The moment right before a website launch is exciting—and often a bit stressful. After weeks or months of designing, writing, and testing, you finally want to go live. But before you click "Publish", make sure everything runs smoothly. This checklist helps you avoid last-minute errors and prepare your launch professionally.
1. Technical Basics
- Domain & Hosting: Is your domain working correctly and is the SSL certificate (https://) active?
- Loading Speed: Test your website with Google PageSpeed Insights. A fast site improves ranking and user experience.
- Responsive Design: Check all views—desktop, tablet, smartphone—for layout, readability, and functionality.
- Browser Compatibility: Open your website in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge to spot potential layout issues.
2. SEO Basics
- Titles & Meta Descriptions: Are all pages equipped with unique, meaningful meta data?
- Heading Structure (H1–H3): Use clear, logical hierarchies for better readability and SEO.
- Image Alt Texts: Describe your images briefly and meaningfully so Google understands their content.
- Sitemap & robots.txt: Ensure search engines can index your site.
3. Content & Texts
- Spelling & Grammar: Read your texts aloud—this helps spot small mistakes.
- Consistency: Are tone, writing style, and addressing consistent across all pages?
- Internal Links: Do all internal links work and guide logically through your site?
- Call-to-Action: Does each page have a clear call-to-action (e.g., "Contact Now")?
4. Legal & Privacy
- Imprint & Privacy Policy: Mandatory on every website—check that all information is up-to-date.
- Cookie Notice: Is it displayed correctly, and does the opt-in work?
- Tracking: Do Google Analytics, Search Console, or alternative tools work in a GDPR-compliant way?
5. Functionality & User Experience
- Forms: Test all contact forms—does confirmation appear, and do emails arrive?
- Buttons & Links: Do all clicks lead where they should?
- Images & Videos: Do they load quickly and correctly, even on mobile devices?
- User Flow: Let someone unfamiliar with your site click through—first impressions are invaluable.
6. Marketing & Visibility
- Social Media Links: Do buttons or links to Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., work?
- Favicons & Sharing Images: Does the correct preview image appear when sharing your page on social media?
- Newsletter: If you have one—does subscription and confirmation work correctly?
7. After the Launch
- Register your website in Google Search Console.
- Monitor initial visitor numbers and clicks with an analytics tool.
- Inform your network, clients, and social media about the launch.
- Keep your site up to date—regular updates and new content keep it alive and SEO-strong.
Conclusion
Launching a website is more than just going online. It's the moment your brand becomes visible—technically, visually, and emotionally. This checklist ensures that your presence not only works but also looks professional, builds trust, and inspires your visitors.
Image: freepik.com