Your Website Launch Checklist
When you are ready to launch a new website, there are several things you need to make sure are in place before the site goes live. These components are important as they make sure the site functions properly and creates an easy experience for the user.
This post will serve as a quick checklist for you to use when you feel your new website is ready to launch.
Before you Launch:
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Create a backup. Make sure all your content is backed up in case your data is corrupted or deleted. Nothing is worse than losing all your hard work.
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Find an analytical base. Find a site or program that you can use to properly measure analytics that will help you convert visitors to sales.
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Make sure every page is organized and has a place. Your site needs to be as easy as possible for your readers to navigate.
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Prepare for 404 errors. Make sure that each link on your page goes to a created page. 404 errors will happen if you deleted a linked page, so make sure you are keeping track of all pages you have linked.
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Test navigation. Make sure all your links from the main nav link to the proper place.
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Make sure all internal links work. Every link on every page should lead to its proper place.
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Proofread all copies. All text and copy should be free from spelling and grammatical errors.
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Make sure your website is accessible. Your site needs to give your user the best experience possible if you hope to convert them to a sale or get them to return.
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Do a mobile check. Many people will access your site by mobile phone. Make sure the site looks good and is usable.
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Check all browsers. Make sure the site looks good on all popular browsers. Ensure everything is properly aligned and all graphics appear correctly.
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Make sure URLs are correct. Every page should have a concise URL that summarizes what the page is about.
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Create metadata. Create title tags and meta descriptions to improve your search engine results rankings.
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Check for SEO errors. Make sure all your content is optimized for search engines. This includes all copy, photo descriptions, page titles, and H1s.
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Ensure the site works together. Make sure that every element of your website agrees with one another. Everything should fit tonally and thematically.
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Connect social media. Make sure all your social media are linked to your site. This will make it easier for customers to connect to you.
After you Launch
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Test site UX. Make sure the user experience on your site is excellent to maximize site results.
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Ensure the site is secure. One of the most important steps post-launch. If you take payments online customers must know that their information is safe from hackers.
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Keep up with your analytics. There is a reason you invested in analytic software. Make sure you are using it and that all desired results are optimized.
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Submit site map and request indexing. You want to make sure your new site is appearing on Google. Go to Google Search Console and submit a new sitemap.xml.
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Continue to check SEO. The standards for keeping your site optimized are changing all the time. Make sure you keep up with best practices and that all new content you produce is optimized.
Optimization is Important
It is of the utmost importance that all your content is as accessible and SEO-friendly as possible. The easier your readers find navigating the site the more sales and subscriptions you will get.
But don’t be fooled, making sure your site is up to date isn’t simple. Following each of these steps is a good start, but to truly achieve greatness you need a team of professionals.
That’s where Legend Web Works comes in. Our team of seasoned professionals has decades of experience in turning sites into sales machines. Reach out to Legend Web Works and get your site right today!
