The Business Website Launch Checklist

Launch day is exciting, and it's easy to miss small things that make a big difference. Use this checklist before you tell anyone your new website is live. It's the same list we run through for business websites we build.

Content

• Read every page out loud once. Typos are easier to hear than see.
• Remove all placeholder text and images.
• Check that contact details are correct everywhere.
• Make sure each page has one clear next step for visitors.

Mobile

• Open the site on at least two different phones.
• Check the menu opens and closes properly.
• Tap your phone number and email to make sure they work.
• Look for text that's too small or buttons that are too close together.

More on this in responsive web design.

Forms and enquiries

• Submit every form yourself and confirm the message arrives.
• Check the thank-you page or message appears.
• Make sure enquiries go to an inbox someone actually checks.

Speed

Large images are the most common reason new websites are slow. Resize and compress images before uploading them, and test your key pages with Google's PageSpeed Insights. See website speed optimisation for deeper fixes.

SEO basics

• Give every page a unique title and meta description.
• Use one H1 heading per page.
• Add descriptive alt text to images.
• Create a sitemap and submit it in Google Search Console.
• If you're replacing an old site, redirect old page addresses to the new ones.

Our technical SEO and on-page SEO pages explain these in more detail.

Security and tracking

• Make sure the site loads with https and a padlock in the browser.
• Set up website analytics so you can see visits and enquiries.
• Keep a backup of your final website files.

Planning a new website or a redesign? Our website development team can help from structure to launch.