The website launch checklist
Thirty checks we run before any site goes live. Copy it, print it, use it on your own project — no email required.
Content and structure
- One clear primary action per page (call, WhatsApp, form or booking).
- The offer is readable on the first screen, without scrolling.
- Every page has one H1 and a logical heading order.
- Phone number is text, tappable, and correct.
- Address and hours match the Google Business Profile.
- No placeholder text, empty links, or “lorem ipsum”.
- Claims, prices, dates and certifications are approved by the owner.
Mobile first
- Tested at 360px, 390px and 768px wide.
- No horizontal scrolling.
- No image taller than the screen.
- Tap targets at least 44px high.
- Menu opens, closes, and works with the keyboard.
- Forms usable with one thumb; correct input types for phone and email.
SEO
- Unique title (roughly 15–60 characters) and description (70–160).
- Absolute canonical on every indexable page.
- One host: www or non-www, the other redirects permanently.
- robots.txt allows the site and points to the sitemap.
- Sitemap contains only canonical, indexable URLs.
- Structured data matches visible content (Organization, LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, Article).
- Open Graph image exists at 1200×630 and loads from the live host.
- 404 page returns a real 404 status and offers a way back.
Forms and leads
- Submission is stored server-side, not only opened in WhatsApp.
- Server-side validation for phone and email.
- Honeypot or time trap against bots.
- Consent line links to the privacy notice.
- Success state is visible and truthful; failure offers a phone number.
- Test submission received by the person who answers enquiries.
Speed and resilience
- Images resized, compressed and served as WebP or AVIF.
- Explicit width and height on images to prevent layout shift.
- Below-fold images lazy-loaded; hero not lazy-loaded.
- Fonts subset and limited to two or three files.
- No preloader that blocks content when JavaScript fails.
- Tested on a throttled mobile connection.
Legal and handover
- Privacy notice and terms linked from every page.
- Cookie or analytics notice if non-essential tracking is added.
- Image licences recorded (own, stock, or credited).
- Domain, hosting, analytics and Search Console in the owner’s name.
- Backup of the launch build stored somewhere other than the server.
- One page of documentation: how to edit, who to call, what not to touch.
Use it freely. If you republish it, credit NICKOVA Digital and link to this page: https://nickovadigital.com/resources/website-launch-checklist/