Website Launch Checklist

A website launch affects your business for years. This checklist covers 200+ tasks across 15 phases, from planning to post-launch optimization. Most launches fail because teams miss critical steps like SSL setup, broken links, or mobile testing. Use this to coordinate design, development, SEO, security, and marketing teams. Average project timeline: 3-6 months for small sites, 6-12 months for enterprise. Covers technical requirements (Core Web Vitals, schema markup), legal compliance (GDPR, cookies), and go-live procedures. Track progress, assign owners, set deadlines.

Phase 1: Pre-Development Planning


□ Define website goals and objectives
□ Identify target audience and user personas
□ Conduct competitor analysis
□ Create site architecture and sitemap
□ Develop content strategy
□ Set launch timeline and milestones
□ Allocate budget and resources
□ Choose technology stack and platform


Phase 2: Design & Branding


□ Create brand guidelines and style guide
□ Design logo and visual identity
□ Develop color scheme and typography
□ Create mockups and wireframes
□ Design responsive layouts (mobile, tablet, desktop)
□ Review and approve final designs
□ Create design system and component library
□ Prepare all graphic assets and icons


Phase 3: Content Creation


□ Write homepage content
□ Create product/service descriptions
□ Develop About Us section
□ Write blog posts (minimum 5-10 for launch)
□ Create contact page content
□ Develop FAQ section
□ Write privacy policy
□ Create terms of service
□ Develop cookie policy
□ Write meta descriptions for all pages
□ Create 404 error page content
□ Prepare email templates


Phase 4: Development Setup


□ Set up development environment
□ Configure version control (Git)
□ Set up staging environment
□ Install necessary frameworks and libraries
□ Configure build tools and bundlers
□ Set up continuous integration/deployment
□ Create development documentation
□ Establish coding standards


Phase 5: Core Functionality Development


□ Build homepage
□ Develop navigation and menu system
□ Create responsive layout framework
□ Implement content management system
□ Build contact forms
□ Develop search functionality
□ Create user authentication (if needed)
□ Build shopping cart (for e-commerce)
□ Implement payment processing
□ Develop admin dashboard
□ Create blog/news section
□ Build social media integration


Phase 6: Technical SEO Setup


□ Install SEO plugin/tools
□ Create XML sitemap
□ Set up robots.txt file
□ Implement schema markup
□ Configure canonical URLs
□ Set up 301 redirects from old site
□ Optimize URL structure
□ Implement breadcrumb navigation
□ Create HTML sitemap
□ Set up Google Search Console
□ Configure Bing Webmaster Tools
□ Implement Open Graph tags
□ Add Twitter Card tags


Phase 7: Performance Optimization


□ Optimize all images (compression, format, sizing)
□ Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
□ Enable browser caching
□ Implement lazy loading for images
□ Configure CDN (Content Delivery Network)
□ Optimize database queries
□ Enable GZIP compression
□ Reduce server response time
□ Optimize web fonts
□ Remove unused CSS/JavaScript
□ Implement critical CSS
□ Test Core Web Vitals


Phase 8: Security Implementation


□ Install SSL certificate
□ Configure HTTPS redirect
□ Set up firewall rules
□ Implement DDoS protection
□ Configure secure headers
□ Set up regular backups
□ Install security monitoring
□ Configure user permissions
□ Implement CAPTCHA on forms
□ Set up two-factor authentication (admin)
□ Configure secure password policies
□ Scan for vulnerabilities


Phase 9: Analytics & Tracking


□ Install Google Analytics 4
□ Set up Google Tag Manager
□ Configure conversion tracking
□ Implement heat mapping tools
□ Set up goal tracking
□ Configure e-commerce tracking
□ Install Facebook Pixel
□ Set up custom events
□ Create custom reports
□ Configure real-time monitoring
□ Set up email tracking
□ Implement A/B testing tools


Phase 10: Testing & Quality Assurance


□ Test all forms and submissions
□ Verify all links (internal and external)
□ Test search functionality
□ Check responsive design on all devices
□ Test browser compatibility (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
□ Verify page load speeds
□ Test checkout process (if applicable)
□ Check email notifications
□ Test user registration/login
□ Verify SSL certificate
□ Test 404 error handling
□ Check accessibility compliance
□ Run spell check on all content
□ Test social media sharing


Phase 11: Legal & Compliance


□ Ensure GDPR compliance
□ Implement cookie consent banner
□ Add privacy policy link to footer
□ Include terms of service
□ Add copyright notice
□ Ensure ADA/WCAG compliance
□ Include necessary disclaimers
□ Add age verification (if required)
□ Include refund/return policy
□ Add shipping policy (e-commerce)
□ Verify compliance with industry regulations
□ Include affiliate disclosures


Phase 12: Pre-Launch Marketing


□ Create launch announcement content
□ Prepare press release
□ Schedule social media posts
□ Set up email campaign
□ Create launch landing page
□ Prepare promotional materials
□ Reach out to influencers/partners
□ Set up PPC campaigns
□ Create launch day countdown
□ Prepare customer support resources
□ Train support team
□ Create FAQ resources


Phase 13: Final Pre-Launch Checks


□ Conduct final content review
□ Perform complete site crawl
□ Check all meta tags and descriptions
□ Verify all images have alt text
□ Test all interactive elements
□ Review and test all CTAs
□ Check cross-browser compatibility
□ Verify mobile responsiveness
□ Test site speed on various connections
□ Backup entire website
□ Document all passwords and access
□ Create launch day checklist


Phase 14: Launch Day


□ Remove password protection/maintenance mode
□ Submit sitemap to search engines
□ Verify DNS propagation
□ Check all critical functionality
□ Monitor site performance
□ Send launch announcement emails
□ Post on social media channels
□ Activate PPC campaigns
□ Monitor error logs
□ Check analytics tracking
□ Respond to initial feedback
□ Document any immediate issues


Phase 15: Post-Launch (First Week)


□ Monitor site uptime and performance
□ Check for 404 errors
□ Review analytics data
□ Monitor conversion rates
□ Respond to user feedback
□ Fix any reported bugs
□ Optimize based on user behavior
□ Update content as needed
□ Monitor search engine indexing
□ Check security logs
□ Review and respond to reviews
□ Schedule regular maintenance
□ Plan future updates and improvements
□ Celebrate successful launch! 🎉


How the Website Launch Checklist works


Start by defining launch scope and timeline. Assign phase owners across teams. Work through pre-development planning, then design and branding. Create all content before development starts. Build core features, implement SEO technical setup. Optimize performance (target: under 3 seconds load time). Add security layers and analytics tracking. Test everything on 5+ devices and browsers. Complete legal requirements, execute marketing prep, run final checks.

Failed launches cost $50,000-$500,000 in lost revenue and rework. 60% of issues found post-launch could have been prevented with systematic testing. Search engines penalize sites with poor Core Web Vitals or security issues. This checklist prevents the most common failures: broken checkout flows, missing SSL, poor mobile experience, and incomplete SEO setup. Companies using launch checklists report 40% faster deployment and 70% fewer critical bugs.


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