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Resource Checklist Intermediate

Website Launch Checklist

A thorough pre-launch checklist for small business websites covering design, content, SEO, performance, security, analytics, and legal compliance. Avoid costly post-launch mistakes with this 35-point guide.

Launching a website without a proper checklist almost always leads to missed issues — broken pages, slow load times, missing analytics, or legal compliance gaps. Work through every item below before you flip the switch.

Bookmark this page and use it for every site launch. Even experienced developers miss things without a checklist.

Design and User Experience

  • Site looks correct on all major screen sizes (mobile, tablet, desktop)
  • Navigation is clear and consistent across all pages
  • Logo links back to the homepage
  • All buttons and interactive elements have clear hover and focus states
  • Forms are functional and submissions are received (test each one)
  • 404 error page is designed and helpful (includes navigation back to the site)
  • Favicon is set and displays correctly in browser tabs
  • Color contrast meets WCAG AA accessibility standards (4.5:1 for body text)
  • Text is readable at all breakpoints (no text overflow or truncation)

Content

  • All placeholder text (Lorem Ipsum) has been replaced with real content
  • Spelling and grammar have been checked on every page
  • All images have descriptive alt text for accessibility and SEO
  • Contact information (phone, email, address) is accurate and consistent across the site
  • Social media links point to the correct profiles and open in new tabs
  • Copyright year in the footer is current
  • Call-to-action text is clear and compelling on every key page

SEO

  • Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag (50-60 characters)
  • Every page has a unique meta description (150-160 characters)
  • H1 tag is present on every page (one per page)
  • XML sitemap is generated and accessible at /sitemap.xml
  • robots.txt is configured correctly (not blocking important pages)
  • Canonical tags are set on all pages
  • Open Graph and Twitter Card meta tags are present for social sharing
  • Structured data (schema markup) is implemented where appropriate
  • Google Search Console is set up and sitemap is submitted
  • All internal links are working (no 404s)

Performance

  • Page load time is under 3 seconds on a 4G mobile connection
  • Images are compressed and served in modern formats (WebP or AVIF)
  • CSS and JavaScript are minified
  • Lazy loading is enabled for below-the-fold images
  • Google PageSpeed Insights score is 90+ on both mobile and desktop
  • Core Web Vitals are passing (LCP, INP, CLS)

Security

  • SSL certificate is installed and all pages load over HTTPS
  • HTTP requests redirect to HTTPS automatically
  • No mixed content warnings in the browser console
  • Form data is transmitted securely
  • Admin and login pages are secured (if applicable)
  • CMS and all plugins/dependencies are updated to their latest versions

Analytics and Tracking

  • Google Analytics (GA4) is installed and receiving data
  • Conversion goals or key events are configured in GA4
  • Google Tag Manager is set up (if using additional tracking scripts)
  • All tracking scripts are firing correctly (verify with Tag Assistant)
  • Privacy Policy page exists and is linked in the footer
  • Terms of Service page exists (if applicable)
  • Cookie consent banner is implemented (required for EU visitors under GDPR)
  • Affiliate disclosure is present if the site contains affiliate links

Final Pre-Launch Steps

  • Test the site in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
  • Run a full-site crawl to check for broken links and errors
  • Verify email delivery from all forms (check spam folders)
  • Set up uptime monitoring (UptimeRobot, Pingdom, or similar)
  • Create a backup of the site before launch
  • DNS is configured correctly and propagation is complete
  • Old URLs redirect to new URLs if migrating from a previous site
Once your site is live and generating leads, you need a reliable way to track and follow up with every inquiry. SMBcrm is built for small businesses that want a simple, effective system to manage their pipeline.

Post-Launch (First 48 Hours)

  • Verify analytics data is being collected in GA4
  • Check Google Search Console for any crawl errors
  • Test all forms one more time from the live site
  • Monitor site uptime and server response times
  • Share the launch on your social media channels and email list

A successful website launch is not just about getting the site live. It is about making sure everything works correctly from day one so your visitors — and search engines — have the best possible experience.