[FAQ]

Hi,

We’re about to go live with a new client website next week, and I’m getting a bit nervous. The design is done, the content is in, and everything seems to be working. But for sure, I’m forgetting something.

I’m trying to make a final checklist of all the small but important things to check before we flip the switch. I’m thinking of things like checking all the forms, making sure links aren’t broken, and having Google Analytics set up.

What’s on your must-check list before you launch a website? I want to make sure we don’t have any embarrassing mistakes on launch day.

[Jeff Bullas]

Having a pre-launch checklist is a non-negotiable step for a professional launch.

Short Answer: Before launching, you must thoroughly check your website’s content for errors, test all functionality like forms and links, and ensure your on-page SEO basics and analytics are correctly implemented.

Going through a systematic check ensures you make a strong first impression on both users and search engines.

A solid pre-flight check should cover a few key areas. First, you need to meticulously proofread every piece of text content on the site, from the main headlines down to the contact details, to catch any typos or grammatical errors that would undermine your credibility. Second, you must test all functionality; this means filling out every contact form, clicking every link to check for broken URLs, and testing the site’s responsive design on both mobile and desktop to ensure all your image and text content displays correctly. Finally, you need to verify your basic on-page SEO and analytics by confirming that every page has a unique title tag and meta description, all images have descriptive alt text, and your analytics tracking code is properly installed and recording visits. A common and disastrous mistake is forgetting to uncheck the “discourage search engines from indexing” setting in WordPress, so make that the final item you check.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

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