Start with the message
Quick website launch checklist: Check the business message, contact routes, mobile layout, page titles, indexing settings and a current backup. Record the URL, result and owner for each check before launch.
A new website should make a useful first impression. A visitor needs to understand who you are, what you do and how to take the next step. Read the homepage as if you were seeing the business for the first time: does the main heading explain the offer, and does the introduction say who the service is for?
Check every contact path
Open the main call-to-action buttons, menu links and direct email link. Send a test enquiry through the form and confirm both the success screen and the notification destination. A form that looks complete still needs a delivery test.
Review the mobile layout
Look at the website on a narrow screen. Headings should fit comfortably, text should remain readable, and buttons should have enough room to tap. Check that the navigation opens and that forms are easy to complete.
Prepare the page details
Use a clear page title and a short description of each important page. Add descriptive image alt text where an image conveys information. Check the page URLs and link related services where those links help visitors.
Keep an editing record
Before handover, record the pages, any premium tools and the main content that will need updating. Replace temporary project examples with approved case studies when they are available, and keep a recent backup before significant changes.
For an editable WordPress build, explore the website design service.
A practical launch review you can repeat
Use the checks below with the actual pages you intend to publish. Record the URL, what you tested and any issue that still needs an owner. A launch review is most useful when another person can repeat the check and understand the result. Keep the essential tasks visible so a minor visual edit does not distract from an enquiry path that fails.
Follow a realistic visitor route
Start at the homepage and try to identify the business, the service and the next action. Open an appropriate service page, read the important details and continue to contact. Check that the link labels describe their destinations and that the final URL is correct. Repeat the route from a blog article or project example if those pages are part of the website. Note any step that requires guessing.
Test a form as a working feature
With permission to send a test, use a clearly labelled enquiry and a destination that the owner can verify. Check required fields, meaningful labels, the success response and notification delivery. Confirm that the recipient can identify the sender and enquiry details. Keep a record of the test without publishing private message content. A direct email or telephone link should also point to the approved contact information.
Check content with realistic lengths
Review long service names, real image captions and paragraphs supplied by the business. Short placeholder text can hide layout problems. Check that headings wrap clearly, text remains readable and buttons fit the narrow layout. Important information should appear in visible page text rather than being available only inside a decorative image. Review image descriptions where an image conveys information and confirm permission to publish the chosen assets.
Review discovery and URL decisions
Confirm the important pages are linked from appropriate parts of the site and that their URLs match the intended structure. Check page titles and descriptions in the site’s SEO controls. For help with page headings, titles and content, review the on-page SEO service. If the website replaces existing pages, document which old URLs are retained and which destinations should receive redirects. Indexing decisions should reflect the purpose of each page; an enquiry confirmation page serves a different role from a public service explanation.
Check essential features after optimisation
Image and code optimisation should be followed by a check of the affected page types. Use the technical SEO service to review crawl access, URL redirects and other technical search signals. Open the menu, use expandable information and review the contact form. Confirm that styling and images load as expected. Cached HTML can differ from a newly edited page, so verify the public URL after the relevant update. Record the setting changed and the checks completed so a later problem can be investigated against an actual change log.
Agree what counts as ready
A useful launch record separates completed checks, unresolved issues and tasks planned for later. Name the owner for each remaining item. Confirm approved contact details, required content and the handover arrangements before sharing the website widely. Keep a current backup and identify who maintains domains, hosting and premium tools. The final decision should follow the agreed requirements and observed behaviour, rather than the appearance of one desktop screenshot.
For a simple record, use columns for page URL, check, result, required action and owner. Repeat important failed checks after the correction. Keep this record with the page list and editing notes so later updates can follow the same process. For search-specific page guidance, see Google’s SEO Starter Guide.