Launch day is exciting - and slightly nerve-racking. After weeks of design and development, the new website is about to meet real customers for the first time. Most launch problems are small and avoidable: a contact form that sends emails nowhere, a page still showing placeholder text, a forgotten setting that hides the site from Google.
This checklist covers everything we check before a business website goes live. Work through it with your developer, tick each item and keep a copy for your records. It is organised by area so different people can own different sections.
1. Content and design
Read every page on a real phone and on a laptop, as a customer would.
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| No placeholder text ("Lorem ipsum") or dummy images anywhere | |
| Business name, address, phone, email and WhatsApp number correct everywhere | |
| Spelling and grammar checked, including headings and buttons | |
| Prices, offers or dates (if any are shown) are current and accurate | |
| Real photos used where they matter, with descriptive alt text | |
| Logo, favicon and brand colours correct | |
| Footer links, social links and copyright year correct | |
| Custom 404 page that helps visitors find their way | |
| Legal pages present - privacy policy, terms and refund policy where relevant | |
2. Forms, buttons and contact paths
Enquiries are the reason most business websites exist, so test every path to you.
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Every form submits successfully and shows a clear thank-you message | |
| Form emails reach the right inbox (check spam too) | |
| Leads also reach your CRM or leads dashboard, if connected | |
| Spam protection is active but does not block genuine users | |
| WhatsApp button opens a chat with a sensible pre-filled message | |
| Phone numbers are tap-to-call on mobile | |
| Map embed shows the correct location | |
| Newsletter or download forms deliver what they promise | |
When you send test submissions, use a clear test name so your team knows to ignore them.
3. Mobile and browser testing
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Tested on at least one mid-range Android phone and one iPhone | |
| Menus open and close easily; buttons are large enough to tap | |
| No horizontal scrolling or cut-off text on small screens | |
| Tables and long content are readable on mobile | |
| Tested in Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox | |
| Pop-ups can be closed easily on mobile | |
4. SEO essentials
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Staging "noindex" tags removed from all pages | |
| robots.txt allows crawling of the live site | |
| Each page has a unique title tag and meta description | |
| Each page has exactly one H1 that describes its topic | |
| Canonical tags point to the correct live URLs | |
| XML sitemap generated and lists only live, indexable pages | |
| Structured data added for organisation or local business, FAQs and articles where relevant | |
| Old URLs redirected (301) to their new equivalents if replacing a site | |
| Internal links work - no links to staging or development domains | |
| Images compressed and named descriptively | |
If you are replacing an existing website, the redirect step is critical. Our SEO services team can help plan migrations so years of search visibility are not lost.
5. Speed and performance
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| PageSpeed Insights run on homepage and key pages for mobile and desktop | |
| Images in modern formats and sized correctly | |
| Caching enabled; CDN configured where appropriate | |
| Unused plugins, apps and scripts removed | |
| No large layout shifts while pages load | |
6. Security
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| SSL certificate active; every page loads over HTTPS | |
| HTTP and non-www (or www) versions redirect to one preferred version | |
| Default admin usernames changed; strong passwords set | |
| Two-factor authentication enabled for admin accounts | |
| Test and developer accounts removed or disabled | |
| CMS, theme, plugins and libraries updated to current versions | |
| Automatic backups scheduled and stored away from the website server | |
| Admin login URL protected against repeated login attempts | |
7. Privacy and data protection
If your forms collect names, phone numbers or emails, you are handling personal data. Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you should be transparent about what you collect and why.
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Privacy policy explains what data forms collect, why and how to contact you | |
| Forms collect only the information you genuinely need | |
| Consent wording added where you plan marketing messages | |
| Cookie or tracking notice in place where required for your audience | |
| Form data stored securely and accessible only to the right people | |
8. Analytics and tracking
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Google Analytics installed on every page and recording visits | |
| Key events tracked - form submissions, WhatsApp clicks, phone clicks | |
| Google Search Console verified and sitemap submitted | |
| Ad platform tags installed if you run campaigns | |
| Google Business Profile website link points to the new site | |
9. Domain, hosting and email
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Domain registered in your business's name, with auto-renewal on | |
| DNS changes made carefully, without disturbing email records | |
| Business email tested - sending and receiving - after the switch | |
| Hosting plan suitable for expected traffic, with monitoring | |
| Staging site password-protected or removed | |
10. Handover
| Check | Done |
|---|---|
| Admin, hosting and domain credentials shared and stored securely | |
| Source code repository access provided for custom builds | |
| List of plugins, services and third-party accounts documented | |
| Team trained on editing pages, blog posts and images | |
| Support and maintenance arrangement agreed in writing | |
Who owns which part of the checklist
A launch goes smoothly when every section has a named owner:
| Area | Usually owned by |
|---|---|
| Content, contact details and legal pages | Business owner or marketing team |
| Forms, WhatsApp and CRM connections | Developer, with a business tester |
| Mobile and browser testing | Developer and two or three staff members |
| SEO, redirects and Search Console | Developer or SEO team |
| Security, backups and hosting | Developer or hosting partner |
| Privacy wording | Business owner, with legal advice where needed |
| Analytics and ad tags | Marketing team or agency |
| Handover and training | Developer, with the person who will update the site |
Agree these names a week before launch so nobody assumes someone else has checked an item.
Choosing the launch moment
- Launch early in the week, during working hours, when your developer is available.
- Avoid launching just before a holiday, a festival sale or a major campaign.
- Tell your team in advance so they can spot and report issues quickly.
- Keep the old site's files and database backed up until the new one is stable.
The first week after launch
Launch is not the finish line. In the first few days:
- Day 1: Re-test all forms and contact paths on the live site. Check that analytics is recording visits.
- Days 1-3: Check Search Console for crawl errors and 404s; fix broken links or missing redirects.
- First week: Watch enquiries - are they arriving as expected? Compare with the old site if you replaced one.
- First week: Collect feedback from staff and a few trusted customers as well.
- Ongoing: Keep updates, backups and security monitoring running through a website maintenance plan.
Key takeaways
- Test every path to your business - forms, WhatsApp, calls and maps - on the live site.
- Remove staging blocks, submit your sitemap and redirect old URLs on launch day.
- Secure admin access, enable backups and update everything before launch.
- Be transparent about personal data, and track the events that matter.
- Make sure you own the domain, hosting and code, and monitor closely in week one.
Launch with confidence
Every website we deliver goes through a launch checklist like this one before it goes live. If you are planning a new site or a rebuild, book a free consultation with our in-house team in Jaipur - we will plan the build and launch together and share a written quote. Explore our website development services.
