40 Critical Checks to be Applied Before Launching Your Website

We need to agree that launching a website or website redesign to a new site version can be a stressful activity if you don’t jot it down as a plan. You can often overlook multiple things and can go wrong in keenness to make it live. Like if you fail to test a key data to be captured in the website inquiry form the results would be losing out on capturing potential leads. Or even worse, if you miss out on the site redirects, and your site visitors and future prospects receive a page not found the message.

So instead of worrying on what is left or not, it’s beneficial to prepare a checklist to conclude that you have created the required touchpoints and checked them out before you broadcast your website globally.

Well, you are lucky since we have created a detailed checklist for you. To make the process still simpler, we have clustered required items into eight categories: website content, page design, functional touchpoints, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), web data analytics, security & backups, and applicable compliance. Keep things intact to ensure you don’t overlook even on a single point before your subsequent launch.

Deep Dive in 40 Critical Checks to be Applied Before Launching Your Website

Website Content

Read and review all the content. Even better would be to have somebody go through it who is not involved in the whole process. Check if you can lessen down on the volume of uncertainties and verify the status of required things as you can’t afford to slip-upon any of the items being listed here.

1. Do not overlook a single typo or grammatical mistake.
2. Check out on all the headers, paragraphs, and the lists.
3. Keep videos, images and audio files well-formatted and tested.
4. Take care of key content like eBooks, case studies and whitepapers being proofread.
5. Remove the dummy content used such as lorem ipsum.
6. Double-check the contact details all over the site.
7. Ensure the copyrights to images and content contains no plagiarism.
8. Update the copyright date with all other formattings.

Page Design

The second step is to make sure that the Web Page Design is flawless. Checking the responsiveness of the website on all devices is important. The site design must look equally good on desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

9. Check CSS/HTML is appropriately authenticated.
10. All the scripts, images are optimized transversely.
11. CSS is enhanced throughout the pages.
12. Make sure favicon is picked up all the time.
13. All paragraph styles are well placed.
14. Test browser and device compatibility.

Read Also: 8 UX Recommendations For Your Website Redesign

Functional Touchpoints

The third step is to make sure all the functional touchpoints are working, well tested and validated. Inquiry forms, social media sharing, third party integrations are all verified.

15. All the inquiry forms are submitting data correctly.
16. Thank-you Pages are working.
17. Form data is well stored in the database and connected to CRM.
18. Auto-responders are retorting.
19. Both External and Internal links are working.
20. Social media sharing and RSS Feeds are up-to-date.
21. Load time for all the pages is augmented.
22. 404 Redirect pages are working fine.
23. Third-party Integrations are executed efficiently.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The fourth step is to make sure that the website has been provided by SEO touchpoints. Starting from the website architecture and content structure to the XML sitemaps don’t compromise on anything.

24. Pages have in-line page titles, meta descriptions, and proper keywords.
25. Page URLs steadily replicate website details.
26. Metadata is well connected to RSS feeds and social media sharing.
27. Alt tags have been well placed.
28. A dynamic XML sitemap is well submitted.
29. 301 redirects and rel=”no follow” tags are placed wherever applicable.

Read Also: How to Design an SEO Friendly Website that Ranks Well

Web Data Analytics

The fifth step is to ensure that web data analytics are well set, capturing all the website data and you have full access to detailed and customized analytics.

30. Check all the required analytics codes have been implanted on the site.
31. Suitable IP addresses have been omitted from being tracked.
32. Inquiry funnels and goals have been accurately set and are tracking the correct data.
33. Google Webmaster, Analytics and AdWords accounts have been well integrated.

Setting-up Security  & Backups

The sixth step is to ensure that the data is well stored and protected from any type of malware.

34. Ensure automated and consistent data back-ups.
35. End-to-End monitoring of scripts is well executed.
36. Credentials are well preserved with full security.

Read Also: 21 Quick Tips to Safeguard Your Website!

Applicable Compliance

The seventh and final step is to ensure that the site complies with pertinent online laws and regulations.

37. Accessibility to disable users must be taken into consideration.
38. Cookies if used – must be mentioned on the website.
39. Usage rights, terms, and privacy policies must also be mentioned.
40. PCI compliance should be well declared.

So ultimately launching a site can be a complicated task to handle, however, you can ease it by means of this all-inclusive checklist.