Your Website Launch Checklist
Launching a website without a checklist is like opening a store without checking that the lights work and the doors unlock. This 40-point checklist covers everything from the obvious to the commonly forgotten. Print it out, work through it, and launch with confidence.
Foundation (Before You Build)
1. Domain name registered — Your business name dot com, or as close as possible. Renew it for at least 2 years so you do not lose it accidentally.
2. Hosting selected — Choose a host with at least 99.9% uptime guarantee, SSL included, and servers located near your target customers.
3. SSL certificate active — The padlock icon in the browser bar. Non-negotiable in 2026. Google penalizes sites without SSL, and visitors will not trust you without it.
4. Professional email set up — [email protected], not [email protected]. Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 runs about $6 per user per month.
5. Analytics installed — Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console should be connected before you launch, not after. You want data from day one.
Essential Pages
6. Homepage — Clear headline explaining what you do and who you serve. Primary call to action visible without scrolling. Located within 2 seconds of understanding.
7. About page — Your story, your team, your credentials. People buy from people, and this page builds trust. Include real photos.
8. Services or Products pages — One page per service or product category. Include descriptions, benefits, and pricing when possible.
9. Contact page — Phone number, email, contact form, physical address with map, and hours of operation. Make it impossible to not know how to reach you.
10. Privacy Policy — Legally required if you collect any visitor data, which you do if you use analytics or contact forms. Use a generator like TermsFeed or have a lawyer review.
11. Terms of Service — Especially important if you sell products or take bookings online.
Content Quality
12. Unique page titles — Every page needs a unique title tag that includes your primary keyword and location. No two pages should share the same title.
13. Meta descriptions written — 150 to 160 characters per page describing the content and including a call to action. These show up in Google search results.
14. Heading hierarchy correct — One H1 per page (your main headline), followed by H2s for major sections and H3s for subsections. Never skip levels.
15. Real photos used — Authentic images of your business, team, and work. Stock photos are a last resort, not a first choice.
16. Alt text on all images — Descriptive text for every image, both for accessibility and SEO. "John Smith repairing a kitchen faucet in Austin TX" beats "IMG_4521."
17. No placeholder content — Search every page for lorem ipsum, "[Your Company]", or any template text that was never replaced.
18. Proofread everything — Typos and grammar errors destroy credibility. Read every page out loud or use a tool like Grammarly.
Design and User Experience
19. Mobile responsive — Test every page on a phone. If you have to pinch to zoom, you have a problem. Over 60% of your visitors will be on mobile.
20. Consistent branding — Same colors, fonts, and logo treatment on every page. Your website should feel like one cohesive experience, not a patchwork.
21. Readable typography — Body text at 16px minimum. Sufficient contrast between text and background. Line height of at least 1.5.
22. Navigation is intuitive — A visitor should find any page in two clicks or fewer. Keep your main navigation to 5 to 7 items maximum.
23. Contact information in header or footer — Phone number and location visible on every page without needing to visit the contact page.
24. Fast load time — Under 3 seconds on mobile. Test at pagespeed.web.dev and aim for a score above 80.
25. No broken links — Run a broken link checker before launch. Dead links frustrate visitors and hurt SEO.
Conversion Elements
26. Primary CTA above the fold — Your most important call to action should be visible without scrolling on both desktop and mobile.
27. Phone number is clickable on mobile — Use HTML tel: links so mobile visitors can tap to call.
28. Contact form works — Submit a test inquiry through every form on your site. Verify you receive the email notification.
29. Thank you page or confirmation — After a form submission, redirect to a thank you page or show a clear confirmation message. People need to know their submission went through.
30. Social proof visible — Testimonials, review scores, client logos, or case studies on at least your homepage and service pages.
SEO Essentials
31. Google Business Profile linked — Your GBP listing should include your website URL, and your website should link back to your GBP.
32. Local keywords included — Your city, neighborhood, and service area mentioned naturally in page content, titles, and meta descriptions.
33. XML sitemap generated — Most builders create this automatically. Verify it exists at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and submit it to Google Search Console.
34. Robots.txt configured — Make sure you are not accidentally blocking Google from crawling your site. Check yourdomain.com/robots.txt.
35. Schema markup added — LocalBusiness schema helps Google understand your business details. Many builders add this automatically.
Technical Must-Haves
36. 404 error page customized — When someone hits a dead page, show them a helpful message with navigation back to your main pages, not a generic error.
37. Website backed up — Ensure your host or builder provides automatic backups or set up manual backups.
38. HTTPS redirect working — Typing http://yourdomain.com should automatically redirect to https://yourdomain.com.
39. Favicon uploaded — The small icon that appears in browser tabs. Use your logo or a simplified version of it.
40. Cross-browser tested — Check your site in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Most visitors use Chrome, but the others still matter.
After Launch
Once your site is live, the work continues:
- Submit your site to Google Search Console for indexing
- Share your URL on all social media profiles
- Add your URL to your Google Business Profile
- Update all business directory listings with your website
- Set a monthly calendar reminder to add fresh content
This checklist covers the launch essentials. The best websites are the ones that continue to improve after launch. Use this as your starting point, and build from here.