The excitement of launching a new website makes it easy to rush the final checks — and a site that goes live with broken links, no analytics, or weak SEO quietly costs you from the very first visitor. Run through these 20 points before you flip the switch and launch with confidence.
Content & Design
- 1. Proofread every page — typos erode trust instantly
- 2. Consistent branding (logo, colours, fonts) across all pages
- 3. A clear call to action on every key page
- 4. Real, compressed images with descriptive alt text
- 5. Contact details correct and easy to find
Technical
- 6. Test on real mobile devices, not just a resized window
- 7. Check load speed (PageSpeed Insights) — see the speed guide
- 8. Test in multiple browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
- 9. Every form submits correctly and sends notifications
- 10. No broken links (internal or external)
- 11. SSL certificate active (the padlock / HTTPS)
- 12. Custom 404 page in place
The Check Everyone Forgets
Actually submit your own contact form and confirm the email arrives. More launch-day problems come from a form that silently fails than anything else — test it like a real customer would.
SEO
- 13. Unique title tag and meta description on every page (on-page checklist)
- 14. One clear H1 per page with logical headings
- 15. XML sitemap created and submitted to Google Search Console
- 16. Robots.txt configured correctly
- 17. Schema markup added where relevant
Tracking & Legal
- 18. Analytics installed and firing before launch, not after
- 19. Privacy policy and necessary legal pages in place
- 20. A backup taken so you can roll back if needed
Selling Online Too?
An e-commerce launch has extra checks around checkout, payments, and shipping — see the dedicated online store launch checklist. Want a professional second pair of eyes before you go live? Our small business website service includes a full pre-launch review, or just book a free call.
Key Takeaways
- Proofread, test on real devices, and check speed before launch
- Confirm forms actually deliver — test like a real customer
- Unique titles, sitemap, robots.txt, and schema set up for SEO
- Install analytics and legal pages before going live, not after
- Take a backup so you can roll back if something breaks