A launch checklist for website owners

A good launch is mostly checking. The design and the content were settled earlier; the launch tests that everything works on the real address and that nothing left over from the building stage is still there. Use this list with your developer and tick each item.

Before launch

Content approved. Every name, number, price and address is correct, and you have signed it off in writing.
Links and buttons work. Click every menu item, link, call button and WhatsApp button on a real phone. Check that the phone number and the pre-filled message are right.
Forms work. If there is a form, send a test and confirm it arrives where you expect.
Pages look right on a phone, a tablet and a computer. Check at least the home page, a service or product page and Contact.
Images are sized and have alt text.
A page for errors exists. A wrong address should show a helpful page, not a blank one.
The domain and hosting accounts are in your name. See website logins and access.
A backup of the finished site exists somewhere other than the host. See HTTPS, backups and updates.
Analytics decision made. Either it is off by choice, or you have approved what it collects.

On launch day

The site opens on the real address, with HTTPS. HTTPS gives encryption and server authentication between the visitor and the site; check that every page loads without a browser warning, including images and scripts.
One address only. The version with www and the version without should lead to one site, with the other redirecting.
No leftover noindex. Test pages are often set to ask search engines to stay away. Google can only obey a noindex rule if it can read the page. Make sure the live pages do not carry it, and that robots.txt does not block the site.
The sitemap exists and lists the live addresses.
Old addresses redirect. If you replaced an old site, map each important old address to its new one with a permanent redirect. See planning a redesign without losing search visibility.
Business details match everywhere. Name, phone number and address on the site, on your Google Business Profile if you have one, and on your other listings.

In the first week

Verify the site in Search Console and submit the sitemap. Verification needs proof that you control the site. Submitting a sitemap does not guarantee anything is indexed.
Inspect the home page and one inner page with the URL Inspection tool.
Test the contact routes again from a different phone and network.
Watch for errors. Broken links, missing images and wrong text show up when real people use the site.
Keep your enquiry log from day one. See counting enquiries from WhatsApp and phone calls.
Know your support period. Report problems in writing within it. My packages include 14, 30 or 45 days of post-launch bug support, depending on the package; the pricing page lists the detail.

After the first week

Read Search Console in your first month, and decide how you will review results. Keep the handover files and the access list somewhere safe: the guide to what you should receive lists them.

If something goes wrong

If a page disappears from Google or shows an error, begin with why your website is not showing on Google. If you want me to review a site before or after launch, message or call Harman.