To do that, take a few minutes and run your website through this list…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
Your 25-point website launch checklist<\/h2>\n1. Check for little errors<\/h3>\n
Don’t make the mistake of having a typo on a key page. Take a few minutes and go back and proofread as much content as possible. Also, look for other little issues with audio files, videos, or dummy text:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Content should be easy to read – font size, short sentences, bullet points, lots of white space<\/li>\n
- Images must be optimized, properly labeled and have alt text<\/li>\n
- Audio and video files need to work properly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2. Make sure you have a contact page<\/h3>\n
Not only does a contact page allow visitors to get in touch with you, it adds credibility and improves the trust quotient of your website. Find out how to add one to your website in this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n
3. Set up Google Analytics<\/h3>\n
When you launch a site, you might want to track its traffic and learn about your audience<\/a>. With Google Analytics<\/a>, you can monitor:<\/p>\n
- \n
- the general profiles of your visitors<\/li>\n
- what devices visitors use<\/li>\n
- your most popular pages, posts, and products<\/li>\n
- user behavior and engagement<\/a><\/li>\n
- conversion rates<\/li>\n
- how marketing campaigns perform<\/li>\n
- how fast your site loads<\/li>\n
- the sources of traffic<\/li>\n
- a lot more data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/google-analytics.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTo benefit from all this data, you need to set up Google Analytics on your website. This post<\/a> offers a few different methods to integrate Google Analytics with WordPress and teaches you how to implement every method.<\/p>\n
4. Test your site’s usability<\/h3>\n
Check that all functional aspects of the website work as intended. Usability is important for conversions as well as for overall SEO. Most importantly, you need to look at each element on your website just as a visitor would.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ensure that images are optimized for speed<\/a><\/li>\n
- In particular, test all call-to-action forms and contact forms<\/a><\/li>\n
- On a multi-user site, check the login procedure, roles, and credentials<\/li>\n
- Check out overall experience through the eyes of a user consuming content on the website<\/li>\n
- In case you’ve put autoresponders in place, make sure they respond as you intended<\/li>\n
- If your website is going to accept payments<\/a>, do a test run of each step in the purchase\/payment process, including the success page redirect. This includes downloads, sign-ups, shopping cart functions, payment processing, email notifications, buttons, and links<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
5. Make sure your navigation works<\/h3>\n
At no point should visitors be unsure of which button to click next on your website. Besides, your on-site search should work smoothly and accurately. Try moving through the different locations on your website as a casual visitor would.<\/p>\n
Read this post for more tips on how to create a great navigation structure<\/a>.<\/p>\n
6. Check for mobile-friendliness<\/h3>\n
Testing for compatibility with mobile devices is now an essential part of any website launch checklist, given Google\u2019s focus on mobile-first indexing<\/a>. Consequently, your website must be mobile-friendly<\/a>, and just as functional and pleasing on mobiles as it is on desktops.<\/p>\n
In other words, text should be easy to read on mobile devices, content should be the same on both versions of your website, navigation is easy, buttons have proper spacing, etc.<\/p>\n
![\"Google's](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Googles-mobile-friendly-speed-test.png\")
<\/p>\nFortunately, you can use Google’s own tool, Google\u2019s Mobile-Friendly Test<\/a> to test these aspects.<\/p>\n
7. Review browser compatibility<\/h3>\n
It’s not enough to view the website from your browser alone. Additionally, you need to see how it appears in different versions of major browsers<\/a>. At the bare minimum, you’ll need to test it on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.<\/p>\n
![\"Browsershots](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Browsershots.png\")
<\/p>\n - In particular, test all call-to-action forms and contact forms<\/a><\/li>\n
![\"PHP](\"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/php-compatibility-checker\/assets\/banner-772x250.png?rev=1446087\")
\t\t\t