Are you looking for a checklist to make sure you don’t miss something important when launching a new website or when re-launching a site?

We’ve previously shared a launch checklist specific to Shopify websites, but now we’re sharing a pair of checklists that work for a website using any service, whether it’s set up on Squarespace, Wordpress, or is even fully hand-coded.

We know that it can seem overwhelming to remember everything you should check for before you hit that ‘publish’ button, especially if you are DIY-ing your website. Whether you’re launching a new website or making big updates to your current website, there is a lot to watch for! You’re already nervous as it’s typically a stressful time. It can be easy for something small to slip through the cracks and all you can think is: I hope I’m doing it right!

Our secret to a successful website launch

We’ve launched many (so many!) websites over the years. We’re going to share with you our secret to making sure that those little things are taken care of before you hit the ‘publish’ button. We want you to be in the best position possible to be able to pop the champagne and launch already. Ready?

It’s a launch checklist!

A checklist for your launch helps you to confirm that key parts of your website are ready. For a website launch (or re-launch), it’s important that you have a checklist that looks at all those little things that need to be done before you launch. It’s also important to have a list for the tasks that need to get done after you launch (because there are a few things you should check after also!).

So, we’ve developed two handy checklists that we use for every launch and want to share them with you! We offer our full checklists as a free printable below (including helpful tips and recommendations for key tasks!), but here’s a quick overview of a few of the items you can expect to see on a good website launch checklist.

Our pre-launch checklist includes checks for…

• CONTENT
  Check for spelling issues, broken links, and shifting content (caused by different page widths).

• LEGAL
  Verify you have the necessary legal pages and that you link to them in the right places.

• FORMS + NOTIFICATIONS
  Make sure that all of these are working and sending information to the correct place.

• SPECIAL FUNCTIONALITY
  If you have included something special, make sure that it works in different environments.

• SEO READINESS
  Confirm that you have good SEO in place for all your pages / images and that your sitemap.xml file is ready.

• REDIRECTS + DISCOUNT CODES + GIFT CARDS
  If you’re moving your site, be sure to create these for your new infrastructure.

• USER EXPERIENCE + INSIGHTS
  Test your calls-to-action and record key page insights (speed, SEO, etc).

Additionally, our post-launch checklist includes checks on…

• ANALYTICS + SEARCH ENGINES
  Confirm that you have some form of web analytics installed and register your sitemap file with popular search services.

• SECURITY
  Confirm that your pages are all working under HTTPS and that you have your firewall optimized for protection.

• FORMS + APPS
  Double check that all forms are working and set up any apps that only work post-launch.

• BACKUPS
  Create a backup schedule and know how to restore from your backups.

• MAINTENANCE
  Know how to make basic and larger site updates; schedule reminders to review core infrastructure for updates.

• SOCIAL SHARING + LOCAL SEARCH
  Confirm that people who share your website URL are sharing what you expect (logo and site description) and update local search listings.

• PERMISSIONS
  Confirm that those who need access to key areas (domain settings, CMS, etc), have access.

• FINAL CONFIRMATIONS
  One last check to confirm all is working as expected.

• NOTIFICATIONS
  Let people know of your launch and pop the champagne!

Download our full checklists (which include our pro-level tips and recommendations) and be sure you’re checking off all of the things you need for a smooth launch. Then, get ready to pop the champagne 🍾

Signup for our mailing list and we’ll send you a link via email!