somewhere else on the site. Create a sitemap, submit it to Google Search Console and check that the important pages are not blocked by a leftover “noindex” setting from development.

Forms and contact

Send a test message through every form and confirm it arrives in the right inbox. Check the auto-reply, the spam protection and what happens on mobile. A form that silently fails can cost more than a slow page.

Analytics and tracking

Install your analytics tool before launch so you have a baseline from day one. Confirm that page views and form submissions are recorded, and filter out your own visits so the numbers stay accurate.

After go-live

Once the site is public, check the live URLs again, look for broken links and watch the contact inbox closely for the first week. Keep a short list of changes you want to make next, and review it after a month of real visitor data.